On This Day, October 15 in Music History
EVENTS ON OCTOBER 15 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day October 15 in 1956 – Little Richard recorded ‘Good Golly, Miss Molly’ which was released as a single in 1958 and reached No.4 in the US.
1957 – Elvis Presley released his third studio and first Holiday album ‘Elvis’ Christmas Album’ through RCA Records. It topped the Billboard Best Selling Pop LPs for four weeks.
1964 – American composer and songwriter Cole Albert Porter died at the age of 73.
1966 – The Four Tops went to No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’. It also became a chart-topper in the UK.
1968 – Stevie Wonder released his version of ‘For Once in My Life’ which became a Top 3 hit on the singles charts in the US and the UK.
1977 – With ‘You Light Up My Life’, Debby Boone started a ten-week run at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the best-selling single of the year in the US and set a new record for most weeks at the top of the chart.
1983 – Rock band Genesis went to number one in the UK with their self-titled twelfth studio album. The LP features the hits ‘Mama’ and ‘That’s All’, and was also a chart-topper in Finland and Germany.
1988 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day October 15 was the sentimental ballad ‘One Moment in Time’ by Whitney Houston. The song was written for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in South Korea.
1988 – Rock band Bon Jovi hit number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with their fourth studio album ‘New Jersey’ for four consecutive weeks. The album reached No.1 in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK as well.
1988 – With their rendition of Neil Diamond‘s song ‘Red Red Wine’, UB40 topped the US Singles chart. It also became a chart-topper in Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK.
1988 – On his 40th birthday, singer-songwriter Chris de Burgh reached number one in the United Kingdom with his ninth studio album ‘Flying Colours’.
1994 – Rock band R.E.M. started a two-week run at number one in the United States with their ninth studio album ‘Monster’. The album was a worldwide hit and it topped the national charts in Austria, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK as well.
1994 – Boy band Take That scored their fifth number one single in the United Kingdom with ‘Sure’.
1999 – American folk music singer and songwriter Terry Gilkyson died at the age of 83. Best remembered as the co-founder of the band The Easy Riders.
2005 – Country music singer and songwriter Gretchen Wilson topped the US Billboard 200 with her second studio album ‘All Jacked Up’.
2005 – Indie rock band Franz Ferdinand topped the UK Albums chart with ‘You Could Have It So Much Better’.
2011 – Adele returned for a four-week run at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Someone Like You’.
2011 – With his debut studio album ‘Cole World: The Sideline Story’, rapper J. Cole reached number one in the United States.
2011 – Rihanna and DJ Calvin Harris started a three-week run at number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘We Found Love’. The song was a worldwide hit and it topped the singles charts in 26 countries.
Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris – We Found Love
2015 – Drum and bass band Rudimental scored their second consecutive number one album in the UK with ‘We the Generation’.
2016 – Singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes reached number one in the US with his second studio album ‘Illuminate’.
2020 – The compilation live album by Queen + Adam Lambert titled ‘Live Around the World’ was at number one in the United Kingdom.
2020 – English singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Gordon Haskell died at the age of 74. Best known as a solo artist and for his work with the bands The Fleur de Lys and King Crimson.
BORN ON OCTOBER 15 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1906 – American blues singer and songwriter Victoria Spivey nicknamed Queen Victoria was born in Houston, Texas.
1917 – American musician and inventor Paul Tanner was born in Skunk Hollow, Kentucky. Best known as a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra and for developing the Electro-Theremin musical instrument.
1922 – Singer and songwriter Thomas “Tommy” Edwards was born in Richmond, Virginia. Best known for the hit single ‘It’s All in the Game’ which made him the first Africa-American to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1925 – Guitarist and studio musician MacHouston “Mickey” Baker was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Best known for his work with the R&B duo Mickey & Sylvia.
1935 – Singer-songwriter and pioneer of contemporary Christian music, Barry McGuire was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
1938 – American singer-songwriter and pianist Marvin “Marv” Johnson was born in Detroit, Michigan. Best known for ‘Come to Me’ which was the first single to be released by Motown Records.
1941 – Singer, songwriter, and drummer for the rock band Moby Grape, Don Stevenson was born in Seattle, Washington.
1942 – Singer and songwriter Christopher “Chris” Andrews was born in Romford, England. Best known for the chart-topping single ‘Yesterday Man’ and for writing multiple hit songs for Adam Fait and Sandi Shaw.
1943 – American drummer and session musician Ralph Gallant also known by his stage name Larrie Londin was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
1946 – Singer, songwriter, producer, and one half of the sibling duo The Carpenters, Richard Carpenter was born in New Haven, Connecticut.
1948 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Christopher John Davison better known by his stage name Chris de Burgh was born in Venado Tuerto, Argentina.
1953 – Founding member of the family pop group Jackson 5, Toriano “Tito” Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana.
1966 – English drummer Dave Stead was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire. He came to prominence as a member of the band The Beautiful South.
1970 – American R&B singer-songwriter, actor, and dancer Elgin Baylor Lumpkin also known professionally as Ginuwine was born on this day in Washington, D.C.