On This Day, October 16 in Music History
EVENTS ON OCTOBER 16 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day October 16 in 1959 – With his rendition of the 1928 song ‘Mack the Knife’, Bobby Darin hit number one on the UK Singles charts.
1968 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their third and final studio album ‘Electric Ladyland’ through Reprise Records. It became the band’s highest-selling album and peaked at No.1 in Canada and the US, while in the UK it reached No.6.
1972 – After thirteen years of rocking, two name changes, and seven studio albums, Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) announced they were disbanding.
1973 – American jazz drummer, composer, and bandleader Eugene “Gene” Krupa died on this day at the age of 64
1976 – Rick Dees reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with his satirical disco novelty song ‘Disco Duck’.
1976 – Stevie Wonder started an incredible thirteen-week run at No.1 on the US Billboard 200 with his 18th studio album ‘Songs in the Key of Life’. The LP was also a chart-topper in Canada, France, and the Netherlands.
1976 – Dutch country pop band Pussycat hit number one on the UK Singles chart for the first of four consecutive weeks with ‘MIssissippi’. The song was also an international hit and it reached No.1 in Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, and West Germany.
1989 – English singer Kate Bush released her sixth studio album ‘The Sensual World’ through EMI Records. The LP sold over 1 million copies and it peaked at No.2 in the UK.
1990 – American jazz drummer and bandleader Arthur Blakey also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina died at the age of 71.
1993 – Country music singer-songwriter Garth Brooks returned at number one in the US with his fifth studio album ‘In Pieces’.
1993 – With ‘Bat Out of Hell II – Back Into Hell’, Meat Loaf returned for the third time at number one on the UK Albums chart. He made two more comebacks at the top in the following weeks.
1999 – Christina Aguilera went to number one in the UK with her breakthrough single ‘Genie in a Bottle’. Besides the UK, the single reached No.1 in a dozen other countries worldwide.
1999 – Rock band Creed topped the US Billboard 200 with their second studio album ‘Human Clay’. The album also reached No.1 in Canada, Denmark, and Norway.
1999 – Shania Twain returned for a three-week run at number one in the United Kingdom with her third studio album ‘Come On Over’. The album was a hit worldwide and it topped the charts in Austria, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland as well that year.
1999 – American singer Ella Mae Morse died at the age of 75. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘Cow-Cow Boogie’ and ‘Get on Board, Little Chillun’ which she recorded with Freddie Slack and his Orchestra.
Ella Mae Morse – Cow-Cow Boogie
2004 – The number one album in the UK on this day October 16 was ‘Around the Sun’ by the alternative rock band R.E.M.
2004 – With ‘Radio’, Robbie Williams scored his sixth solo number one single in the UK. It also reached No.1 on the European Hot 100 and the Danish Singles chart.
2004 – Country music group Rascal Flatts went to number one in the United States with their third studio album ‘Feels Like Today’.
2007 – Macedonian singer and songwriter Todor “Toshe” Proeski died in a car accident at the age of 26.
2010 – With his 13th studio album ‘Hemingway’s Whiskey’, country music singer Kenny Chesney topped the Billboard 200 chart.
2010 – American singer CeeLo Green hit number one in the UK for the first of two consecutive weeks with ‘F*ck You’ also known as ‘Forget You’ (clean version).
2010 – With his debut studio album ‘Disc-Overy’, British rapper Tinie Tempah went to number one on the UK Albums chart.
2014 – Singer and co-founder of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer, Timothy “Tim” Hauser died at the age of 72.
2021 – After a two-week break from the top spot, The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber returned to number one on the US Singles chart with ‘Stay’.
BORN ON OCTOBER 16 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1923 – German multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and orchestra leader Bert Kaempfert was born in Hamburg. Best known for composing the music for songs such as ‘Strangers in the Night’, ‘Moon Over Naples’, and ‘Danke Schoen’.
1935 – American R&B singer and dancer Sugar Pie DeSanto was born Peylia Marsema Balinton in Brooklyn, New York.
1937 – Singer, multi-instrumentalist, and sound engineer Emile Telford also know professionally as Emile Ford was born in Castries, Saint Lucia.
1938 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Christa Paffgen better known by her stage name Nico was born in Cologne, West Germany. She rose to fame as a member of The Velvet Underground.
1943 – Canadian musician, songwriter, and founding member of the rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive (B.T.O), Frederick “Fred” Turner was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
1945 – American drummer and session musician Roger Hawkins was born in Mishawaka, Indiana. Best known for his work with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, Joe Cocker, Etta James, Bob Seger, and many others.
1947 – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and co-founder of the rock band Grateful Dead, Robert “Bob” Weir was born in San Francisco, California.
1952 – American multi-instrumentalist Cordell “Boogie” Mosson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Best known as a member of Parliament-Funkadelic.
1953 – Multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, and producer Anthony “Tony” Carey was born in Turlock, California. He came to prominence as a member of the hard rock group Rainbow.
1959 – Lead guitarist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the new wave band Spandau Ballet, Gary Kemp was born in London, England.
1960 – American musician Robert “Bob” Mould was born in Malone, New York. Best known for his work with the bands Husker Du and Sugar.
1962 – Bassist and founding member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Balzary also known by his stage name Flea was born in Melbourne, Australia.
1969 – One third of the pop trio Wilson Phillips, Wendy Wilson was born in Los Angeles, California. She’s the daughter of musicians Brian and Marilyn Wilson.
1977 – American singer-songwriter and guitarist John Mayer was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.