On This Day, December 3 in Music History
EVENTS ON DECEMBER 3 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day December 3 in 1954 – Trinidadian pianist Winifred Atwell started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Let’s Have Another Party’.
1964 – With their rendition of the blues standard ‘Little Red Rooster’, The Rolling Stones reached No.1 in the UK. As of December 2024, it remains the only blues song to top the British Singles chart.
1965 – The Beatles released their sixth studio album ‘Rubber Soul’ on this day December 3 in music history. The album went on to sell over 8 million copies and it topped the charts in the US, UK, Finland, Canada, Australia, and West Germany.
1965 – Rock band The Who released their debut studio album ‘My Generation’ through Brunswick Records. The album reached No.5 in the UK and the title track was an international hit.
1966 – With ‘Winchester Cathedral’, The New Vaudeville Band reached the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on this day December 3. Also a chart-topper in Canada, South Africa, and Australia, and a No.4 hit in the UK.
1973 – Ringo Starr released his rendition of ‘You’re Sixteen’ which became a chart-topper in New Zealand and the US, and was a Top 10 hit in nine other countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia.
1977 – With her eight studio album ‘Simple Dreams’, Linda Ronstadt topped the US Billboard 200 on this day December 3. She held the top spot for five consecutive weeks.
1977 – Paul McCartney & Wings hit number one in the UK with the double A-side single ‘Mull of Kintyre’ / ‘Girls’ School’ for the first of nine consecutive weeks.
1983 – American songwriter, composer, and lyricist Irving Taylor died on this day December 3 at the age of 69. Best remembered for writing songs such as ‘Everybody Loves Somebody’, ‘Quicksilver’, and ‘Give Me Your Word’.
1983 – With his second solo studio album ‘Can’t Slow Down’, Lionel Richie started a three-week run at number one in the US.
1983 – New wave band Duran Duran scored their first number one album in the UK with ‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’.
1988 – The number one single in the United States on this day was ‘Baby, I Love Your Way’ / ‘Freebird Medley (Free Baby)’ by the dance-pop group Will to Power. It also reached No.1 in Canada, Norway, and Portugal, while in the UK it peaked at No.6.
1994 – After topping the US Billboard Hot 100 for fourteen weeks straight with ‘I’ll Make Love to You’, Boyz II Men extended their run at No.1 for two more weeks but this time with ‘On Bended Knee’.
1994 – With their first greatest hits compilation ‘Carry On Up the Charts: The Best of the Beautiful South’, alternative rock band The Beautiful South topped the UK Albums chart.
2001 – Rockabilly and country music session guitarist Grady Martin died at the age of 72. Best remembered as a member of the Nashville A-Team.
2005 – With her tenth studio album ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor’, Madonna reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart.
2011 – Barbadian singer Rihanna scored her third No.1 album in the UK with ‘Talk That Talk’.
2011 – Canadian rapper Drake scored his second consecutive number one album in the United States with ‘Take Care’.
2014 – English musician and songwriter Ian McLagan died on this day December 3 at the age of 69. Best remembered for his work as a keyboardist with the bands Small Faces and Faces.
2015 – American singer and songwriter Scott Weiland died of an accidental overdose, aged 48. Best remembered as the lead singer of the bands Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver.
2015 – Singer-songwriter Adele started a five-week stint at the top of the UK Albums chart with ’25’.
2016 – Hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest topped the US Billboard 200 with their sixth and final studio album ‘We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service’.
2020 – The number one album in the UK on this day December 3 was the collaborative LP ‘Together at Christmas’ by Michael Ball and Alfie Boe.
BORN ON DECEMBER 3 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1925 – Country music singer and guitarist Ferlin Husky was born in Cantwell, Missouri. Best known for his chart-topping singles ‘Wings of a Dove’ and ‘Gone’.
1927 – American traditional pop music singer and TV host Andrew “Andy” Williams was born on this day in Wal Lake, Iowa.
1931 – Pop music singer and actress Jaye P. Morgan was born Mary Margaret Morgan in Mancos, Colorado.
1940 – British singer, songwriter, and producer Kenneth Hawker also known as Ken Lewis was born in Birmingham, England.
1944 – Singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Ralph McTell was born Ralph May in Croydon, England.
1947 – Northern Irish musician John Wilson was born in Belfast. Best known for his work with bands such as Stud, Them, and Taste.
1948 – Singer-songwriter John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne was born in Marston Green, England. He came to prominence as the frontman of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath.
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1949 – American singer and songwriter Michael “Mickey” Thomas was born in Cairo, Georgia. Best known for his work with the bands Jefferson Starship and Starship.
1949 – Welsh singer Nicky Stevens was born Helen Maria Thomas in Carmarthen, Wales. Best known as a member of the pop group Brotherhood of Man.
1951 – Jazz multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Barry Finnerty was born in San Francisco, California. Best known for his work with artists such as Miles Davis, Hubert Laws, The Crusaders, and others.
1951 – One third of the songwriting and production trio Stock Aitken Waterman, Michael Stock was born in Margate, England.
1952 – American guitarist and songwriter Duane Roland was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He came to prominence as a member of the rock band Molly Hatchet.
1952 – Singer, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of the rock band 38 Special, Donald “Don” Barnes was born in Peoria, Illinois.
1967 – British DJ and record producer Adam Paul Tinley also known by his stage names Adamski and Sonny Eriksson was born in Lymington, England.
1968 – American R&B singer, songwriter, and producer Montell Jordan was born in Los Angeles, California. Best known for his chart-topping single ‘This Is How We Do It’.
1978 – American rapper Katrina Laverne Taylor better known by her stage name Trina was born in Miami, Florida.
1979 – Singer-songwriter and record producer Daniel Bedingfield was born in Auckland, New Zealand.