On This Day, December 10 in Music History
EVENTS ON DECEMBER 10 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day December 10 in 1964 – The Beatles scored their third number one single of the year in the UK with ‘I Feel Fine’. They previously topped the Singles chart with ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ in April and ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ in July.
1966 – With ‘Good Vibrations’, The Beach Boys scored their third number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was an international hit and it also reached No.1 in Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain, and the UK.
1967 – American soul singer and songwriter Otis Redding died in an airplane crash on this day December 10 in music history at the age of 26.
1976 – Rock band Queen released their fifth studio album ‘A Day at the Races’ through EMI and Elektra Records. The album became a chart-topper in the UK, the Netherlands, and Japan, while in North America it peaked at No.5 in the US and No.4 in Canada.
1976 – Paul McCartney & Wings released the triple live album ‘Wings over America’ on this day December 10. The album peaked at No.1 in the US and Canada, and reached No.8 in the UK.
1983 – Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Say Say Say’ for the first of six consecutive weeks. The song was a worldwide hit and it also reached No.1 in seven other countries.
1983 – With their a cappella rendition of Yazoo‘s song ‘Only You’, The Flying Pickets started a five-week stint at the top of the UK Singles chart on this day December 10.
1988 – Cliff Richard scored his twelfth number one single in the UK with ‘Mistletoe and Wine’. It held the top spot for four weeks straight.
1988 – The number one single in the United States on this day December 10 was ‘Look Away’ by the rock band Chicago. This was the group’s third and last chart-topper.
1994 – With their compilation album ‘Live at the BBC’, The Beatles reached number one in the UK. The album features performances of the band on various BBC shows between 1963 and 1965.
1994 – Saxophonist Kenny G started a two-week stint at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart with his seventh studio album ‘Miracles: The Holiday Album’ on this day December 10.
1994 – British boy band East 17 scored their first and only domestic number one single with ‘Stay Another Day’. It topped the Singles chart for five consecutive weeks.
1995 – American rapper Darren Robinson also known by his stage names Big Buff and Buffy died on this day December 10 in music history, aged 28 of a heart attack. Best known as a member of the hip hop group The Fat Boys.
1996 – Country music producer and musician Faron Young committed suicide at the age of 64. Best remembered for songs such as ‘Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young’ and ‘If You Ain’t Lovin’ (You Ain’t Livin’)’.
1999 – Canadian singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist Richard “Rick” Danko died on this day December 10, aged 55 of heart failure. Best remembered as a co-founder of The Band.
2003 – Singer, multi-instrumentalist, and leader of Bill Deal and the Rhondels, Bill Deal died on this day at the age of 59.
2005 – American rapper Eminem started a five-week run at No.1 in the UK with his first greatest hits compilation album ‘Curtain Call: The Hits’ on this day December 10.
2005 – Heavy metal band System of a Down scored their second number one album of the year in the US with ‘Hypnotize’. They previously topped the Billboard 200 on June 4 with ‘Mezmerize’.
2005 – With ‘Stickwitu’, girl group Pussycat Dolls went to number one on the UK Singles chart on this day December 10.
2011 – British singer-songwriter Olly Murs scored his first domestic number one album with ‘In Case You Didn’t Known’.
2011 – The number one album in the United States on this day December 10 in music history was ‘Christmas’ by Michael Bublé. The Canadian held the top spot for four weeks straight.
2015 – After topping the UK Singles chart for two weeks with ‘Sorry’, Justin Bieber extended his run at No.1 for another three weeks, this time with ‘Love Yourself’.
2016 – Heavy metal band Metallica topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their tenth studio album ‘Hardwired… to Self-Destruct’ on this day December 10.
2020 – With his fifth solo studio album ‘Music Played by Humans’, singer-songwriter Gary Barlow hit number one in the UK.
2021 – American musician, composer, songwriter, and producer Michael Nesmith died on this day December 10, aged 78. Best remembered as a member of the pop rock band The Monkees.
BORN ON DECEMBER 10 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1913 – Jazz trumpeter, violinist, and vocalist Ray Willis Nance was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1926 – American guitarist and vocalist Eddie Jones also known as Guitar Slim was born in Greenwood, Mississippi. Best known for the hit song ‘The Things That I Used to Do’.
1941 – One half of the pop rock duo Chad & Jeremy, David Stuart Chadwick also known as Chad Stuart was born in Windermere, England.
1941 – British singer-songwriter and guitar player Peter Sarstedt was born in New Delhi, British India.
1941 – Japanese singer Hisashi Sakamoto also known professionally as Kyu Sakamoto was born in Kawasaki, Japan. Best known for his 1963 worldwide hit single ‘Sukiyaki’ which made him the first Asian artist to top the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1946 – Bass guitarist and co-founder of the band The Move, Christopher John “Ace” Kefford was born in Moseley, England.
1948 – Singer and songwriter Jessica Cleaves was born in Los Angeles, California. Best known for her work with bands such as Parliament Funkadelic, Earth, Wind & Fire, and The Friends of Distinction.
1951 – Country music singer Juan “Johnny” Rodriguez was born in Sabinal, Texas. Best known for chart-topping singles such as ‘Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico’ and ‘You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)’.
1954 – Co-founder and frontman of the new wave band Wang Chung, Jeremy Ryder also known by his stage name Jack Hues was born in Gillingham, England.
1957 – Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Paul Hardcastle was born in London, England. Best known for the No.1 hit single ’19’.
1965 – American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Joseph “J” Mascis was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. He came to prominence as the co-founder and frontman of the rock band Dinosaur Jr.
1972 – Co-founder and frontman of the rock band Placebo, Brian Molko was born in Brussels, Belgium.
1974 – Singer, drummer, and one half of the rock duo The White Stripes, Megan “Meg” White was born in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.
1980 – Korean-American classical violinist Sarah Chang was born Young Joo Chang in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1993 – American singer and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Trachtenburg was born in Seattle, Washington.