On This Day, February 1 in Music History
EVENTS ON FEBRUARY 1 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day February 1 in 1958 – The soundtrack album to the musical comedy film ‘Pal Joey’ started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK Albums chart.
1964 – The Beatles scored their first number one single in the US with ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for seven consecutive weeks.
1967 – Father and daughter duo – Frank and Nancy Sinatra recorded the Carson Parks song ‘Something Stupid’ on this day February 1 in music history. The song became a huge hit worldwide that year and it reached No.1 in eight countries, including the US and UK.
1969 – With ‘Crimson and Clover’, Tommy James and the Shondells topped the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was an international hit and it also reached No.1 in New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and Switzerland.
1972 – Neil Young released his fourth studio album ‘Harvest’ through Reprise Records on this day February 1. The album became a chart-topper in Australia, the Netherlands, the US, Canada, Norway, and the UK. In 2015, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
1975 – Thirteen years since his last chart-topper, Neil Sedaka reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Laughter in the Rain’. Also a chart-topper in Canada while in the UK it peaked at No.15.
1975 – Scottish rock band Pilot started a three-week stint at the top of the UK Singles chart with ‘January’ on this day February 1.
1986 – British singer and music publisher Leon Vapnick also known professionally as Dick James died at the age of 65. Best remembered for co-founding the DJM record label and Northern Songs.
1992 – Elton John and George Michael topped the US Billboard Hot 100 on this day February 1 in music history with ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’. The song became a chart-topper in 10 other countries as well, including the UK and Canada.
1994 – Punk rock band Green Day released their third studio album ‘Dookie’ through Reprise Records. The album peaked at No.2 on the US Billboard 200 and it won the band a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album.
1997 – Alternative rock band Blur scored their second number one single in the UK with ‘Beetlebum’ on this day February 1.
1997 – The soundtrack album to the musical film of the same name ‘Evita’ by Madonna/Various Artists reached number one in the UK.
1999 – Multi-instrumentalist, composer, and leader of The Baja Marimba Band, Julius Wechter died on this day February 1 in music history, aged 63 from lung cancer.
2003 – The number one single in the United States on this day was ‘Bump, Bump, Bump’ by the boy band B2K featuring P. Diddy.
2003 – With his debut solo studio album ‘Justified’, Justin Timberlake went to number one in the UK on this day February 1.
2003 – Cuban bandleader and percussionist Ramon “Mongo” Santamaria died at the age of 85. Best remembered for his hit rendition of the jazz standard ‘Watermelon Man’.
2014 – Electronic music band Clean Bandit featuring singer Jess Glynne reached No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Rather Be’ on this day February 1.
Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne – Rather Be
2014 – With his eighteenth studio album ‘High Hopes’, singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart.
2018 – Soul and R&B singer Dennis Edwards died on this day February 1 in music history at the age of 74. Best remembered as the frontman of the vocal group The Temptations.
2018 – With ‘God’s Plan’, Canadian rapper Drake hit number one on the UK Singles chart for the first of nine consecutive weeks.
2020 – Rapper Eminem scored his ninth consecutive number one album in the US with ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ on this day February 1.
2020 – Co-founder and lead guitarist of the post-punk band Gang of Four, Andrew “Andy” Gill died at the age of 64.
BORN ON FEBRUARY 1 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1928 – American singer Reba Jeanette Smith also known professionally as Debbie Dean or Penny Smith was born in Corbin, Kentucky. Best known as the first white artist to record for Motown.
1934 – Singer and guitarist Robert Schoen better known by his stage name Bob Shane was born in Hilo, Hawaii. Best known as a founding member of the pop folk group The Kingston Trio.
1937 – One half of the country rock duo The Everly Brothers, Donald “Don” Everly was born in Knoxville, Tennessee.
1937 – American singer Ray Sawyer was born in Chickasaw, Alabama. Best for his work with the rock band Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show.
1938 – American musician James Carl Inkanish also known as Jimmy Carl Black was born in El Paso, Texas. Best known as the drummer and vocalist of the rock band The Mothers of Invention.
1939 – American keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and composer Joseph “Joe” Sample was born in Houston, Texas. He came to prominence as a founding member of The Jazz Crusaders.
1948 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist James Ambrose Johnson better known professionally as Rick James was born in Buffalo, New York.
1950 – American songwriter and guitarist Michael “Mike” Campbell was born in Panama City, Florida. Best known as a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
1950 – Guitarist and songwriter Richard “Rich” Williams was born in Topeka, Kansas. He rose to fame as a founding member of the rock band Kansas.
1968 – Singer and songwriter Lisa Marie Presley was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She’s the daughter of Elvis Presley.
1975 – American rapper and songwriter Antwan Andre Patton also known as Big Boi was born in Savannah, Georgia. Best known as one half of the hip hop duo Outkast.
1979 – Country music singer and songwriter Julie Roberts was born in Lancaster, South Carolina. Best known for the hit song ‘Break Down Here’.
1994 – English singer and songwriter Harry Styles was born in Redditch.