On This Day, April 16 in Music History
EVENTS ON APRIL 16 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day April 16 in 1954 – American actress and singer Doris Day reached No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Secret Love’.
1956 – Buddy Holly released his debut single ‘Love Me’ and the B-side ‘Blue Days – Black Nights’ through Decca Records. The song featured on his second and final studio album ‘That’ll Be The Day’.
1964 – Dean Martin recorded his rendition of ‘Everybody Loves Somebody’, song originally written by Irvin Taylor & Ken Lane in 1947. It was released in June and it peaked at No.1 in the US and New Zealand.
1969 – Desmond Dekker and The Aces went to number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘The Israelites’ on this day April 16 in music history. It was the first reggae song to top chart.
1970 – The Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA) awarded Led Zeppelin a Gold Record for ‘Whole Lotta Love’. The single was a chart-topper in Australia and Germany, and a Top 10 hit in a dozen countries worldwide.
10 Interesting Led Zeppelin Facts
1972 – Rock band the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) played their debut concert at the Greyhound Pub in South London.
1977 – Swedish pop group ABBA returned for a nine-week stint at number one on the UK Albums chart with ‘Arrival’. The album first reached the top spot on January 15.
1977 – Actor and singer David Soul topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Don’t Give Up On Us’ on this day April 16. The song also peaked at No.1 in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Canada.
1980 – American composer and music director Morris Stoloff died at the age of 81. Best known for working with artists such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Dinah Shore and Al Jolson among others.
1983 – With her fifth studio album ‘Faster Than the Speed of Night’, Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler reached No.1 in the UK.
1991 – Rock supergroup Temple of the Dog released their self-titled debut and only studio album via A&M Records on this day April 16. The album was a tribute to the late Andrew Wood who died from a heroin overdose in 1990. It peaked at No.5 in the US and sold over 1 million copies.
1994 – With her twelfth studio album ‘Longing in Their Hearts’, Bonnie Raitt topped the US Billboard 200 for the second and last time.
1996 – All four original Kiss members – Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss held a press conference aboard the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier and announced a reunion tour.
1999 – Canadian-American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alexander “Skip” Spence died of lung cancer, aged 52. Best remembered as the co-founder of the rock band Moby Grape and as a member of the groups Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service.
2005 – Australian singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia topped the UK Albums chart with ‘Counting Down the Days’ on this day April 16 in music history.
Natalie Imbruglia – Counting Down the Days
2010 – Rock band Soundgarden made a comeback with a show at the Showbox Theater in Seattle, Washington. It was the group’s first show since 1997 when they broke up.
15 Fun Facts About Chris Cornell
2011 – Britney Spears scored her sixth number one album on the US Billboard 200 with her seventh studio release ‘Femme Fatale’.
2013 – English tour organizer, impresario, and studio manager Edwin Shirley died at the age of 64. Best known as the co-founder of one of the largest music transport companies in Europe Edwin Shirley Trucking (EST).
2016 – English singer-songwriter Zayn went to number one in the United States with his debut solo studio album ‘Mind of Mine’.
2018 – With his fourth studio album ‘Damn’, Kendrick Lamar became the first hip hop artist to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
2022 – Harry Styles scored his second chart-topping single in the US with ‘As It Was’. The song was a huge hit worldwide and it also reached No.1 in 35 other countries that year.
2022 – The Red Hot Chili Peppers topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their twelfth studio album ‘Unlimited Love’. The album debuted at No.1 in 16 countries.
BORN ON APRIL 16 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1924 – American composer, conductor, arranger, and pianist Henry Mancini was born in Maple Heights, Ohio. Best known for composing the music for TV series and films such as ‘Peter Gunn’, ‘The Pink Panther’, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, etc which won him numerous awards.
1930 – Multi-instrumentalist Herbert Jay Solomon also known professionally as Herbie Mann was born in New York City. Best known for his chart-topping single ‘Hi-Jack’.
1935 – Pop singer and teen idol Robert ‘Bobby’ Vinton was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Best known for his hit rendition of ‘Blue Velvet’.
1939 – British singer Dusty Springfield was born Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien in London, England. Best known for hit songs such as ‘I Only Want to Be with You’, ‘You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me’, ‘What Have I Done to Deserve This?’, etc.
1943 – English singer, songwriter, and guitarist David Peverett also known by his stage name Lonesome Dave was born in London. He rose to fame as a member of the rock bands Savoy Brown and Foghat.
1947 – Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Gerry Rafferty was born in Paisley, Scotland. He rose to fame as a founding member of the folk rock band Stealers Wheel.
1947 – Drummer and backing vocalist Lee Kerslake was born in Bournemouth, England. Best known as a longtime member of the rock band Uriah Heep and also for his work with Ozzy Osbourne in the 1980s.
1953 – Co-founder and frontman of the rock band Midnight Oil, Peter Garrett was born in Sydney, Australia.
1955 – Jamaican-American hip hop DJ Clive Campbell better known by his stage name DJ Kool Herc was born in Kingston, Jamaica.
1962 – Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Jason Scheff was born in San Diego, California. He came to prominence as a member of the rock band Chicago.
1962 – American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, producer, and record label owner Ian MacKaye was born in Washington, DC. Best known for fronting the bands Minor Threat and Fugazi, and for co-founding the record label Dischord Records.
1963 – Singer and actor Jimmy Osmond was born in Canoga Park, California. He rose to fame as a member of the sibling musical group The Osmonds before establishing himself as a successful solo artist.
1964 – Co-founder and frontman of the alternative rock band Soul Asylym, David “Dave” Pirner was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
1971 – American singer Selena Quintanilla Pérez dubbed the “Queen of Tejano music” was born in Lake Jackson, Texas.
1993 – American rapper, songwriter, and record producer Chancelor Bennett also known professionally as Chance the Rapper was born in Chicago, Illinois.