On This Day: July 21 in Music History
EVENTS ON JULY 21 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day July 21 in 1966 – Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames topped the UK Singles chart with ‘Get Away’.
1969 – The Beatles began recording the John Lennon penned song ‘Come Together’. It was released as a single on October 6 that year and it reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Germany, and the US.
1973 – With their rendition of ‘Welcome Home’, the musical duo Peters and Lee reached number one on the UK Singles chart.
1973 – Folk rock singer Jim Croce reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Bad, Bad Leroy Brown’ on this day July 21 in music history. The song was also a chart-topper in Canada that year.
1979 – New wave band Tubeway Army scored their first number one album in the UK with ‘Replicas’. It features their chart-topping single ‘Are ‘Friend’s Electric?’.
1987 – Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses released their debut studio album ‘Appetite for Destruction’ on Geffen Records. The album received little to no attention at first, but with the help of its singles ‘Paradise City’, ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, it topped the Billboard 200 chart in 1988. As of July 2025, it has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.
1990 – With ‘She Ain’t Worth It’, Glenn Medeiros featuring Bobby Brown reached the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2001 – R&B singer Usher hit number one in the UK with his third studio album ‘8701’ on this day July 21. The album peaked at No.1 in Canada as well, while in the US it reached No.4.
2001 – Robbie Williams went to number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Eternity’ / ‘The Road to Mandalay’. Also a chart-topper in New Zealand that year.
2001 – Hip hop group D12 returned to number one on the US Billboard 200 on this day July 21 in music history with their debut studio album ‘Devil’s Night’. It was a chart-topper in Canada as well that year while in the UK it peaked at No.2.
2004 – American TV and film score composer and conductor Jerald Goldsmith died at the age of 75. Best remembered for his Academy Award-winning film score for The Omen.
2005 – Blues singer and guitarist John Baldry died from a severe chest infection, aged 64. Best remembered for the hit songs ‘Let the Heartaches Begin’ and ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.
2007 – American rapper T.I. went to number one in the US with his fifth studio album ‘T.I. vs T.I.P.’. The album’s lead single ‘Big Things Poppin’ (Do It)’ peaked at No.9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2007 – Indie rock band The Enemy scored their first number one album in the UK with their debut studio release ‘We’ll Live And Die in These Towns’.
The Enemy – We’ll Live And Die in These Towns
2012 – R&B singer Chris Brown topped the US Billboard 200 chart with his fifth studio album ‘Fortune’. It also went to No.1 in the UK, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Australia.
2012 – With his third studio album ‘Write It on Your Skin’, Newton Faulkner went to No.1 in the United Kingdom.
2016 – Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro scored their second number one album in the UK with their seventh studio release ‘Ellipsis’. Also a chart-topper in Switzerland, Germany, and Ireland.
2016 – Founding member and bassist of the soul/R&B band T. & the M.G.’s, Lewie Steinberg died at the age of 82.
2018 – Rapper Drake replaced his own song ‘Nice for What’ at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘In My Feelings’ which topped the chart for ten consecutive weeks. It was also an international hit and it reached No.1 in fourteen countries worldwide, including the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
2023 – Jazz and traditional pop singer Anthony Benedetto better known as Tony Bennett died at the age of 96.
BORN ON JULY 21 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1920 – American violinist and conductor Isaac Stern was born in Kremenets, Poland. He is the recipient of six Grammy Awards.
1922 – American singer Catherine Laverne Starks better known professionally as Kay Starr was born in Dougherty, Oklahoma.
1930 – Singer and bebop jazz pioneer Jelena Ana Milcetic also known professionally as Helen Merrill was born in New York City.
1931 – American jazz pianist and composer Conrad Yeatis “Sonny” Clark was born in Hermine, Pennsylvania.
1931 – Jazz multi-instrumentalist Plas Johnson was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. Best known for his saxophone solo on Henry Mancini’s ‘The Pink Panther Theme’.
1939 – American record producer, manager, singer and songwriter Kim Fowley was born in Los Angeles, California. He managed The Runaways in the 1970s.
1943 – Northern Irish guitarist, singer and songwriter Henry McCullough was born in Portstewart. Best known as a member of Spooky Tooth, Grease Band, and Paul McCartney & Wings.
1945 – Singer and songwriter Rosalie “Rosie” Hamlin was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon. She rose to fame as the frontwoman of the group Rosie and the Originals.
1948 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Yusuf Islam also known professionally as Cat Stevens was born in London.
1953 – Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Eric Bazilian was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Best known as a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.
1955 – American bassist Howard “Howie” Epstein was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He came to prominence as a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
1955 – Rock music singer, songwriter, producer and keyboardist Henry Priestman was born in Kingston upon Hull, England.
1961 – American guitarist James “Jim” Martin was born in Hayward, California. He rose to fame as a member of the rock band Faith No More.
1969 – Co-founder and frontman of the alternative rock band Tonic, Emerson Hart was born in Washington, Pennsylvania.
1978 – Reggae singer, rapper, songwriter and DJ Damian Marley was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He is the youngest son of musician Bob Marley.
1981 – British singer, songwriter and actress Paloma Faith Bloomfield was born in London. Best known for the hit songs ‘Picking Up the Pieces’, ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’, and ‘Lullaby’ among others.
