On This Day, July 27 in Music History
EVENTS ON JULY 27 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day July 27 in 1968 – Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass went to No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart with their tenth studio album ‘The Beat of the Brass’.
1974 – Paul McCartney and Wings started a seven-week stint at number one in the UK with their third studio album ‘Band on the Run’.
1974 – John Denver topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Annie’s Song’ on this day July 27 in music history. The song was also a chart-topper in the UK, Ireland, and Canada that year.
1974 – American singer George McCrae started a three-week run at No.1 in the UK with his debut single ‘Rock Your Baby’. It was an international hit that topped the singles charts in eleven countries worldwide, including the US.
1981 – Debbie Harry released her debut solo studio album ‘KooKoo’ through Chrysalis Records on this day July 27. The album sold over 500,000 copies and it reached No.6 in the UK and No.25 in the US.
1984 – Heavy metal band Metallica released their second studio album ‘Ride the Lightning’ through Megaforce Records. As of July 2024, it has been certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA.
1985 – Pop duo Eurythmics topped the UK Singles chart with ‘There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)’ on this day July 27.
1985 – With his rendition of ‘Everytime You Go Away’, Paul Young topped the US Singles chart. The song also went to number one in Canada and peaked at No.4 in the UK.
1987 – Rick Astley released his debut single ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ on this day July 27 in music history. The song became a huge international hit and it topped the charts in sixteen countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
1991 – Bryan Adams started a seven-week run at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It for You’. The song was an international hit and it reached No.1 on twenty-two charts worldwide.
1991 – Natalie Cole started a five-week stint at No.1 on the Billboard 200 with ‘Unforgettable… with Love’ on this day July 27. The album also topped the charts in Canada and New Zealand while in the UK it peaked at No.11.
1996 – Girl group Spice Girls started a seven-week run at No.1 in the UK with their debut single ‘Wannabe’. By March 1997, the song became a chart-topper in 37 countries around the world.
1996 – With ‘You’re Makin’ Me High’ / ‘Let It Flow’, Toni Braxton topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on this day July 27.
1999 – American jazz trumpeter Harry “Sweets” Edison died at the age of 83. Best remembered for his work with the Count Basie Orchestra and Frank Sinatra.
2001 – American jazz tenor saxophonist Harold Land died on this day July 27 in music history at the age of 72 from a stroke.
2001 – American bass guitarist Leon Wilkeson died at the age of 49 from chronic liver and lung disease. Best remembered as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 until 2001.
2013 – Robin Thicke debuted at number one in the UK with his sixth studio album ‘Blurred Lines’ on this day July 27. The album’s commercial success was largely due to the popularity of the eponymous leading single.
2013 – Swedish DJ and record producer Avicii started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Wake Me Up’.
2013 – With his twelfth studio album ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’, rapper Jay-Z topped the US Billboard 200 chart on this day July 27.
2017 – Pop rock band The Vamps scored their first number one album in the UK with their third studio release ‘Night & Day’.
2017 – DJ Khaled, Rihanna & Bryson Tiller reached number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Wild Thoughts’ on this day July 27 in music history.
2019 – Ed Sheeran hit number one in the US with the collaborative album ‘No.6 Collaborations Project’. It features artists such as Eminem, Justin Bieber, 50 Cent, Bruno Mars, Camila Cabello, etc.
BORN ON JULY 27 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1927 – American record producer Robert “Bob” Thiele was born in Brooklyn, New York on this day July 27 in music history. Best known as the head of the Impulse! Records label and as the co-writer of Louis Armstrong’s biggest hit ‘What a Wonderful World’.
1929 – R&B singer, songwriter, record producer and executive Harvey Fuqua was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Best known as the founder of the influential doo-wop group The Moonglows.
1930 – Drummer and session musician Andrew “Andy” White was born in Stranraer, Scotland on this day July 27. Best known for playing drums on the Beatles‘ first single ‘Love Me Do’ and its B-side ‘P.S. I Love You’.
1933 – Folk music multi-instrumentalist Nicholas “Nick” Reynolds was born in San Diego, California. He rose to fame as a founding member of The Kingston Trio.
1941 – Scottish songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Andrew McMaster was born on this day July 27 in Glasgow. Best known for writing the hit songs ‘Airport’, ‘Forget About You’, and ‘Dancing the Night Away’.
1942 – American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry was born on this day in Woodland, Mississippi. Best known for her chart-topping and Grammy Award-winning song ‘Ode to Billie Joe’.
1944 – English jazz saxophonist, flautist and composer Barbara Thompson was born in Oxford on this day July 27 in music history.
1947 – Singer and founding member of the R&B group Honey Cone, Shelly Clark was born on this day in Brooklyn, New York.
1949 – Singer and Broadway actress Maureen McGovern was born on this day July 27 in Youngstown, Ohio. Best known for her hit singles ‘Different Worlds’ and ‘The Morning After’.
1951 – American drummer Tristan “Tris” Imboden was born in Orange County, California. Best known for his work with Chicago, Neil Diamond, Steve Vai, Stevie Wonder, Roger Daltrey, etc.
1963 – Bassist and founding member of the alternative rock band Soul Asylum, Karl Mueller was born on this day July 27 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
1964 – American bass guitarist Rex Brown was born on this day in Graham, Texas. He came to prominence as a member of the heavy metal band Pantera.
1967 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Juliana Hatfield was born in Wiscasset, Maine on this day July 27 in music history. She’s known for her solo career and for playing with the indie rock bands Blake Babies, Some Girls, and The Lemonheads.
1974 – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter Yorn was born in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.