On This Day, July 31 in Music History
EVENTS ON JULY 31 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day July 31 in 1959 – Cliff Richard and the Drifters scored their first No.1 single in the UK with ‘Living Doll’ which held the top spot for six weeks straight. It also topped the charts in Ireland, Norway, and Sweden that year.
1964 – Country and pop music singer-songwriter James “Jim” Reeves died at the age of 40 in a plane crash. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘Distant Drums’ and ‘He’ll Have to Go’.
1968 – Pop rock group Tommy James & The Shondells started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Mony Mony’ on this day July 31 in music history.
1971 – James Taylor reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with his version of Carole King‘s song ‘You’ve Got a Friend’.
1976 – George Benson started a two-week run at No.1 in the US on this day July 31 with his fifteenth studio album ‘Breezin’. The LP also won him two Grammy Awards and it became one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time.
1980 – The Eagles disbanded after a fight broke out between Don Felder and Glenn Frey during a show in Long Beach, California. The group reunited fourteen years later in 1994.
1991 – The Backstreet Boys returned to No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart with their third studio album ‘Millennium’ on this day July 31. The LP topped nineteen charts around the world and it became one of the best-selling albums of all time with over 24 million copies sold.
1999 – Christina Aguilera scored her first number one single in the US with ‘Genie in a Bottle’. It was the lead single of her self-titled debut album and it reached No.1 in ten countries in total, including the UK.
2004 – With his twenty-fifth studio album ‘License to Chill’, Jimmy Buffett scored his first No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart on this day July 31 in music history.
2004 – English rapper and producer Mike Skinner went to number one on the UK Albums chart with ‘A Grand Don’t Come for Free’. He also topped the UK Singles chart today with ‘Dry Your Eyes’ which featured on his chart-topping album. Mike used the artistic name Streets for this music project which features various artists.
2010 – Eminem and Rihanna hit No.1 on the US Singles chart with ‘Love The Way You Lie’ for the first of seven consecutive weeks on this day July 31. The song was a huge international hit and it topped 30 charts worldwide.
Eminem ft. Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie
2010 – Australian music duo Yolanda Be Cool featuring DCUP topped the UK Singles chart with ‘We No Speak Americano’. The song was an international hit and it went to No.1 on 26 charts around the world.
2012 – American singer-songwriter and guitarist Anthony “Tony” Sly died in his sleep on this day July 31 at the age of 41. Best remembered as the frontman of the punk rock band No Use for a Name.
2021 – With the posthumously released studio album ‘Faith’, rapper Pop Smoke reached number one in the US. The album also became a chart-topper in Canada and it cracked the Top 10 in eighteen countries worldwide.
2021 – American guitarist and singer-songwriter Paul Cotton died on this day July 31 in music history, aged 78. Best remembered as a member of the rock bands Poco, and Illinois Speed Press.
2022 – The number one single in the United States on this day was ‘About Damn Time’ by Lizzo.
BORN ON JULY 31 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1918 – Jazz pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader Hank Jones was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on this day July 31 in music history.
1931 – American jazz guitarist Kenneth “Kenny” Burrell was born on this day in Detroit, Michigan. Best known for his work with the likes of John Coltrane, Chet Baker, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Smith, etc.
1942 – Singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Peter Charles Green better know as Daniel Boone was born on this day July 31 in Birmingham, England. Best known for his 1972 hit single ‘Beautiful Sunday’.
1943 – Singer-songwriter Roland Kent LaVoie also known professionally as Lobo was born in Tallahassee, Florida. He’s known for hit songs such as ‘I’d Love You to Want Me’, ‘Don’t Expect Me to Be Your Friend’, and ‘Me and You and a Dog Named Boo’.
1945 – Drummer, guitarist and leader of the pop rock band Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Gary Lewis was born on this day July 31 in Newark, New Jersey.
1947 – English bassist, vocalist and songwriter Karl Green was born in Manchester. He came to prominence as a member of the pop rock band Herman’s Hermits.
1953 – English cellist Hugh McDowell was born in London on this day July 31 in music history. Best known as a member of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).
1957 – Multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Daniel Ash was born in Northampton, England. Best known as a member of the goth rock band Bauhaus.
1958 – Drummer and founding member of the rock band R.E.M. William “Bill” Berry was born on this day July 31 in Duluth, Minnesota.
1963 – DJ and producer Norman Quentin Cook better known by his stage name Fatboy Slim was born in Bromley, England.
1964 – Multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter James Corr was born on this day July 31 in Dundalk, Ireland. He rose to fame as a founding member of the family folk/pop rock band The Corrs.
1971 – American guitarist John William Lowery also known by his stage name Jon 5 was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Best known for his work with David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Zombie. He has also released over 10 guitar albums.
1978 – Singer-songwriter and guitarist Zachary “Zac” Brown was born in Atlanta, Georgia on this day July 31 in music history. Best known as the co-founder and frontman of the Zac Brown Band.
1978 – Drummer and founding member of the pop rock band Coldplay, William Champion was born on this day in Southampton, England.
1981 – Singer and songwriter Matthew Sanders also known professionally as M. Shadows was born on this day July 31 in Fountain Valley, California. He rose to fame as a founding member and frontman of the heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.
1995 – American rapper and singer Symere Bysil Woods also known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.