On This Day, July 4 in Music History
EVENTS ON JULY 4 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day July 4 in 1958 – The Everly Brothers started a seven-week stint at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘All I Have to do Is Dream’ / ‘Claudette’.
1964 – The Beach Boys scored their first number one single in the US with ‘I Get Around’. It became a chart-topper in Canada as well while in the UK it peaked at No.7.
1976 – Punk rock band The Clash played for the first in front of an audience at a show in Sheffield, England on this day July 4 in music history. They were the opening act for fellow punkers the Sex Pistols.
1987 – Synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys topped the UK Singles chart with ‘It’s a Sin’ on this day July 4. The song was an international hit that year and it went to number one in a dozen countries.
1988 – Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue released her debut studio album ‘Kylie’. The album topped the charts in the UK and New Zealand, while in her home country it peaked at No.2.
1992 – Rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Baby Got Back’ for the first of five consecutive weeks on this day July 4.
1995 – Rock band Foo Fighters released their self-titled debut studio album on Roswell and Capitol Records. The album peaked at No.3 in the UK and No.23 in the US.
1998 – The number one album in the United Kingdom on this day July 4 in music history was ‘5ive’ by the boy band Five, their debut studio release.
1998 – The soundtrack album to the film ‘City of Angels’ starring Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage returned to No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It features songs by U2, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, Alanis Morissette, etc. Also a chart-topper in Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and Switzerland that year.
2003 – American singer and songwriter Barry Eugene Carter also known professionally as Barry White died on this day July 4, aged 58. He’s one of the best-selling musicians of all time with over 100 million records sold worldwide.
2007 – American singer Willie “Bill” Pinkney died at the age of 81. Best remembered as a founding member of the doo-wop group The Drifters with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
2009 – The Jonas Brothers hit No.1 in the US with their fourth studio album ‘Lines, Vines and Trying Times’ on this day July 4. Also a chart-topper in Canada, Mexico, and Spain that year.
2009 – One week after his death, “The King of Pop” – Michael Jackson topped the UK Albums chart with his 2003 greatest hits compilation ‘Number Ones’.
2009 – Synth-pop duo La Roux went to number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Bulletproof’ on this day July 4 in music history.
2009 – American guitarist and singer Drake Levin died at the age of 62 from cancer. Best known as a member of the pop-rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders.
2013 – Rapper Jay-Z released his twelfth studio album ‘Magna Carta… Holy Grail’ on this day July 4. The album went on to sell over 3 million copies and reached No.1 in Canada, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.
2015 – After nearly five decades of recording and performing, James Taylor finally scored his first No.1 album in the US with ‘Before This World’, his nineteenth studio LP. It was also a hit in the UK where it peaked at No.4.
2015 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day July 4 was ‘Not Letting Got’ by rapper Tinie Tempah featuring singer Jess Glynne.
2020 – After a one week break from the top spot, rappers DaBaby & Roddy Ricch returned for a five-week stint at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Rockstar’.
2021 – American country-rockabilly singer and guitarist Sanford Clark died on this day July 4 in music history, aged 85. Best remembered for his 1956 hit single ‘The Fool’.
BORN ON JULY 4 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1911 – American conductor, oboist, producer and executive Mitchell Miller was born in Rochester, New York on this day July 4 in music history.
1938 – American singer, songwriter and instrumentalist William “Bill” Withers was born in Slab Fork, West Virginia. Best known for hit songs such as ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, ‘Lean on Me’, ‘Lovely Day’, ‘Just the Two of Us’, etc.
1940 – English pianist and organist David Rowberry was born on this day July 4 in Mapperley. He rose to fame as a member of the rock band The Animals.
1943 – Singer, guitarist and composer Alan Wilson nicknamed Blind Owl, was born in Arlington, Massachusetts. He came to prominence as the co-founder and leader of the blues rock band Canned Heat.
1948 – Guitarist and piano player Jeremy Spencer was born on this day July 4 in Hartlepool, England. Best known as a founding member of the rock band Fleetwood Mac.
1951 – Multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer and songwriter Ralph Johnson was born in Los Angeles, California. Best known as a member of the multi-genre group Earth, Wind & Fire.
1952 – English singer-songwriter John Waite was born in Lancaster on this day July 4 in music history. Best known for his eminent solo career and for fronting bands such as The Babys and Bad English.
1956 – American bassist and singer Deon Estus was born in Detroit, Michigan. Best known for his work with the pop duo Wham! and George Michael on his solo projects.
1958 – Saxophonist, guitarist and founding member of the rock band INXS, Kirk Pengilly was born on this day July 4 in Melbourne Australia.
1963 – Co-founder and frontman of the Christian metal band Stryper, Michael Sweet was born on this day in Whittier, California.
1972 – American drummer William Goldsmith was born on this day July 4 in Seattle, Washington. Best known as a member of the rock bands Foo Fighters and Sunny Day Real Estate.
1978 – Singer-songwriter and founding member of the R&B group BBMak, Stephen McNally was born in Liverpool, England.
1995 – American rapper, singer and songwriter Austin Post better known by his stage name Post Malone was born in Syracuse, New York on this day July 4 in music history.