On This Day, June 20 in Music History
EVENTS ON JUNE 20 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day June 20 in 1963 – Pop band Gerry & the Pacemakers scored their second chart-topper of the year in the UK with ‘I Like It’ which held the top spot for four weeks. They previously topped the Singles chart with ‘How Do You Do It?’ for three weeks straight, starting April 4.
1965 – The Beatles kicked off their European tour with a show in Paris, France. They played 15 shows in total and the tour concluded on July 3 in Barcelona, Spain.
1969 – David Bowie signed with Phillips Records on this day June 20 in music history. On his first day with the label he recorded ‘Space Oddity’ at their studio in London. The song featured on his self-titled second studio album and it peaked at No.5 in the UK that year.
1969 – The three-day Newport Pop Festival took place in Costa Mesa, California. It was the first music festival to sell more than 200,000 tickets. Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Albert King, CCR, Joe Cocker, The Byrds, Eric Burdon, The Byrds, Marvin Gaye, and Ike & Tina Turner among others performed at the event.
1978 – Rock band Foreigner released their second studio album ‘Double Vision’ on this day June 20 on the Atlantic Record label. The album peaked at No.3 in the US and Canada and sold over 7 million copies.
1981 – Dutch studio group Stars on 45 topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with their eponymous medley song. The single ‘Stars on 45’ is a mixture of ten Beatles songs composed together in a disco style. The medley also went to number one in eleven other countries worldwide and peaked at No.2 in the UK.
1987 – Contemporary band Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam went to number one in the US with ‘Head to Toe’ on this day June 20.
1987 – Novelty music band The Firm started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Star Trekkin”. The song parodies the popular sci-fi TV series Star Trek.
1988 – R&B singer Bobby Brown released his second studio album ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ through MCA Records on this day June 20 in music history. The LP reached No.1 in the US and Ireland, and it features three chart-topping singles. As of June 2024, it has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.
1992 – With their rendition of The Jackson 5‘s song ‘I’ll Be There’, Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also reached No.1 in Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, and peaked at No.2 in the UK.
1995 – Michael Jackson released his 9th studio album ‘HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I’ on this day June 20. The album debuted at No.1 in twenty countries and it went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide.
1997 – American singer, songwriter and producer Lawrence Payton died at the age of 59. Best remembered for his work with the vocal quarter the Four Tops.
1998 – Comedians Baddiel and Skinner featuring rock band Lightning Seeds topped the UK Singles chart with a new version of ‘Three Lions (’98)’ on this day June 20.
1998 – With his seventh studio album ‘MP Da Last Don’, rapper Master P scored his second and last chart-topper on the US Billboard 200.
1998 – The number one album in the United Kingdom on this day June 20 in music history was the debut studio LP ‘The Good Will Out’ by the Britpop band Embrace.
2006 – American guitarist Claydes “Charles” Smith died at the age of 57. Best remembered as the co-founder and lead guitarist of Kool & the Gang.
2009 – English singer Pixie Lott went to number one in the United Kingdom with her debut single ‘Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)’ on this day June 20.
2009 – Indie rock band Kasabian started a two-week stint at No.1 in the UK wit their third studio album ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’.
2009 – With their seventh studio album ‘Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King’, the Dave Matthews Band topped the US Billboard 200 on this day June 20. Their fifth chart-topper.
2015 – Indie rock band Florence and the Machine reached number one in the US with their third studio album ‘How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful’. The album was also a chart-topper in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, and the UK.
2015 – With their seventh studio release ‘Drones’, rock band Muse hit No.1 on the UK Albums chart on this day June 20 in music history for the first of two consecutive weeks.
BORN ON JUNE 20 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1920 – American guitarist and bandleader Donato “Danny” Cedrone was born in New York. Best known for his work with Bill Halley & His Comets and for playing guitar on the rock and roll classic ‘Rock Around the Clock’.
1924 – Country musician Chester “Chet” Atkins who popularized the “Nashville sound” was born in Luttrell, Tennessee. Also known as Mr. Guitar or The Country Gentleman.
1928 – Jazz multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and composer Eric Dolphy was born in Los Angeles, California.
1936 – American singer Billy Guy was born in Itasca, Texas. Best known as the lead singer of The Coasters, with whom he was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
1937 – Pop singer and songwriter Jerry Keller was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Best known for his chart-topping hit single ‘Here Comes Summer’.
1938 – British record producer Mickie Most was born Michael Peter Hayes in Aldershot, England. Best known for his work with the likes of Jeff Back, Herman’s Hermits, The Animals, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate, and others.
1942 – Singer-songwriter, keyboardist, bassist and record producer Brian Wilson was born in Inglewood, California. Best known as a founding member of the Beach Boys.
1945 – Canadian singer Morna Anne Murray was born in Springhill, Nova Scotia. She rose to fame with her hit single ‘Snowbird’.
1947 – American singer Dolores “LaLa” Brooks was born in Brooklyn, New York. She rose to fame as a member of the girl group The Crystals.
1949 – Singer-songwriter and record producer Lionel Richie was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. He’s one of the best-selling musicians of all time with over 100 million records sold worldwide.
1954 – Bass guitarist and vocalist Michael Anthony was born in Chicago, Illinois. Best known for playing over 30 years with the hard rock band Van Halen.
1958 – English guitarist Bernadette “Kelly” Johnson was born in London. Best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Girlschool.
1960 – Bass guitarist and founding member of the new wave band Duran Duran, John Taylor was born in Solihull, England.
1971 – Bassist and guitarist Jeordie Osbourne White also known professionally as Twiggy Ramirez was born in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. Best known for his work with the bands Marilyn Manson, A Perfect Circle, and Nine Inch Nails.
1971 – English drummer Ian Matthews was born in Bristol. He rose to fame as a member of the rock band Kasabian.
1973 – Co-founder and frontman of the nu metal band Deftones, Camillo “Chino” Moreno was born in Sacramento, California.
1982 – English singer-songwriter and producer Elliot Gleave better known professionally as Example was born in London.