On This Day, November 21 in Music History
EVENTS ON NOVEMBER 21 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day November 21 in 1960 – Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs hit No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Stay’. At 1 minute and 36 seconds, its the shortest single to ever top the chart.
1970 – The cast of the musical sitcom The Partridge Family started a three-week run at number one in the US with their debut single ‘I Think I Love You’.
1970 – The number one single in the UK on this day was ‘Voodoo Chile’ by the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
1981 – Queen and David Bowie started a two-week run at number one on the singles chart in the UK with ‘Under Pressure’.
1981 – Olivia Newton-John started a massive ten-week stint at number one on the US Singles chart with ‘Physical’. It also reached No.1 in Australia, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
1981 – Rock band Foreigner returned to number one on the US Billboard 200 for the first of five consecutive weeks with their fourth studio album ‘4’.
1987 – British pop group T’Pau topped the UK Albums chart with their debut studio LP ‘Bridge of Spies’.
1987 – With his rendition of the Tommy James & the Shondells 1968 hit ‘Mony Mony’– Billy Idol topped the US Billboard Hot 100.
1992 – Michael Bolton topped the US Billboard 200 chart with his album ‘Timeless: The Classics’.
1992 – American soul music duo Charles & Eddie went to number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Would I Lie to You’.
1992 – With her first European compilation album ‘Greatest Hits: 1965-1992’, Cher went to number one in the United Kingdom.
1995 – English record executive and music manager Peter Grant died at the age of 60. Best remembered as the manager of Led Zeppelin.
1995 – English guitarist and keyboards player Matthew Ashman died from diabetes, aged 35. Best remembered for his work with bands such as Bow Wow Wow and Adam and the Ants.
1998 – Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morrissette started a two-week run at No.1 in the US with her fourth studio album ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’.
1998 – George Michael hit number one on the UK Albums chart for the first of eight consecutive weeks with ‘Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael’.
2002 – American pianist, singer, and composer Hadda Brooks nicknamed the ‘Queen of the Boogie’ died at the age of 86.
2003 – Songwriter, singer, producer, and arranger Alessandro “Teddy” Randazzo died at the age of 68.
2009 – American group The Black Eyed Peas hit number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Meet Me Halfway’.
2009 – Country music singer Carrie Underwood reached number one on the US Albums chart with her third studio LP ‘Play On’.
2009 – British boy band JLS took the top spot on the UK Albums chart with their eponymous debut studio LP.
2015 – With his debut studio album ‘Traveller’, country music singer Chris Stapleton topped the US Billboard 200 chart.
2017 – American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor David Cassidy died at the age of 67.
2019 – The number one album in the UK on this day was ‘Sunsets & Full Moons’ by the Irish pop rock band The Script.
BORN ON NOVEMBER 21 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1904 – Influential jazz musician Coleman Hawkins also known by his nicknames Hawk and Bean was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri.
1933 – Singer-songwriter and country music female pioneer Ollie Imogene “Jean” Shepard was born in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.
1941 – Saxophonist and one half of the musical duo The Memphis Horns, Andrew Love was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
1941 – American songwriter, producer, and singer David Porter was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
1948 – American-English keyboardist, songwriter and vocalist John “Rabbit” Bundrick was born in Houston, Texas.
1948 – Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and founding member of the funk band War, Leroy “Lonnie” Jordan was born in San Diego, California.
1950 – American guitarist and keyboardist Gary Pihl was born in Chicago, Illinois. Best known as a member of the rock band Boston.
1950 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Livingston Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He’s also the brother of fellow musicians James, Alex, and Kate Taylor.
1955 – Founding member and guitarist of the rock band The Church, Peter Koppes was in Canberra, Australia.
1962 – Contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter and guitarist Steven Curtis Chapman was born in Paducah, Kentucky.
1965 – Icelandic singer, songwriter, producer, and composer Björk Guðmundsdóttir was born in Reykjavik, Iceland. She rose to international fame as the lead singer of the alternative rock and The Sugarcubes.
1968 – British bass guitarist Alexander “Alex” James was born in Bournemouth, England. Best known as a member of the rock band Blur.
1985 – Canadian singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Carly Rae Jepsen was born in Mission, British Columbia. Best known for her worldwide chart-topping single ‘Call Me Maybe’.