On This Day, November 29 in Music History
EVENTS ON NOVEMBER 29 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day November in 29 1963 – The Beatles released ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ which became their first No.1 single in the US. The song was also a chart-topper in eight other countries, including the UK.
1969 – The Beatles scored their second number one single of the year in the US with the double A-side ‘Come Together’/’Something’. They previously topped the Hot 100 chart with ‘Get Back’ for five weeks straight starting May 24.
1975 – Silver Convention became the first German act to score a number one single in the US when ‘Fly, Robin, Fly’ took the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1975 – With ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, rock band Queen hit number one on the UK Singles chart for the first of nine consecutive weeks.
1975 – American rockabilly singer-songwriter, guitarist, and piano player Ray Smith committed suicide, aged 45.
1975 – Rock band Jefferson Starship made a third and final comeback at number one on the US Billboard 200 with their second studio album ‘Red Octopus’.
1980 – Swedish pop group ABBA scored their ninth No.1 single in the United Kingdom with ‘Super Trouper’.
1986 – Rock band Bon Jovi scored their first number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’.
1986 – With their live album ‘Live 1975-85’, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band started a seven-week stint at No.1 in the US.
1997 – Barbra Streisand scored her eighth number one album in the US with her twenty-seventh studio release ‘Higher Ground’.
1997 – Celine Dion started a two-week run at the top spot on the UK Albums chart with ‘Let’s Talk About Love’. The LP features six singles, including the hits ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and ‘Tell Him’.
1999 – American musician and singer Mont Curtis McNear died at age 70. Best remembered for his work with Jimi Hendrix and for fronting his own band The Squires.
2001 – Guitarist, singer-songwriter, and founding member of The Beatles, George Harrison died of lung cancer, aged 58.
George Harrison – Isn’t It a Pity
2003 – The greatest hits compilation ‘Number Ones’ by Michael Jackson reached number one in the United Kingdom.
2003 – With his eighth studio album ‘The Black Album’, rapper Jay-Z took the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart.
2003 – Irish boy band Westlife topped the UK Singles chart with their rendition of the Scot English song ‘Mandy’, their eleventh No.1 on the chart.
2008 – Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift topped the Billboard 200 with her second studio album ‘Fearless’.
2008 – A year after she topped the UK Albums chart with her debut studio LP ‘Spirit’, Leona Lewis returned to No.1 on the chart with the same album.
2008 – American singer Beyonce scored her fourth number one single in the UK with ‘If I Were a Boy’.
2013 – American actor and singer Richard “Dick” Dodd died at the age of 68. Best remembered for his work with the band The Standells.
2014 – The number one album in the UK on this day was ‘Four’ by the boy band One Direction.
2014 – After topping the US Singles chart for two weeks with ‘Shake It Off’, Taylor Swift started a seven-week run at No.1 on the Hot 100 with ‘Blank Space’.
2018 – With his tenth studio album ‘Love’, Canadian singer Michael Bublé reached number one in the United Kingdom.
BORN ON NOVEMBER 29 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1915 – American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and lyricist William “Billy” Strayhorn was born in Dayton, Ohio. Best known for his longtime collaboration with Duke Ellington.
1917 – Country music singer Merle Travis was born in Rosewood, Kentucky. Best known for songs such as ‘Sixteen Tons’, ‘Dark as a Dungeon’, and ‘I am a Pilgrim’.
1933 – British musician and frontman of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall was born in Macclesfield, England.
1939 – Record producer and musician Domenico “Meco” Monardo was born in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania. Best known for his chart-topping space disco rendition of the ‘Star Wars Theme / Cantina Band’.
1940 – Jazz multi-instrumentalist Charles “Chuck” Mangione was born in Rochester, New York. Best known for his 1978 instrumental hit single ‘Feels So Good’ which topped the charts in North America.
1940 – Canadian singer and founding member of the group The Mamas and the Papas, Dennis “Denny” Doherty was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
1940 – American jazz drummer and educator Billy Hart was born in Washington, D.C.
1941 – American country music singer Myrna Joy “Jody” Miller was born in Phoenix, Arizona.
1943 – Drummer, songwriter, singer, and co-founder of the Steve Miller Band, Timothy “Tim” Davis was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1944 – Founder and frontman of the group The Young Rascals, Felix Cavaliere was born in Pelham, New York.
1947 – Influential rock guitarist Ronald “Ronnie” Montrose was born in San Francisco, California. Best known for founding and leading the bands Montrose and Gamma.
1951 – Founding member and guitarist of the rock band Boston, Barry Goudreau was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
1951 – Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and founder of the band Zapp, Roger Troutman was born in Hamilton, Ohio.
1958 – British multi-instrumentalist and composer Michael Dempsey was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. He rose to fame as a member of the bands The Cure and The Associates.
1962 – Swedish guitarist, producer, and songwriter Andy LaRocque was born Anders Allhage in Gothenburg, Sweden. Best known as a longtime member of the heavy metal band King Diamond.
1968 – Singer and founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block, Jonathan Knight was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
1979 – American rapper, songwriter, and producer Jayceon Terrell Taylor better known by his stage name The Game was born in Compton, California.
1995 – American singer-songwriter Molly Kate Kestner was born in Freeborn County, Minnesota.