On This Day, October 26 in Music History
EVENTS ON OCTOBER 26 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day October 26 in 1963 – The folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their eponymous debut studio album. The album features two chart-topping singles ‘Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe’ and ‘You’re the First, the Last, My Everything’.
1966 – American musician and songwriter Jessie Mae Robinson died at the age of 48. Best remembered for her hit songs ‘Black Night’, ‘Let’s Have a Party’, and ‘I Went To Your Wedding’.
1966 – English traditional pop music singer Alma Cogan died at the age of 34 from ovarian cancer.
1970 – Elton John released ‘Your Song’ through DJM Records. It became his first international hit, charting in the Top 10 in several countries worldwide.
1973 – Rock band The Who released their sixth studio album ‘Quadrophenia’ through Track Records. It peaked at number two on both sides of the Atlantic.
1974 – Dionne Warwick and The Spinners scored their first number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Then Came You’.
1974 – The number one album in the United States on this day was Barry White‘s third studio LP ‘Can’t Get Enough’.
1974 – With his reggae rendition of ‘Everything I Own’, Ken Boothe started a three-week run at number one on the UK Singles chart.
1985 – George Benson reached number one in the UK with his compilation album ‘The Love Songs’.
1985 – With her breakthrough single ‘Saving All My Love for You’, Whitney Houston took the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time. The song was an international hit peaking in the Top 20 in a dozen countries, including No.1 in the UK and Ireland.
1991 – Synth-pop duo Erasure went to number one in the UK with their fifth studio album ‘Chorus’.
1991 – American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist James “Jim” Reese died from a heart attack, aged 49. Best known as a member of the band The Bobby Fuller Four.
1994 – American R&B singer and multi-instrumentalist Wilbert Harrison died at the age of 65. Best remembered for his chart-topping rendition of ‘Kansas City’.
1996 – Girl group Spice Girls scored their second consecutive number one single when ‘Say You’ll Be There’ took the top spot on the UK Singles chart.
1999 – American singer-songwriter and guitarist Hoyt Axton died at the age of 61. Best remembered for songs such as ‘Joy to the World’, ‘No No Song’, ‘The Pusher’, etc.
2002 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day was ‘Dilemma’ by rapper Nelly and singer Kelly Rowland.
2013 – Miley Cyrus topped the US Billboard 200 chart with her fourth studio album ‘Bangerz’.
2013 – With his debut studio album ‘Tribute’, singer John Newman was at number one in the UK. The album features the chart-topping international hit single ‘Love Me Again’.
2013 – American R&B singer, record producer, and arranger Alfred “Al” Johnson died at age 65.
2017 – American singer-songwriter P!nk scored her second number one album in the UK with ‘Beautiful Trauma’. It also became a chart-topper in 10 other countries, including the US and Canada.
2019 – Singer, songwriter, and guitar player Paul Barrere died at the age of 71. Best remembered as a longtime member of the rock band Little Feat.
2019 – After a one week break from the top spot, Lizzo returned to number one on the US Singles chart with ‘Truth Hurts’.
2019 – American rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again went to number one on the US Albums chart with ‘Al YoungBoy2’.
BORN ON OCTOBER 26 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1911 – American singer Mahalia Jackson nicknamed the Queen of Gospel was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1913 – American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer Charles “Charlie” Barnet was born in New York City. Best known for jazz standards such as ‘Cheerokee’, ‘Skyliner’, ‘In a Mizz’, etc.
1929 – Bassist, guitar player, and vocalist Neal Matthews Jr. was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Best known for his work with Elvis Presley’s backing group The Jordanaires.
1946 – Singer-songwriter, composer, and producer Keith Hopwood was born in Manchester, England. He rose to fame as a member of the pop rock band Herman’s Hermits.
1951 – American bassist and singer William Earl “Bootsy” Collins was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Best known for his work with James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic.
1952 – American musician and co-founder of the pop rock band Was (Not Was), David Weiss also known by his stage name David Was was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1953 – Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and founding member of the new wave band The B-52’s, Keith Strickland was born in Athens, Georgia.
1963 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natalie Merchant was born in Jamestown, New York. She came to prominence as the lead singer of the bad 10,000 Maniacs.
1967 – Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Keith Lionel Urbahn better known as Keith Urban was born in Whangarei, New Zealand.
1986 – American rapper Quincy Matthew Hanley also known professionally as Schoolboy Q was born in Wiesbaden, West Germany.