EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY APRIL 14 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day April 14 in 1966 – The Beatles finished recording ‘Paperback Writer’ at Abbey Road Studios. The song was released on May 30 and it became a chart-topper in nine countries worldwide.
1966 – With ‘Somebody Help Me’, The Spencer Davis Group hit No.1 on the UK Singles chart for the first of two weeks.
1967 – David Bowie released his novelty single ‘The Laughing Gnome’ through Deram Records. The song initially failed to chart but after its re-release in 1973 it reached No.6 in the UK and No.3 in New Zealand.
1967 – The Bee Gees released their debut American single ‘New York Mining Disaster 1941’ on Polydor Records. It reached No.14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.12 on the UK Singles chart.
1970 – Creedence Clearwater Revival performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The show was recorded and released as a live album 52 years later on September 16, 2022.
1974 – With their fifth studio album ‘Houses of the Holy’, Led Zeppelin started a two-week run at No.1 in the UK. The album also became a chart-topper in the US, Canada, and Australia.
1978 – With ‘Bright Eyes’, Art Garfunkel hit No.1 in the UK for the first of six consecutive weeks. The song featured in the the adventure drama film ‘Watership Dawn’.
1979 – The number one single in the United States on this day was the disco rendition of ‘Knock on Wood’ by singer and dancer Amii Stewart.
1980 – Heavy metal band Iron Maiden released their self-titled debut studio album through EMI Records. The album was a commercial and critical success and it peaked at No.4 in the UK.
1980 – Heavy metal band Judas Priest released their sixth studio album ‘British Steel’ through Columbia Records. It was a commercial success and it features one of the group’s best known songs ‘Breaking the Law’.
1983 – Bassist and founding member of The Pretenders, Peter Farndon died at the age of 30 of a drug overdose.
1988 – Influential Hip hop group Public Enemy released their second studio album ‘It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back’ through Def Jam and Columbia Records.
1990 – American singer and songwriter Thurston Harris died from a heart attack, aged 58. Best known for his hit song ‘Little Bitty Pretty One’.
1990 – With her single ‘Vogue’, Madonna started a four-week stint at number one in the United Kingdom.
1990 – Pop music singer Tommy Page hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘I’ll Be Your Everything’.
1997 – Electronic music band Depeche Mode released their ninth studio album ‘Ultra’ through Mute Records. The album went on to sell over 4 million copies worldwide and reached No.1 in eight countries.
1998 – Rock/metal band Clutch released their third full-length album ‘The Elephant Riders’ via Colombia Records. It became the group’s first album to chart on the Billboard 200 where it peaked at No.104.
1999 – English actor, singer, and songwriter Anthony Newley died at the age of 67. Best remembered for the chart-topping singles ‘Why’ and ‘Do You Mind?’.
2001 – Rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur better known by his stage name 2Pac topped the US Billboard 200 chart with his posthumously released seventh studio album ‘Until the End of Time’.
2001 – Singer and songwriter Emma Bunton went to number one in the UK with her debut single ‘What Took You So Long’.
2001 – With ‘All for You’, Janet Jackson scored her tenth number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100. It topped the chart for seven consecutive weeks.
2004 – American rock band Kings of Leon scored their first chart-topper in the UK with their third studio album ‘Because of the Times’.
2005 – American multi-genre singer and songwriter John Fred Gourrier died at age of 63. Best remembered for his 1967 hit song ‘Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)’.
2007 – Hawaiian traditional pop music singer Donald Tai Loy Ho died at the age of 76. Best remembered for the song ‘Tiny Bubbles’.
Don Ho – Tiny Bubbles
2010 – American blues singer Walter Horn Jr better known professionally as Mississippi Slim died at the age of 66 from a heart attack.
2012 – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held at Public Hall in Cleveland, Ohio. Inductees – The Crickets, The Comets, The Blue Caps, Donovan, The Famous Flames, Laura Nyro, The Midnighters, Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Miracles, Beastie Boys and the Small Faces / Faces.
2012 – Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Call Me Maybe’.
2012 – With her twelfth studio album ‘MDNA’, Madonna topped the US Billboard 200. The LP was her eighth domestic chart-topper.
2015 – American multi-genre singer Percy Sledge died at the age of 74. Best remembered for his chart-topping single ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’.
2016 – English supergroup The Last Shadow Puppets topped the UK Albums chart with ‘Everything You’ve Come to Expect’.
2018 – With his first extended play (EP) ‘My Dear Melancholy’, Canadian singer The Weeknd reached the top spot on the US Albums chart.
2018 – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. Inductees – Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits, The Moody Blues, and Nina Simone.
Metal Bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
2022 – American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers scored their fourth chart-topping album in the UK with ‘Unlimited Love’.
2022 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day was ‘As It Was’ by Harry Styles. He held the top spot for ten consecutive weeks.
BORN ON THIS DAY APRIL 14 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1924 – American instrumentalist and West Coast jazz pioneer Milton “Shorty” Rogers was born in Great Barrington Massachusetts.
1925 – Jazz tenor saxophonist Eugene “Jug” Ammons nicknamed “The Boss” was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1935 – Country music singer-songwriter and guitarist Loretta Lynn was born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. Best known for hit songs such as ‘I’m a Honky Tonk Girl’, ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’, ‘First City’, and ‘Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)’ among others.
1942 – English singer, songwriter and prolific session musician Anthony ‘Tony’ Burrows was born in Exeter, Devon
1945 – Guitarist and songwriter Ritchie Blackmore was born in Weston-super-Mare, England. Best known as a founding member of the hard rock bands Deep Purple and Rainbow.
1949 – Lead guitarist, vocalist and founding member of the rock band Fanny, June Millington was born in Manila, Philippines.
1949 – Welsh drummer Dennis Bryon was born in Cardiff, Wales. Best known for his work with the Bee Gees in the 1970s.
1964 – American guitarist Vincent “Vinnie” Moore was born in New Castle, Delaware. He came to prominence as a member of the hard rock band UFO.
1969 – Bassist and a founding member of the alternative rock group Porno for Pyros, Martyn LeNoble was born in Vlaardingen, Netherlands.
1973 – American tenor David Miller was born in San Diego, California. Best known as member of the multi-national classical crossover vocal group Il Divo.
1974 – Rapper and actress Shawntae Harris better known by her stage name Da Brat was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1980 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Edwin “Win” Butler was born in Tuckee, California. He rose to fame as the co-founder of the indie rock band Arcade Fire.