EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY FEBRUARY 21 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day February 21 in 1963 – With his rendition of ‘The Wayward Wind’, Frank Ifield started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK Singles chart.
1964 – The Rolling Stones released their rendition of ‘Not Fade Away’, a song originally performed by Buddy Holly & The Crickets. It became one of the band’s first hit singles in the UK where it peaked at No.3.
1970 – With their fifth and last studio album ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’, Simon & Garfunkel started a thirteen-week stint at No.1 in the UK on this day February 21 in music history. The album went to number one in eleven more countries that year and as of February 2024 it has sold over 25 million copies worldwide.
1970 – The Jackson 5 made their debut on US TV when they appeared on the American Bandstand show. They performed their chart-topping hit ‘I Want You Back’.
1976 – The Four Seasons topped the UK Singles chart with ‘December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)’ on this day February 21. The song also became a chart-topper in North America and South Africa that year.
1981 – REO Speedwagon hit number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with their ninth studio album ‘Hi Infidelity’ for the first of six consecutive weeks. It finished the year as the best-selling album in America for 1981, and it also reached No.1 in Canada.
1981 – With his debut solo studio album ‘Face Value’, Phil Collins started a three-week stint at No.1 in the UK on this day February 21.
1981 – Dolly Parton scored her first number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘9 to 5’. The song also won her two Grammy Awards and it reached No.1 in Canada, while in the UK it peaked at No.47.
1981 – Australian-born but UK-based composer Ronald “Ron” Grainer died on this day February 21 in music history, aged 58. Best remembered for composing popular TV and film scores, most notably the theme for Doctor Who.
1981 – Joe Dolce scored his first and only number one single in the UK with the novelty song ‘Shaddap You Face’. The song was well-received worldwide and it topped nine music charts in total.
1982 – Influential rock and roll impresario and DJ Murray Kaufman also known by his stage name Murray the K died on this day February 21, aged 60.
1987 – 26 years after the song’s initial release, Ben E. King topped the UK Singles chart with ‘Stand by Me’. The song featured in the popular 1986 film of same name which sparked interest among the younger generation.
1990 – The 32nd Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on this day February 21. Milli Vanilli won a Grammy for Best New Artist but their award was later revoked when it was revealed that the duo didn’t sing on any of their songs.
1998 – Celine Dion topped the UK singles chart with ‘My Heart Will Go On’, the theme to the blockbuster film Titanic. The song reached No.1 on 35 music charts worldwide that year and it became one of the best-selling singles of all time with over 18 million copies sold.
2001 – The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on this day February 21 in music history. Rapper Eminem was the big winner of the night with three awards out of four nominations.
2001 – The number one single in the US on this day was ‘Slow Jamz’ by the rapper Twista featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx.
Twista ft. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx – Slow Jamz
2004 – With their rendition of The Beatles song ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’, the music duo Sam & Mark reached No.1 in the UK on this day February 21.
2004 – English musician Thomas Leslie Gray died on this day aged 57 of a heart attack. Best remembered as a member of the glam rock band Mud.
2004 – Singer-songwriter Norah Jones went to number one in the UK with her second studio album ‘Feels like Home’ on this day February 21.
2004 – With his eighth studio album ‘When the Sun Goes Down’, country music singer Kenny Chesney hit No.1 on the US Billboard 200.
2009 – The number one album in the United Kingdom on this day February 21 was Lily Allen‘s second studio release ‘It’s Not me It’s You’.
2009 – Rappers Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent reached the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Crack a Bottle’.
2009 – Rock band The Fray went to number one in the US with their eponymous second studio album on this day February 21 in music history.
2015 – With his debut studio album ‘In the Lonely Hour’, singer and songwriter Sam Smith reached the top spot on the UK Albums chart.
2019 – American musician Peter Tork died on this day February 21, aged 77. Best remembered as the bass guitarist and keyboardist of the Monkees.
2019 – After topping the UK Singles chart for three-weeks with ‘7 Rings’, Ariana Grande extended her run at No.1 for another week with ‘Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored’. She also topped the UK Albums chart at the same time with ‘Thank U, Next’.
BORN ON THIS DAY FEBRUARY 21 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1933 – American multi-genre singer and songwriter Eunice Waymon better known by her stage name Nina Simone was born in Tryon, North Carolina on this day February 21 in music history. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 for her contribution to music.
10 Interesting Facts About Nina Simone
1938 – American singer and songwriter Bobby Charles was born Robert Guidry on this day in Abbeville, Louisiana.
1948 – English bass guitarist Paul Newton was born on this day February 21 in Hampshire. Best known as a founding member of the hard rock band Uriah Heep.
1949 – American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer Jeremiah “Jerry” Harrison was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Best known as a member of the bands Modern Lovers and Talking Heads.
1951 – Keyboardist, singer, and songwriter Vincent Welnick was born on this day February 21 in Phoenix, Arizona. Best known for his work with bands such as The Tubes and Grateful Dead.
1958 – Country and folk-rock music singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter was born on this day in Princeton, New Jersey.
1962 – Frontman of the grunge band Mudhoney, Mark McLaughlin also known professionally as Mark Arm was born in Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on this day February 21 in music history.
1963 – British vocalist Roger Charlery better known by his stage name Ranking Roger was born in Birmingham, England.
1967 – American guitarist Michael Ward was born on this day February 21 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Best known as a member of the bands School of Fish and The Wallflowers.
1969 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist James Dean Bradfield was born in Tredegar, Wales. He came to prominence as the co-founder of the rock band Manic Street Preachers.
1970 – American bass guitarist Eric Wilson was born on this day February 21 in Unalaska, Alaska. Best known for his work with the bands Sublime and Long Beach Dub Allstars.
1986 – Welsh singer-songwriter and actress Charlotte Maria Church was born in Cardiff on this day February 21 in music history.