EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY JANUARY 26 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day January 26 in 1956 – Buddy Holly had his first recording session for Decca Gold. He recorded the single ‘Love Me’ and the B-side ‘Blue Days – Black Nights’.
1961 – With his version of ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’, Elvis Presley hit number one on the UK Singles chart for the first of four consecutive weeks.
1962 – The Rooftop Singers started a two-week stint at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 with their rendition of ‘Walk Right In’ on this day January 26 in music history.
1963 – The Four Seasons released ‘Walk Like a Man’, a song written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe. On March 2 it became a No.1 hit in the US, while in the UK it peaked at No.12.
1968 – Pink Floyd made their first live appearance without Syd Barrett on this day January 26 at the University in Southampton. Barret had to leave the band due to his deteriorating mental health and unfortunately never managed to fully recover.
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1970 – Simon & Garfunkel released their fifth and last studio album ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’. The album went on to sell over 25 million copies worldwide and became a chart-topper in a dozen countries.
1973 – Elton John released his sixth studio album ‘Don’t Shoot me I’m Only the Piano Player’ in the US through MCA Records on this day January 26. The album was a massive success, reaching No.1 in seven countries, including the UK and US. The lead single ‘Crocodile Rock’ was also a chart-topper in several countries.
1974 – With ‘Tiger Feet’, glam rock band Mud started a four-week stint at number one on the UK Singles chart on this day January 26 in music history.
1974 – Ringo Starr reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘You’re Sixteen’, a song written by the Sherman Brothers in 1960. His version also reached No.1 in New Zealand and was a Top 10 hit in ten more countries worldwide.
1974 – With his twenty-first long-play (LP) album ‘And I Love You So’, Perry Como went to number one in the United Kingdom on this day January 26.
1975 – The BBC premiered a documentary film about David Bowie with a not-so-subtle title ‘Cracked Actor’. It depicts a difficult period in Bowie’s life when he struggled with substance abuse in 1974.
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1985 – Rock band Foreigner hit number one in the UK on this day January 26 for the first of three weeks straight with their fifth studio album ‘Agent Provocateur’.
1989 – American soul singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Donnie Elbert died at the age of 52 from a stroke. Best remembered for songs such as ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ and ‘I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)’.
1991 – With ‘Innuendo’, rock band Queen scored their third number one single in the United Kingdom on this day January 26 in music history.
1991 – German musical project Enigma reached the top spot on the UK Albums chart with their debut studio LP ‘MCMXC a.D.’.
1991 – The number one single in the United States on this day January 26 was ‘The First Time’ by the R&B group Surface.
2002 – The posthumously reissued single ‘My Sweet Lord’ by George Harrison reached No.1 in the UK. The single was originally a chart-topper in 1974.
2007 – Country music singer Tommy Donaldson also known professionally as Tommy Dee died on this day January 26, aged 74. Best remembered for the 1959 tribute song ‘Three Stars’.
2008 – With her third studio album ‘As I Am’, Alicia Keys started a two-week stint at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart.
2008 – Indie pop group Scouting for Girls went to number one in the UK on this day January 26 with their eponymous debut studio album for the first of two weeks.
2011 – Founding member and lead singer of the vocal group The Marvelettes, Gladys Horton died on this day January 26 in music history, aged 65.
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2013 – With his seventh studio album ‘Burning Lights’, contemporary Christian music singer Chris Tomlin topped the US Billboard 200.
2013 – The soundtrack album to the epic period musical film of the same name ‘Les Misérables’ was at number one in the UK on this day January 26.
2017 – British indie pop-rock band The xx scored their second consecutive domestic chart-topping album with ‘I See You’.
2020 – American singer and guitarist Robert Schoen better known by his stage name Bob Shane died on this day January 26, aged 85. Best remembered as a founding member of The Kingston Trio.
BORN ON THIS DAY JANUARY 26 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1913 – American composer and pianist James Van Heusen was born Edward Babcock in Syracuse, New York on this day January 26 in music history. Best known for composing popular songs such as ‘Come Fly with Me’, ‘Come Dance with Me’, and ‘Only the Lonely’.
1932 – Jamaican record producer and pioneer of the ska and reggae genres Clement “Coxsone” Dodd was born in Kingstone.
1934 – R&B pianist, songwriter, bandleader, and rock and roll pioneer Huey “Piano” Smith was born on this day January 26 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1943 – Singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer Thomas Bell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1943 – R&B and soul singer Jean Knight was born on this day January 26 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Best known for her 1971 chart-topping hit single ‘Mr. Big Stuff’.
1945 – English bassist, vocalist, and songwriter, Ashley “Tyger” Hutchings was born in London. Best known as a founding member of three successful folk-rock bands The Albion Band, Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span.
1948 – Canadian drummer Laurence “Corky” Laing was born in Montreal, Quebec on this day January 26 in music history. Best known as a longtime member of the hard rock band Mountain.
1951 – Founding member, bassist and singer of the rock band Big Star, Andrew “Andy” Hummel was born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
1953 – Folk-rock and country music singer-songwriter and guitarist Lucinda Williams was born on this day January 26 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
1955 – Guitarist and songwriter Eddie Van Halen was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He rose to fame as the co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen.
1961 – Founding member and frontman of the rock band Cinderella, Thomas “Tom” Keifer was born on this day January 26 in Springfield, Pennsylvania.
1963 – Music producer and disc jockey Trevor Beresford Romeo also known by his stage name Jazzie B was born in London, England. He is the founder of the musical collective ‘Soul II Soul’.
1963 – One half of the pop music duo Wham!, Andrew Ridgeley was born in Windlesham, England on this day January 26 in music history.