EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY JUNE 25 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day June 25 in 1964 – Roy Orbison scored his second number one single in the UK with ‘It’s Over’ which held the top spot for two weeks straight.
1966 – The Beatles topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Paperback Writer’. The song became a chart-topper in 9 countries that year, including the UK, Canada, and Australia.
1969 – The Hollies recorded their rendition of ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ on this day June 25 in music history. It was released as a single on September 26 and it became a Top 10 hit in nine countries. The song also features young Elton John on piano who was working as a session musician at the time.
1975 – Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention released their tenth and final studio album ‘One Size Fits All’. It peaked at No.26 in the USA.
1977 – The first soundtrack album from the sketch comedy TV series The Muppet Show reached No.1 in the UK on this day June 25.
1977 – Pop group The Jacksons scored their first and only chart-topper on the UK Singles chart with ‘Show You the Way to Go’.
1977 – With ‘Got to Give it Up’, Marvin Gaye scored his third solo number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on this day June 25.
1983 – The soundtrack album to the drama dance film ‘Flashdance’ reached No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album features hit songs such as ‘Maniac’, ‘Flashdance…What a Feeling’, ‘ Lady, Lady, Lady’, and ‘He’s a Dream’.
1983 – With their fifth and final studio album ‘Synchronicity’, rock band The Police reached number one in the UK on this day June 25 in music history for the first of two weeks straight. The album also became a chart-topper in the US, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Canada, and Australia that year.
1984 – Prince released his sixth studio album ‘Purple Rain’ on the Warner Bros. record label. It peaked at No.1 in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the US, and Zimbabwe, and sold over 25 million units worldwide.
1988 – Seventeen-year-old Debbie Gibson became the youngest artist to write, produce, and perform their number one single when ‘Foolish Beat’ hit No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 cart on this day June 25.
1988 – Israeli-American guitarist Hillel Slovak died at the age of 26 from a heroin overdose. Best remembered as a founding member of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.
1988 – Hard rock band Van Halen scored their second of four consecutive chart-toppers on the US Billboard 200 with their eight studio album ‘OU812’ on this day June 25.
1988 – English boy band Bros started a two-week stay at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘I Owe You Nothing’. It was their first and only chart-topper.
1994 – Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries topped the UK Albums chart on this day June 25 in music history with their debut release ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’.
The Cranberries – Dreams
1994 – Rock band Stone Temple Pilots hit number one on the US Billboard 200 for the first of three weeks straight with their second studio album ‘Purple’.
2005 – With their third studio album ‘X&Y’, Coldplay started a three-week run at No.1 in the US on this day June 25. The album was a huge international hit that year and it was a chart-topper in 32 countries.
2009 – American singer-songwriter and guitarist Richard Marsh better known professionally as Sky Saxon died on this day, aged 71. Best remembered as the frontman of the psychedelic garage rock band The Seeds.
2009 – The “King of Pop” – Michael Jackson died on this day June 25 in music history, aged 50. He is one of the most influential and best-selling artists of all time with over 400 million records sold worldwide.
2011 – Adele returned at number one in the US with her second studio album ’21’. The album won numerous awards and it was the world’s best-selling album of the year for both 2011 and 2012.
2020 – With his live album ‘MTV Unplugged (Live at Hull City Hall)’, singer and songwriter Liam Gallagher went to number one on the UK Albums chart.
2022 – South Korean boy band BTS topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their first anthology album ‘Proof’ on this day June 25.
BORN ON THIS DAY JUNE 25 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1937 – American soul and R&B singer-songwriter Edward Floyd was born in Montgomery, Alabama on this day June 25 in music history. Best known for his chart-topping 1966 single ‘Knock on Wood’.
1940 – English bassist Albert Eccles also known professionally as Clint Warwick was born in Birmingham. He rose to fame as a founding member of the rock band The Moody Blues.
1943 – American singer and songwriter Carly Simon was born on this day June 25 in New York City. Best known for hit songs such as ‘Anticipation’, ‘You Belong to Me’, ‘Mockingbird’, ‘Nobody Does It Better’, and ‘You’re So Vain’.
1946 – Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Allen Lanier was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He rose to fame as a founding member of the rock band Blue Oyster Cult.
1946 – Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Ian McDonald was born on this day June 25 in Osterley, England. Best known as a founding member of bands such as King Crimson and Foreigner
1952 – Singer, songwriter, film score composer and multi-instrumentalist Timothy “Tim” Finn was born on this day in Te Awamutu, New Zealand.
1954 – Keyboardist, singer, songwriter and record producer David Paich was born in Los Angeles, California on this day June 25 in music history. He came to prominence as the co-founder of the rock band Toto.
1963 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist George Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in East Finchley, England. He’s one of the best-selling artists of all time with over 120 million records sold worldwide.
1964 – Singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and co-founder of the band Cake, John McCrea was born on this day June 25 in Berkeley, California.
1968 – American rapper and producer John B. Shaffer better known professionally as Candyman was born in Los Angeles, California. Best known for his chart-topping 1990 single ‘Knockin’ Boots’.
1972 – Bass guitarist and founding member of the pop rock Nickelback, Mike Kroeger was born on this day June 25 in Hanna, Canada.
1974 – American drummer Mario Calire was born on this day in Buffalo, New York. Best known for his work with The Wallflowers and Ozomatli.