EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY MAY 15 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day May 15 in 1959 – With the double A-side ‘(Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I’ / ‘I Need Your Love Tonight’, Elvis Presley hit No.1 on the UK Singles chart for the first of five consecutive weeks.
1963 – The 5th Annual Grammy Awards were held at three different locations in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City. Among the winners – Tony Bennet, Vaughn Meader, Sammy Davis Jr, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and Peter, Paul & Mary.
1971 – Pop music group Dawn started a five-week stint at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Knock Three Times’ on this day May 15 in music history. Their first and only chart-topper in the country.
1971 – Pink Floyd and Faces performed at the Crystal Palace Park in London next to a small lake. However, the gig resulted in an environmental disaster for the aquatic life as hundreds of fish died from the loud music and vibrations.
1971 – Crosby Stills Nash & Young topped the US Billboard 200 with their third studio album ‘4 Way Street’ on this day May 15.
1975 – Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham performed live for the first time with Fleetwood Mac at a concert in El Paso, Texas which marked the start of the first leg of their 128 shows tour.
1976 – The number one single in the United States on this day May 15 was ‘Boogie Fever’ by the R&B family vocal group The Sylvers.
1976 – With their fifteenth studio album ‘Black and Blue’, The Rolling Stones topped the US Billboard 200. This was the group’s first album to feature guitarist Ronnie Wood.
1982 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day May 15 was ‘A Little Peace’ by the German singer Nicole. This was the English version of her Eurovision-winning song ‘Ein bißchen Frieden’.
1982 – With their eponymous debut studio album, English rock supergroup Asia went to No.1 in the US for the first of nine non-consecutive weeks. The album finished the year at No.1 on the Billboard 200 Year-End chart.
1982 – Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder started a seven-week stint at No.1 in the US with ‘Ebony and Ivory’ on this day May 15 in music history. The song was a worldwide hit reaching No.1 in eleven other countries, including Canada and the UK.
1986 – Hip-hop group Run-DMC released their third studio album ‘Raising Hell’ through Profile Records. The album peaked at No.3 in the US and it features their signature song ‘Walk This Way’.
1992 – Barbara Lee Jones died on this day May 15 at the age of 44 from a heart attack. Best known as a member of the all-girl group The Chiffons who had the 1963 No.1 hit ‘Hes So Fine’, a song that George Harrison apparently plagiarized.
1993 – With ‘That’s The Way Love Goes’, Janet Jackson hit number on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first of eight consecutive weeks.
1993 – New wave band New Order topped the UK Albums chart with their sixth studio release ‘Republic’ on this day May 15.
1995 – Alternative rock band Supergrass released their debut studio album ‘I Should Coco’ on Parlophone records. The record topped the UK Albums chart and it became the label’s biggest-selling debut album since The Beatles‘ ‘Please Please Me’.
1999 – With their fourth studio album ‘Head Music’, alternative rock band Suede reached number one in the UK on this day May 15 in music history.
1999 – The compilation album ‘Ryde or Die Vol.1’ released by the record label Ruff Ryders Entertainment was at No.1 in the US.
1999 – Boy band Backstreet Boys topped the UK Singles chart with ‘I Want It That Way’ on this day May 15. It was a big hit worldwide and it also reached No.1 in over 25 countries.
2000 – English songwriter, singer and instrumentalist Geoff Goddard died on this day from a heart attack, aged 62. Best remembered for writing Joh Leyton’s chart-topping hit ‘Johnny Remember Me’.
2003 – American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist June Carter Cash died on this day May 15 at age of 73 following a heart surgery. Besides her illustrious career, she is also known for being Johnny Cash’s wife.
June & Johnny Cash – ‘Cause I Love You
2004 – With their second and final studio album ‘D12 World’, hip hop supergroup D12 topped the US Billboard 200 chart.
2009 – Punk rock band Green Day released their eight studio album ’21st Century Breakdown’ via Reprise Records on this day May 15 in music history. It won the group a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and it peaked at No.1 in over 15 countries worldwide.
2010 – The number one album in the UK on this day was the debut studio LP ‘Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree’ by the singer-songwriter Diana Vickers.
2010 – Singer Usher featuring rapper and producer will.i.am topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘OMG’ on this day May 15.
2010 – With his debut studio album ‘B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray’, rapper B.o.B. reached number one in the US.
2011 – American vocalist Bob Flanigan died on this day May 15 at the age of 84. Best remembered for co-founding the jazz vocal group The Four Freshmen.
2021 – Record producer DJ Khaled topped the US Billboard 200 chart with his twelfth studio album ‘Khaled Khaled’.
BORN ON THIS DAY MAY 15 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1918 – Country music singer-songwriter and guitarist Edward “Eddy” Arnold was born in Henderson, Tennessee on this day May 15 in music history. He sold over 85 million records worldwide and 147 of his songs charted in the US.
1937 – American singer, guitarist and actor Trini Lopez was born in Dallas, Texas. Best know for his 1960s hit songs ‘If I Had a Hammer’ and ‘Lemon Tree’.
1947 – Australian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Graeham Goble was born on this day May 15 in Adelaide. He came to prominence as a founding member of the rock group Little River Band (LRB).
1948 – Multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter, record producer and visual artist Brian Eno was born on this day in Melton, Suffolk, England. Best known for his pioneering work in ambient music and as a member of Roxy Music.
1951 – Singer and songwriter Dennis ‘Fergie’ Frederiksen was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on this day May 15 in music history. Best known as the lead singer of bands such as Toto, Trillion, LeRoux, and Angel.
1953 – English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and composer Michael “Mike” Oldfield was born on this day in Reading, England. Best known for his debut studio album ‘Tubular Bells’ that topped the charts worldwide.
1959 – Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Eldritch was born on this day May 15 in Ely, England. He rose to fame as a founding member and frontman of the rock band The Sisters of Mercy.
1966 – English musician and DJ Peter Wiggs was born in Reigate, Surrey. Best known as a founding member of the dance pop band Saint Etienne.
1983 – American guitarist, songwriter and record producer Devin Bronson was born in Seattle, Washington on this day May 15 in music history. He has collaborated with musicians such as Avril Lavigne, Sebastian Bach, David Cook and others.
1997 – American rapper and record producer Omar Jeffrey Pineiro better known by his stage name Smokepurpp was born in Chicago, Illinois.