EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY MAY 25 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day May 25 in 1961 – An art school band called The Temperance Seven had the No.1 single in the UK with their rendition of Walter Donaldson‘s 1930 song ‘You’re Driving Me Crazy’.
1968 – After topping the US Billboard 200 for seven weeks with ‘The Graduate’, Simon & Garfunkel extended their stint at No.1 for three more weeks with their fourth studio album ‘Bookends’. The albums swapped places on two more occasions and the duo effectively dominated the chart for sixteen consecutive weeks.
1973 – 19-year old Mike Oldfield released his debut studio album ‘Tubular Bells’ on this day May 25 in music history on Virgin Records. The album became a chart-topper in the UK, Australia and Canada and peaked at No.3 in the US
1974 – With his second studio album ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’, keyboardist and composer Rick Wakeman reached No.1 in the UK.
1978 – The Who played their last concert with the classic lineup of Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, and John Entwistle on this day May 25 at Shepperton Studios. Drummer Keith Moon died of an overdose later that year on September 7, aged 32.
1985 – Dire Straits went to number one in the UK with their fifth studio album ‘Brothers in Arms’. The album was an international hit as well and became a chart-topper in a dozen more countries. Its also one of the best-selling albums of all time with over 30 million copies sold worldwide.
1985 – With ‘Everything She Wants’, pop duo Wham! topped the US Billboard Hot 100 on this day May 25. The song also reached No.1 in Iceland and Canada that year, and peaked at No.2 in the UK.
1991 – Michael Bolton topped the US Billboard 200 chart with his seventh studio album ‘Time, Love & Tenderness’. The album also reached No.1 in Norway and peaked at No.2 in the UK.
1991 – With ‘Someday’, Mariah Carey scored her second number one single of the year in the US on this day May 25 in music history. She previously topped the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Someday’ on March 9.
1994 – American jazz and R&B guitarist and session musician Eric Gale died on this day at the age of 55 from lung cancer.
1996 – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bradley Nowell died on this day May 25 at the age of 28 from a drug overdose. Best remembered as the co-founder and frontman of the ska punk band Sublime.
1996 – The number one album in the United Kingdom on this day was ‘Older’ by singer-songwriter George Michael. The album was a huge commercial success and it features six UK Top 3 singles.
1996 – Australian singer Gina G scored her first and only number one single in the United Kingdom with ‘Ooh Aah… Just a Little Bit’ on this day May 25.
1996 – Hip-hop trio Fugees hit No.1 on the US Billboard 200 with their second and final studio album ‘The Score’ for the first of four consecutive weeks. The album was a worldwide hit that year and reached No.1 in ten more countries.
2002 – With his second studio album ‘Juslisen’, R&B singer Musiq Soulchild went to number one in the US on this day May 25 in music history.
2002 – American electronica musician, record producer, and songwriter Moby topped the UK Albums chart with his sixth studio LP ’18’.
2002 – British-Irish pop group Liberty X reached the top spot on the UK Singles chart with ‘Just a Little’ on this day May 25.
2005 – Guitarist and songwriter Domenic Troiano died at the age of 59. Best known for his work with bands such as The Guess Who, James Gang, Bush. and Mandala.
2006 – Jamaican ska and reggae singer and songwriter Desmond Dekker died on this day May 25 at the age of 64. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘Israelites’, ‘It Mek’ and ‘ You Can Get It If You Really Want’.
Desmond Dekker – Israelites
2013 – With his twenty-eight studio album ‘Time’, singer Rod Stewart hit No.1 in the UK. By doing so, he set an new record for the longest gap between two chart-topping albums by an artist in Britain as the last time he topped the UK Albums chart was on July 10, 1976 with ‘A Night on the Town’.
2013 – Double bassist and songwriter Marshall Lytle died on this day May 25 in music history at the age of 79. Best known as a member of the bands The Jodimars and Bill Halley & His Comets.
2013 – Country music trio Lady Antebellum reached number one in the United States with their fifth studio album ‘Golden’.
2017 – English singer and songwriter Harry Styles topped the UK Albums chart with his eponymous debut studio LP on this day May 25. The album also hit No.1 in the US, Canada, Australia, and several other countries worldwide.
2019 – With his fifth studio album ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind’, rapper Logic reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart.
BORN ON THIS DAY MAY 25 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1921 – American lyricist Harold David was born in New York City on this day May 25 in music history. Best known for his long-term collaboration with Burt Bacharach with whom he wrote over 70 US Top 40 songs, including chart-toppers such as ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head’, ‘This Guy’s in Love with You’, ‘That’s What Friends Are For’, etc.
1921 – Multi-genre singer Katie “Kitty” Kallen was born on this day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Best known for her chart-topping 1954 single ‘Little Things Mean a Lot’.
1924 – American free and avant-garde jazz multi-instrumentalist Marshall Allen was born in Louisville, Kentucky on this day May 25.
1927 – American musician and record producer Norman Petty was born in Lubbock, Texas. Best known for founding the Norman Petty Trio with his wife Vi Ann Petty.
1936 – Soul and R&B music singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Donnie Elbert was born on this day May 25 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1936 – Country music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Thomas Hall also known as Tom T. Hall was born in Franklin, Tennessee. Best known for writing twelve number one hits, including ‘Harper Valley PTA’, and ‘I Love’.
1942 – British drummer Brian Davison also known as Blinky was born in Leicester, England on this day May 25 in music history. He gained popularity as a member of The Nice.
1947 – American singer and songwriter Mitchell “Mitch” Margo was born in Brooklyn, New York. Best known as a member of The Tokens who had the No.1 hit song ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’.
1948 – German singer and songwriter Klaus Meine was born on this day May 25 in Hanover. He rose to fame as the frontman of the rock band Scorpions.
1950 – Rock violinist and singer Robert “Robby” Steinhardt was born on this day in Chicago, Illinois. Best known as the co-frontman of the rock band Kansas.
1951 – American drummer Charles “Chuck” Ruff was born on this day May 25 in Reno, Nevada. Best known for his work with Edgar Winter.
1958 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paul John Weller was born in Woking, England. He rose to fame as a member of the bands The Jam and Style Council before establishing himself as a successful solo artist.
1975 – American singer-songwriter and rapper Lauryn Hill was born in East Orange, New Jersey on this day May 25 in music history. Best known as the frontwoman of the hip hop group the Fugees.