EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY MAY 26 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day May 26 in 1962 – Mr. Aker Bilk became the first British music act to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Stranger on the Shore’. Also a hit in his home country where it peaked at No.2.
1963 – Elvis Presley recorded ‘(You’re The) Devil in Disguise’ at RCA Studios in Nashville. The song was released on June 18 and it topped the singles charts in nine countries, including the UK and Canada while in the US it peaked at No.3.
1966 – The Rolling Stones topped both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles chart with ‘Paint It Black’ on this day May 26 in music history. It was the first chart-topper to feature a sitar which gave the upcoming psychedelic genre a boost in popularity.
1966 – At Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles started recording ‘Yellow Submarine’. The song was released on August 5 and it became a chart-topper in a dozen countries worldwide. It’s also the most successful Beatles song with Ringo Starr as lead vocalist.
1967 – Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention released their second studio album ‘Absolutely Free’ on Verve Records on this day May 26.
1967 – The Beatles released their eight studio album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. The album reached No.1 on every chart it entered and it became the first rock LP to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Many consider it one of the greatest albums of all time.
1968 – American R&B singer and songwriter ‘Little Willie’ John died from a heart attack while serving a sentence for manslaughter on this day May 26, aged 30. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and is best known for songs such as ‘Al Around the World’, ‘Fever’, and ‘Need Your Love So Bad’.
1969 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono started the second week of their famous anti war protest “bed-ins” for peace at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada..
1973 – Deep Purple released their now-classic song ‘Smoke on the Water’ on this day May 26 in music history. The single featured on their sixth studio album Machine Head and reached No.4 in the US.
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1973 – With the instrumental ‘Frankenstein’, The Edgar Winter Group went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1973 – The Beatles were at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart on this day May 26 with their compilation LP ‘1967-1970’ also known as the ‘Blue Album’.
1977 – American singer William Powell died of cancer at the age of 35. Best remembered as a founding member of the R&B group The O’Jays
1979 – With ‘Sunday Girl’, New wave band Blondie scored their second consecutive number one single in the UK on this day May 26 in music history. Also a chart-topper in Ireland.
1984 – Deniece Williams went to number one in the US with ‘Let’s Hear It For The Boy’. It became a chart-topper in Canada as well while in the UK and New Zealand it peaked at No.2.
2001 – Alternative rock band R.E.M. reached number one in the UK with their twelfth studio release ‘Reveal’ for the first of two weeks on this day May 26.
2002 – Two months after the premiere in the US, The Osbournes arrived in the UK as well. Its a reality TV show that follows the lives of Ozzy Osbourne and his family.
2007 – Rock band Linkin Park topped the UK Albums chart on this day May 26 with their third studio LP ‘Minutes to Midnight’.
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2007 – Rappers T-Pain and Yung Joc went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)’.
2007 – With his fifth studio album ‘Call Me Irresponsible’, Canadian singer Michael Bublé scored his first No.1 album in the US on this day May 26 in music history.
2007 – Singer Rihanna featuring rapper Jay-Z hit number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Umbrella’ for the first of ten consecutive weeks.
2013 – American singer Clarence Burke Jr died on this day May 26 at the age of 64. Best known as the lead singer of the family R&B group the Five Stairsteps.
2022 – The No.1 album in the United Kingdom on this day was ‘Dance Fever’ by the indie rock band Florence and the Machine. This was the group’s fourth chart-topper in the country.
2022 – English drummer Alan White died on this day May 26 at the age of 72. Best remembered for playing almost 50 years with the progressive rock band Yes.
BORN ON THIS DAY MAY 26 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1904 – English singer-songwriter, actor and comedian George Formby was born in Wigan, Lancashire on this day May 26 in music history.
1916 – American musician, composer and inventor of musical instruments Louis Thomas Hardin also known by his stage name Moondog was born in Marysville, Kansas. He was blind since the age of 16.
1920 – Jazz and popular music singer-songwriter and composer Delores Egstrom better known as Peggy Lee was born on this day May 26 in Jamestown, North Dakota.
1926 – Jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer Miles Davis was born on this day in Alton, Illinois. He is among the most influential and acclaimed musicians of the 20th century.
1940 – American multi-instrumentalist and actor Levon Helm was born on this day May 26 in Elaine, Arkansas. Best known a member of The Band with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
1941 – Lead singer and guitarist of the band The Swinging Blue Jeans, Raymond “Ray” Ennis was born on this day in Liverpool, England.
1944 – Organist, singer and founding member of the rock band Mott the Hoople, Verden Allen was born in Crynant, Wales on this day May 26 in music history.
1945 – Canadian drummer Garry Peterson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Best known as the long-term member and of the rock band The Guess Who.
1946 – English songwriter, producer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist Mick Ronson was born on this day May 26 in Kingston upon Hull. Best known for his work with the likes of David Bowie, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, etc.
1948 – Singer and songwriter Stephanie “Stevie” Nicks was born in Phoenix, Arizona Best known for her eminent solo career and as a member of Fleetwood Mac. She is the only woman to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so far.
1949 – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Hank Williams Jr also known as Bocephus was born on this day May 26 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He is the son of country musician Hank Williams.
1964 – American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Lenny Kravitz was born on this day in Manhattan, New York.
1967 – Keyboardist, composer and founder of the music project Chroma Key, Kevin Moore was born on Long Island New York on this day May 26 in music history. He is also known for his work with the bands Dream Theater and OSI.
1972 – English drummer Alan “Whitey” White was born in London He came to prominence as a member of the pop rock band Oasis from 1995 until 2004.