EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY SEPTEMBER 13 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day September 13 in 1958 – Eighteen-year-old Cliff Richard made his TV debut when he performed ‘Move It’ on the UK show ‘Oh Boy!’.
1962 – Elvis Presley started a three-week run at number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘She’s Not You’. Also a chart-topper in Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway that year.
1965 – The Beatles released ‘Yesterday’ in the United States on this day September 13 in music history. As of 2023, it’s one of the most covered songs of all time with over 2,000 official renditions by various artists.
1969 – The one-day music festival Toronto Rock and Roll Revival took place on this day in Toronto, Canada. It featured performances by the likes of Chuck Berry, Plastic Ono Band, Alice Cooper, Bo Diddley, and others.
1975 – Family music group The Isley Brothers topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their thirteenth studio album ‘The Heat Is On’.
1976 – Bob Dylan released the live album ‘Hard Rain’ through Columbia Records. The album was recorded during his Rolling Thunder Revue tour at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado.
1980 – Gary Numan‘s second studio album ‘Telekon’ debuted at number one in the UK on this day September 13.
1980 – Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne scored his first and only No.1 album in the US with his sixth studio release ‘Hold Out’.
1980 – With her rendition of the Mungo Jerry song ‘Feels Like I’m in Love’, Kelly Marie went to number one in the UK on this day September 13 in music history.
1982 – English singer-songwriter Kate Bush released her fourth studio album ‘The Dreaming’ through EMI Records. All tracks on the album were produced by Kate herself. It peaked at No.3 in the UK.
1986 – New wave band Berlin topped the US Singles chart with ‘Take My Breath Away’. The song featured in the popular action film ‘Top Gun’ and it won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
1986 – Synth-pop duo The Communards and Sarah Jane Morris started a four-week at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with their version of ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’.
1994 – American rapper The Notorious B.I.G. released his debut studio album ‘Ready to Die’ on this day September 13.
1996 – American rapper Tupac Shakur died on this day at the age of 25 after being shot six days prior. He’s one of the best-selling musicians with over 80 million records sold worldwide.
1997 – Puff Daddy & The Family returned to number one in the United States with their debut studio album ‘No Way Out’ on this day September 13 in music history.
1997 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day was ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ by the rock band The Verve.
1997 – Mariah Carey started a three-week run at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Honey’.
2003 – With her sixth studio album ‘Love & Life’, R&B singer Mary J Blige went to number one in the US on this day September 13.
2003 – The Black Eyed Peas started a six-week run at number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Where Is The Love’. The song was a worldwide hit and it peaked at No.1 in fifteen countries.
2013 – Paul McCartney released his thirteenth solo studio album ‘Chaos and Creation in the Backyard’ on this day September 13.
2008 – Heavy metal band Slipknot topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their fourth studio album ‘All Hope Is Gone’. The album was an international hit and it also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland.
2013 – Irish singer-songwriter Hozier released his debut single ‘Take Me to Church’ on this day September 13. The single became a worldwide hit and it topped the charts in fifteen countries.
Hozier – Take Me to Church
2014 – With his debut studio album ‘In the Lonely Hour’, singer-songwriter Sam Smith went to number one in the UK. The album features his most successful single ‘Stay with Me’ which topped several charts and won two Grammy Awards.
2014 – The number one album in the US on this day September 13 was Ariana Grande‘s second studio album ‘My Everything’.
2015 – American musician and songwriter Gary Richrath died at the age of 65. Best remembered as the lead guitarist of the rock band REO Speedwagon in the 1970s and 1980s.
2018 – DJ Calvin Harris and singer Sam Smith started a five-week run at number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Promises’.
2018 – Rapper Eminem started a four-week run at number one in the UK with his tenth studio album ‘Kamikaze’ on this day September 13 in music history.
2019 – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Edward Mahoney better known professionally as Eddie Money died at the age of 70.
BORN ON THIS DAY SEPTEMBER 13 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1911 – American singer-songwriter and mandolinist William “Bill” Monroe dubbed the ‘Father of Bluegrass’ was born in Rosine, Kentucky.
1922 – Blues singer and pianist Tony Russell “Charles” Brown was born in Texas City, Texas on this day September 13 in music history. Best known for the songs ‘Merry Christmas Baby’ and ‘Driftin’ Blues’.
1925 – American musician, composer, songwriter and arranger Melvin “Mel” Torme nicknamed ‘The Velvet Fog’ was born in Chicago, Illinois. Best known for composing and co-writing ‘The Christmas Song’.
1933 – Founding member and bass guitarist of the soul music group Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Lewie Steinberg was born on this day September 13 in Memphis, Tennessee.
1941 – Canadian singer-songwriter David Clayton-Thomas was born on this day in South West London, England. He rose to fame as the frontman of the jazz rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears.
1944 – American musician Peter Cetera was born on this day September 13 in Chicago, Illinois. Best known as the lead singer and bassist of the rock band Chicago.
1952 – The cowboy from the disco group Village People, Randy Jones was born on this day in Raleigh, North Carolina.
1952 – Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and record producer Don Edward Fagenson also known as Don Was was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1956 – Singer and founding member of the family vocal group Sister Sledge, Joan “Joni’ Sledge was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on this day September 13 in music history.
1959 – American guitarist, singer, and songwriter Sheldon Reynolds was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Best known as a member of the bands Earth, Wind & Fire, Sun, and The Commodores.
1961 – Heavy metal singer-songwriter and guitarist David “Dave” Mustaine was born on this day September 13 in La Mesa, California. Best known as a founding member of the bands Metallica and Megadeth.
1965 – English drummer Zak Starkey was born in London. Best known as a member of the rock band The Who. He’s also the son of former Beatle – Ringo Starr.
1967 – Heavy metal singer Timothy “Ripper” Owens was born on this day in Akron, Ohio. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the bands Judas Priest and Iced Earth.
1967 – American drummer and songwriter Stephen Perkins was born on this day September 13 in Los Angeles, California. Best known as a longtime member of the band Jane’s Addiction.
1977 – Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Fiona Apple was born in New York City.
1983 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist James Bourne was born on this day in Rochford, England. Best known as a co-founder of the bands Son of Dork and Busted.
1993 – Irish singer-songwriter Niall Horan was born in Mullingar on this day September 13 in music history. He rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction before embarking on a solo career.
1996 – American rapper and songwriter Jordan Terrell Carter better known by his stage name Playboi Carti was born in Riverdale, Georgia.