EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY SEPTEMBER 21 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day September 21 in 1956 – With her rendition of ‘Lay Down Your Arms’, Anne Shelton started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK Singles chart.
1957 – Frank Sinatra hit number one in the UK for the first of seven consecutive weeks with his twelfth studio album ‘A Swingin’ Affair!’.
1959 – Instrumental rock and roll duo Santo & Johnny topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Sleep Walk’ on this day September 21 in music history.
1961 – Welsh singer Shirley Bassey topped the UK Singles chart with the double A-side single ‘Reach for the Stars/Climb Ev’ry Mountain’.
1963 – With his rendition of the popular song “Blue Velvet’, Bobby Vinton hit number one on the US Singles chart for the first of three consecutive weeks.
1968 – Country singer Jeannie C. Riley went to number one in the US with her version of Tom T. Hall‘s song ‘Harper Valley P.T.A.’ on this day September 21 in.
1968 – Welsh singer Tom Jones scored his first number one album in the United Kingdom with ‘Delilah’.
1974 – Singer-songwriter Barry White topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe’.
1974 – Jamaican singer Carl Douglas went to number one in the UK for the first of three consecutive weeks with ‘Kung Fu Fighting’. The song was a worldwide hit and it topped the singles charts in twelve countries.
1976 – Tom Waits released his fourth studio album ‘Small Change’ through Asylum Records on this day September 21. The album was a commercial success and it reached No.89 on the Billboard 200.
1985 – With her second studio album ‘Like a Virgin’, Madonna climbed to number one on the UK Albums chart.
1985 – English rock band Dire Straits went to number one in the US with ‘Money for Nothing’ on this day September 21 in music history. The song also earned them three Grammy nominations, including an award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
1987 – American jazz bass guitarist, composer and record producer Jaco Pastorius died at the age of 35 as a result of injuries sustained in a fight. Best remembered for his work with the jazz fusion band Weather Report.
1991 – Six years later on the same day September 21, Dire Straits went to No.1 in the UK with their sixth and final studio album ‘On Every Street’.
1991 – R&B group Color Me Badd started a two-week run at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘I Adore Mi Amor’.
1992 – Radiohead released their debut single ‘Creep’ through Parlophone Records on this day September 21. Initially the song received little attention, but after it was reissued in 1993 it became an international hit.
1993 – Rock band Nirvana released their third and last studio album ‘In Utero’ through DGC Records. It was a commercial success and it reached No.1 in the UK, Australia, Sweden, and the US.
1996 – Hip hop group Fugees scored their second number one single in the United Kingdom with ‘Ready or Not’ on this day September 21.
1996 – Alternative rock band R.E.M. topped the UK Albums chart with ‘New Adventures in Hi-Fi’. The album was a commercial success and it reached No.1 in fifteen countries. It’s also the last album to feature founding member and drummer Bill Berry.
1998 – American folk musician Paul Michael “Oz” Bach died on this day at the age of 59. Best remembered for his work with the band Spanky and Our Gang.
2002 – The number one album in the UK on this day September 21 in music history was ‘Feels So Good’ by the girl group Atomic Kitten.
2004 – John Fogerty released his sixth solo studio album ‘Deja Vu All Over Again’ through DreamWorks Records. The album reached number one in Sweden and peaked at No.23 in the US.
2004 – Punk rock band Green Day released their seventh studio album ‘American Idiot’ through Reprise Records. The album went on to sell over 15 million copies worldwide and it topped the charts in 19 countries.
Green Day – American Idiot
2009 – Founding member and drummer of the Delta blues band Jelly Roll Kings, Sam Carr died on this day September 21, aged 83.
2011 – English guitarist and vocalist John William Cann also known by his stage name John Du Cann died at the age of 65. Best remembered for his work with the band Atomic Rooster.
2012 – After an eight year hiatus, No Doubt released their sixth studio album ‘Push and Shove’ on this day September 21 through Interscope Records.
2013 – Rock band Arctic Monkeys reached number one in the UK with their fifth studio album ‘AM’. The LP became a chart-topper in nine other countries through the years as well.
2013 – With her debut studio album ‘Yours Truly’, Ariana Grande topped the US Billboard 200 chart on this day September 21.
2017 – English singer and songwriter Sam Smith started a three-week run at the top of the UK Singles chart with ‘Too Good at Goodbyes’.
2017 – With their Grammy Award-winning seventh studio album ‘Sleep Well Beast’, indie rock band The National were at number one in the UK on this day September 21 in music history.
2019 – Rapper and singer Post Malone started a three-week stint at number one in the US with his third studio album ‘Hollywood’s Bleeding’. The album was an international hit and it topped the charts in fourteen other countries, including the UK and Canada.
2020 – American singer and guitar player Gaetano “Tommy” DeVito died on this day September 21, aged 92. Best remembered as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the band The Four Seasons.
BORN ON THIS DAY SEPTEMBER 21 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1921 – English singer, DJ and radio personality Leslie Ronald Young also known professionally as Jimmy Young was born in Cinderford on this day September 21 in music history. Best known for his two chart-topping renditions of ‘Unchained Melody’ and ‘The Man from Laramie’.
1932 – American jazz and rock keyboardist Donald “Don” Preston was born on this day in Flint, Michigan. Best known for his work with Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention.
1934 – Singer-songwriter, novelist and poet Leonard Cohen was born on this day September 21 in Westmount, Quebec. Best known for the hit songs ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Dance Me to the End of Love’.
1936 – Pop and country music singer-songwriter Royden Dickey Lipscomb better known by his stage name Dickey Lee was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
1943 – American bassist, trombone player and session musician David Hood was born on this day September 21 in Sheffield, Alabama.
1944 – Native American guitarist Jesse Ed Davis was born on this day in Norman, Oklahoma. Best known as a session musician who has collaborated with the likes of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Taj Mahal.
1947 – English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer Rupert Hine was born in Wimbledon, London.
1947 – Guitarist and vocalist Donald “Don” Felder was born in Gainesville, Florida on this day September 21 in music history. Best known as the longtime member of the rock band Eagles.
1954 – British drummer Phil Taylor nicknamed “Philthy Animal” was born in Hasland, England. He came to prominence as a member of the metal band Motörhead.
1959 – English singer-songwriter Corinne Drewery was born on this day in Nottingham. Best known as the lead singer of the pop group Swing Out Sister.
1967 – Canadian drummer and vocalist Tyler Stewart was born on this day September 21 in Toronto, Ontario. He rose to fame as a member of the rock band Barenaked Ladies.
1967 – Country music singer Faith Hill was born in Ridgeland, Mississippi. She’s one of the best-selling country music artists of all time with over 40 million records sold worldwide.
1967 – American musician and actor Timmy “T” Torres was born in Fresno, California. Best known for his 1991 chart-topping single ‘One More Try’.
1968 – Rapper and founding member of the hip hop trio De La Soul, David Jude Jolicoeur better known by his stage name Trugoy the Dove was born on this day September 21 in New York City.
1972 – Founding member and drummer for the nu metal band Korn, David Silveria was born on this day in San Leandro, California.
1972 – Co-founder and frontman of the rock band Oasis, Liam Gallagher was born in Manchester, England on this day September 21 in music history.
1984 – American rapper Olubowale Victor Akintimehin also known professionally as Wale was born in Northwest, Washington.
1989 – Singer and songwriter Jason Derulo was born on this day September 21 in Miramar, Florida. Best known for hit songs such as ‘Talk Dirty’, ‘Whatcha Say’, ‘Wiggle’, ‘In My Head’, etc.