On This Day, September 12 in Music History
EVENTS ON SEPTEMBER 12 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day September 12 in 1963 – The Beatles started a four-week run at number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘She Loves You’. The song was a worldwide hit and it topped the charts in Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the US as well.
1969 – The Rolling Stones released their second compilation album ‘Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)’ through Decca and London Records. It was a Top 3 hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
1970 – With ‘The Tears of a Clown’, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles went to No.1 in the United Kingdom. 32 years later in 2002, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
1970 – Creedence Clearwater Revival topped the UK Albums chart with ‘Cosmo’s Factory’ on this day September 12 in music history. It also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Norway, and the US that year.
1975 – Pink Floyd released their ninth studio album ‘Wish You Were Here’. The album is an homage to the band’s original frontman Syd Barrett who left the group due to his deteriorating mental health. It peaked at No.1 in eight countries worldwide, including the UK and US.
15 Interesting Pink Floyd Facts
1981 – American singer and actor Meat Loaf scored his first number one album in the UK with ‘Dead Ringer’.
1981 – With their seventh studio album ‘Escape’, Journey topped the US Billboard 200 chart on this day September 12. The album features some of the band’s biggest hits such as ‘Don’t Stop Believin”, ‘Open Arms’, and ‘Who’s Crying Now’.
1987 – Los Lobos topped the US Billboard 200 with the soundtrack album ‘La Bamba’ to the biographical film of the same name. The album also reached No.1 on the charts in Canada and France.
1987 – Michael Jackson went to number one in the UK for the first of seven consecutive weeks with his seventh studio album ‘Bad’. He also kicked the ‘Bad’ world tour on this day with a show in Tokyo, Japan.
1989 – Rock band Aerosmith released their tenth studio album ‘Pump’ through Geffen Records on this day September 12. The album was an international hit and it sold over 8 million copies. It reached No.1 in Australia and was a Top 5 hit in the UK, Canada and the US.
1992 – English musician and songwriter Mike Oldfield scored his third number one album in the UK with ‘Tubular Bells II’.
1995 – Lenny Kravitz released his fourth studio album ‘Circus’ through Virgin Records. A Top 10 hit in the UK and US, and chart-topper in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
1998 – Singer and rapper Lauryn Hill started a three-week run at No.1 in the US with her debut solo studio album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ on this day September 12 in music history.
1998 – Girl group All Saints scored their third consecutive number one single in the UK with ‘Bootie Call’ on this day.
2003 – American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash died on this day September 12 at the age of 71 due to complications from diabetes. He’s one of the best-selling musicians of all time with over 100 million records sold worldwide.
2007 – American R&B, funk and soul music singer-songwriter, bandleader, and producer Bobby Byrd died on this day at the age of 73.
2008 – Heavy metal band Metallica released their ninth studio album ‘Death Magnetic’ through Warner Bros. Records. The album reached No.1 in twenty-four countries worldwide and with it Metallica became the first band to score five consecutive number one albums in the US. The LP also won the band three Grammy Awards.
Watch: Metallica perform in front of 1 million people
2009 – With her second studio album ‘Breakthrough’, singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat reached number one in the US.
2009 – ‘Run This Town’ by rapper Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West was at number one in the UK. At the 52nd Grammy Awards the song won two awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song.
2011 – Thrash metal band Anthrax released their tenth studio album ‘Worship Music’ on this day September 12.
2015 – After a two-week break from the top spot, The Weeknd returned to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Can’t Feel My Face’.
2015 – The number one album in the US on this day September 12 in music history was ‘Immortalized’ by the heavy metal band Disturbed. This was the band’s fifth consecutive chart-topper in America, tying Metallica‘s record on the Billboard 200.
2019 – Singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey went to number one in the UK with her sixth studio album ‘Norman Fu**ing Rockwell!’. Also a chart-topper in Argentina, Estonia, Lithuania, Portugal, and Switzerland that year.
BORN ON SEPTEMBER 12 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1931 – American country music singer and songwriter George Jones was born on this day September 12 in Saratoga, Texas.
1943 – Folk and blues music singer Maria Muldaur was born in New York City. Best known for her 1974 hit single ‘Midnight at the Oasis’.
1938 – American soul and gospel music singer Judy Clay was born as Judith Grace Guions in St. Pauls, North Carolina.
1944 – Singer and songwriter Barry Eugene Carter better known professionally as Barry White was born in Galveston, Texas. Best known for his hit songs ‘You’re the First, the Last, My Everything’ and ‘Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe’.
1944 – Singer Colin Young was born in Barbados. He came to prominence as a member of the soul band The Foundations.
1946 – Founder and frontman of the rock band Blue Cheer, Richard “Dickie” Peterson was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
1952 – Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of the rock band America, Gerald “Gerry” Beckley was born on this day September 12 in Fort Worth, Texas.
1952 – Canadian musician and songwriter Neil Peart was born in Hamilton, Ontario on this day September 12 in music history. Best known as the drummer of the rock band Rush.
1956 – Singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and co-founder of the rock band Shriekback, Barry Andrews was born in London, England.
1957 – German Academy Award-winning film score composer and record producer Hans Zimmer was born on this day September 12 in Frankfurt, West Germany.
1966 – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Benjamin “Ben” Folds was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
1974 – Singer-songwriter and one half of the country music duo Sugarland, Jennifer Nettles was born in Douglas, Georgia on this day September 12 in music history.
1978 – Singer and American Idol winner Ruben Studdard was born in Frankfurt, West Germany.
1993 – American country and pop music singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini was born on this day September 12 in Mascot, Tennessee.
1994 – South Korean rapper, singer, and songwriter Kim Nam-joon also known as RM was born in Seoul. Best known as the leader of the boy band BTS.