On This Day, September 18 in Music History
EVENTS ON SEPTEMBER 18 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day September 18 in 1945 – American gospel blues singer and guitarist Willie “Blind” Johnson died at the age of 48. Best remembered for songs such as ‘It’s Nobody’s Fault but Mine’, ‘John the Revelator’, and ‘Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed’.
1961 – Bobby Vee started a three-week run at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Take Good Care of My Baby’.
1967 – The Beach Boys released their twelfth studio album ‘Smiley Smile’ through Capitol Records. It reached No. 9 in the UK while in the US the album peaked at No.41, their lowest chart ranking at the time.
1970 – Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Jimi Hendrix died of an overdose on this day September 18 in music history, aged 27.
1971 – American R&B/soul vocal group The Tams topped the UK and Irish singles charts with ‘Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me’.
1971 – With their rock opera fifth studio album ‘Who’s Next’, The Who went to number one in the UK on this day September 18. The band’s first and only No.1 on the chart.
1976 – Funk rock band Wild Cherry topped the US singles chart with ‘Play That Funky Music’ for the first of three consecutive week.
1976 – Rock band Boston released their now-signature song ‘More Than a Feeling’. The Tom Scholz penned hit featured on the band’s debut studio album and it peaked at No.5 on the Hot 100.
1978 – All four members (Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley) of the rock band Kiss released self-titled solo albums on this day September 18.
1981 – The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced that The Doors‘ ‘Greatest Hits’ album went platinum.
1981 – Rock band Genesis released their eleventh studio album ‘Abacab’ through Charisma Records. The album was a commercial success and it topped the charts in France and the UK. In the US where it sold over 2 million copies it peaked at No.7.
1991 – American singer and multi-instrumentalist Robert W. Derminer better known by his stage name Rob Tyner died at the age of 46 of a heart attack. Best remembered as the frontman of the hard rock band MC5.
1992 – American soul musician Earl Van Dyke died on this day September 18 at the age of 62. Best known as a member of the group Funk Brothers.
1993 – Country music singer-songwriter Garth Brooks scored his third consecutive number one album on the US Billboard 200 with his fifth studio album ‘In Pieces’. Also a chart-topper in Australia, Canada, and Ireland. In the UK it peaked at No.2.
1993 – Meat Loaf scored his second number one album in the UK with ‘Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell’ on this day September 18. The album peaked at No.1 in ten countries and it features the worldwide hit single ‘I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)’ which reached No.1 in 28 countries.
1997 – American jump blues singer James “Jimmy” Witherspoon died on this day September 18 at the age of 77.
1999 – R&B girl group TLC started a three-week run at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Unpretty’.
1999 – With their fifth studio album ‘Fly’, country music band Dixie Chicks went to number one in the United States for the first of two consecutive weeks.
1999 – Eurodance group Vengaboys topped the UK Singles chart with ‘We’re Going to Ibiza’ on this day September 18.
Vengaboys – We’re Going to Ibiza
2004 – With his debut single ‘Real to Me’, Irish singer and songwriter Brian McFadden was at number one on the UK Singles chart. It also became a chart-topper in Denmark, Ireland, and Norway.
2004 – English singer and songwriter Natasha Bedingfield went to number one in the UK with her debut studio album ‘Unwritten’.
2010 – Heavy metal band Disturbed scored their fourth consecutive number one album in the US with ‘Asylum’. The LP also reached No.1 in New Zealand and it made the Top 10 in eight more countries that year.
2010 – Singer-songwriter Brandon Flowers topped the UK Albums chart with his debut solo studio album ‘Flamingo’.
2010 – With ‘Teenage Dream’, Katy Perry scored her third number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2010 – Alexandra Burke and Laza Morgan started a two-week run at number one in the UK with ‘Start Without You’.
2021 – The number one album in the US on this day September 18 was Drake‘s sixth studio album ‘Certified Lover Boy’. He also topped the US singles chart on this day with ‘Way 2 Sexy’ which features rappers Future and Young Thug.
BORN ON SEPTEMBER 18 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1929 – American jazz and pop singer Theodora “Teddi” King was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
1933 – Singer and actor James “Jimmie” Rodgers was born in Camas, Washington. Best known for his chart-topping single ‘Honeycomb’.
1940 – American singer and actor Francis Thomas Avallone better known as Frankie Avalon was born on this day September 18 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Best known for his number one hit singles ‘Why’ and ‘Venus’.
1945 – Guitarist and singer Alan “Bam” King was born in London, England. Best known as a member of the bands The Action and Ace.
1949 – Musician, songwriter, and founding member of the rock band Kansas, Kerry Livgren was born in Topeka, Kansas.
1951 – American singer, bassist, and songwriter Douglas Glenn Colvin also known professionally as Dee Dee Ramone was born in Fort Lee, Virginia. He came to prominence as a founding member of the punk rock band The Ramones.
1955 – American singer and songwriter Keith Morris was born in Hermosa Beach, California. Best known as the frontman of the punk bands Black Flag, Off!, and Circle Jerks.
1961 – British multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Martin “Frosty” Beedle was born in North Ferriby, England. Best known as a founding member and drummer of the rock band Cutting Crew.
1962 – Singer Joanne Catherall was born in Sheffield, England on this day September 18 in music history. She rose to fame as a member of the synth-pop band The Human League.
1967 – American singer and actor Ricardo “Ricky” Bell was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Best known for his work with the bands New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe.
1988 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lukas Forchammer was born on this day September 18 in Denmark. Best known as the frontman of the pop band Lukas Graham.