This Week in Music History

December 7th, 1991 - Michael Jackson starts his seven week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Black Or White', his 12th solo No.1, also a No.1 in the UK. It was the fastest chart topper since The Beatles' 'Get Back,' and made Jackson the first artist to have No ...

November 23rd, 1975 - Queen starts a 9 week run at No.1 in the UK with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ The promotional video for this song is generally acknowledged as being the first pop video ever. When they first decided to release the 5min and 55sec single, various record execs suggested to them that it was too long to ever be a hit, they didn’t listen and the rest is history...

November 16th, 1974 - John Lennon hits No.1 on the singles chart with ‘Whatever Gets You Through The Night.’ Elton John played on the session and had made a deal with Lennon that they would have to play live together if the song ever reached No...

November 9th, 1974 - Bachman Turner Overdrive goes to No.1 on the singles chart with 'You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet', the group's only No.1 hit. Not bad for a grammatically incorrect title. November 10th, 1973 - Elton John started an eight week run at No...

October 26th, 1970 - A wake is held in San Anselmo, California to celebrate the life of Janis Joplin who had died of an accidental overdose and had left $2,500 in her will to throw a party in the event of her demise. The party was attended by close friends and family where pot-brownies were shared amongst the guests...

October 19th, 1966 - The Yardbirds land in New York for their 1st US tour with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page on lead guitars. However, after only two dates of the tour, Beck developed acute tonsillitis and had to quit the group. He would go on to form The Jeff Beck Group, which would give Rod Stewart his first major exposure...

October 12th, 1994 - Pink Floyd plays the first of a 15-night run at Earls Court, London, England. Less than a minute after the band started playing ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, scaffolding holding 1200 fans, collapsed, dropping hundreds of people 20 feet to the ground...

October 5th, 1967 – The Doors play the final show of a five night run at Steve Paul’s “The Scene” in New York City. Steve Paul, owner of The Scene, and notable as the one-time manager of Johnny Winter, refused to pay protection money to the Mafia...

September 28th, 2002 - Tina Turner’s hometown Nutbush near Memphis, and made famous in her song ‘Nutbush City Limits,’ named a stretch of highway after the star. The stretch of State Highway 19 was named ‘Tina Turner Highway.’ Turner lived in Nutbush, a small town about 50 miles northeast of Memphis, until she was about 17...

September 21st, 2011 - The Beatles refused to perform at a concert on August 31st, 1965 because the audience was forced to be segregated. A contract revealing that they refused to perform is sold today for $23,033 at an auction in L.A. In addition to the desegregation clause, the contract guaranteed the band $40,000 and at least 150 police officers to provide security at the show...