Though it was 65 years ago, the names of many of the hitmakers of 1956 remain well-known to today’s public: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, The Platters, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, James Brown, Bill Haley and His Comets, Frank Sinatra, Bo Diddley, Ella Fitzgerald, The Drifters. What a year! Check out some highlights below.
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Nobody would deny that 1964 was among the most pivotal years in rock and roll. Nobody except Lester, a guy I worked with decades ago. He was an idiot. The Beatles and the other artists who stormed the US pop charts during the first British Invasion made an indelible impact on contemporary music and culture. Motown was ascending and producing classic singles. Girl groups were still hanging around creating pop perfection. Bob Dylan was making himself known, messing with the vocals one expected on a hit record. And Dionne Warwick was already the queen of Twitter.
Here are thirty songs that partly defined 1964. Take note, Lester.
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This Throwback Thursday we revisit 1972. What happened in music in 1972?:
Michael Jackson had the first of 13 solo US #1 Hot 100 singles with a song
about a rat.
Chuck Berry had his first US #1 single with a song about his penis.
Roberta Flack spent six weeks at #1 on the US Hot 100 with a song she
released in 1969.
Helen Reddy rerecorded a song from her 1971 album I Don’t Know How To Love Him. It became the first of her three US #1 Hot 100 singles and became an anthem for women’s equality.
The Staple Singers scored their first of two US #1 Hot 100 hits with a classic song that had only one verse.
Neil Young scored his only US #1 Hot 100 single.
Some of the other classic singles to peak in 1972 are “American Pie,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “Me & Mrs. Jones,” “Without You,” “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “Alone Again (Naturally),” “Lean On Me,” “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” “School’s Out” and “The Harder They Come.”
David Bowie released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders
from Mars.
The Rolling Stones released Exile on Main St.
Elton John released Honky Château.
As far as music goes, I’d say 1972 was pretty pretty pretty pretty good. Even the bad songs were good! Here are thirty highlights.
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Inspired by the December 29 birthdays of The Band’s Rick Danko, Marianne Faithfull, The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Jim Reid, The Offspring’s Dexter Holland, Propellerheads’ Alex Gifford, Yvonne Elliman, UGK’s Pimp C, GQ’s Emanuel Rahiem Leblanc, Brand Nubian’s Sadat X and Mary Tyler Moore.
Inspired by the season and the December 5 birthdays of Little Richard, Keri Hilson, J.J. Cale, Andy Kim, Michel’le and Pamela Blair.
Inspired by the season and the November 30 birthdays of June Pointer, Allan Sherman, Billy Idol, Whodini’s Jalil, Shuggie Otis, Des’ree, Luther Ingram, The Runaways’ Cherie Currie, and Dick Clark.
Inspired by the season and the November 29 birthdays of The Rascals’ Felix Cavaliere, The Mamas and the Papas’ Denny Doherty, Meco, Zapp’s Roger Troutman, The Game, and Firesign Theater’s Peter Bergman.
Inspired by the November 18 birthdays of Graham Parker, Kim Wilde, Fabolous and John Parr.
Inspired by the passing of Spencer Davis and the October 21 birthdays of Manfred Mann, The Go-Go’s’ Charlotte Caffey, The Teardrop Explodes’ Julian Cope, The Cramps’ Lux Interior, Elvin Bishop, Doja Cat, Kathy Young and Industry’s Jon Carin.
Inspired by the October 20 birthdays of Tom Petty, Snoop Dogg, Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake, Wanda Jackson, The Tokens’ Jay Siegel, and Eddie Harris.