Thursday, February 22, 2018

22 FEBRUARY

In Music History

Page 1
123
2012Five months after debuting the song in her native Canada, Carly Rae Jepsen releases the single "Call Me Maybe" in America. With help from a video of Justin BieberSelena Gomez and other tween celebs lip-synching to the song, it rises up the charts and becomes a worldwide hit. In the US, it is the song of the summer, topping the Hot 100 on June 23 and staying until August 25.
2011Adele releases her second album, 21, in the US. The record becomes the best-selling album of 2011, shifting a total of 5.82 million copies.
2009A.R. Rahman wins Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Song for "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire, earning the Bollywood music veteran his first two Oscars. The Pussycat Dolls release an English-language version, "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)," the same year.
2008After much controversy and debate over whether or not to honor recently deceased musician and Mississippi native Ike Turner, the state legislature compromises and passes a resolution that honors his musical achievements only.
2008The U2 concert film U2 3D is released worldwide.
2007Brad Paisley and his wife, the actress Kimberly Williams, have their first child: a son named Huckleberry ("Huck").
2002Little Richard gets the NAACP Image Award. The flamboyant singer put his efforts into preaching in his later years.
2001American folk guitarist John Fahey dies at age 61 following a coronary bypass operation.
2001British newspaper Sunday Mirror reports that The Beatles, who have been broken up for 31 years, are nevertheless the top grossing recording group of the year 2000.
2000The recently departed soul legend Curtis Mayfield is honored at a First African Methodist Episcopal Church service in Los Angeles, featuring performances from Stevie WonderEric Clapton, and, spontaneously, Lauryn Hill.
1994Blues violinist Papa John Creach (of Jefferson Airplane/Starship) dies of congestive heart failure at age 76.
1994Prince is granted the trademark on the symbol he has been using as his name.More
1993Lenny Kravitz releases "Are You Gonna Go My Way," a song about God.
1990A jury rules that Stevie Wonder didn't not infringe on a song written in 1976 called "I Just Called To Say" on his hit "I Just Called To Say I Love You." The lawsuit was filed in 1985 by "I Just Called To Say" writers Lee Garrett and Lloyd Chiate, but in 1986, Garrett, a childhood friend of Wonder's, pulls out of the case.
1989DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (Will Smith) win the first-ever rap Grammy (Best Rap Performance) for "Parents Just Don't Understand," their comic tune built from the I Dream of Jeannie theme song.
Page 1
123

Spice Girls Go From Wannabes To Superstars

1997
The Spice Girls conquer America as their debut single, "Wannabe," hits #1.
After forming at an open audition in 1993, the group signs to Simon Fuller's management company and cultivates their image as fun-loving, empowered women ready to take on the world. By the time "Wannabe" is released as a single in their native UK in July 1996, the group has already made press appearances and the video has been airing on the British cable network The Box. It breaks big, reaching #1 UK by the end of July; by the end of the year, the Spice Girls have two more #1s: "Say You'll Be There" and "2 Become 1."

The group is very English, which doesn't bode well for their fortunes in America, which didn't see the appeal of OasisBlur, or Take That. But Girl Power knows no boundaries, and when the song is released in the States on January 7, 1997, it starts a steady climb up the charts as MTV puts the video in hot rotation. It helps that the girls have come to America on a promotional tour and are endearing themselves to the press - something Oasis could never pull off.

When the song hits #1, it stays for four weeks. Their follow-up singles don't have nearly as much impact, but reaching the top spot in the US is a milestone the girls cite as one of their biggest accomplishments.


No comments:

Post a Comment