What Happened Today In Music

October 22nd

1964 - The Who

The Who then known as The High Numbers, receive a letter from EMI Records, asking them for original material after their recent audition for the company.

1964 - Sandie Shaw

Sandie Shaw had her first UK No.1 single with the Burt Bacharach song '(There's) Always Some Thing There To Remind Me'.

1966 - The Supremes

The Supremes became the first female group to have a No.1 album on the US char with 'The Supremes a Go Go', knocking The Beatles Revolver from the top of the charts.

1966 - Beach Boys

The Beach Boys ‘Good Vibrations’ made its debut on the US singles chart. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the track was recorded over six weeks in four different Los Angeles studios, at a cost of over $16,000. The recording engineer would later say that the last take sounded exactly like the first, six months earlier. The record would reach No.1 on the US charts in December 1966.

1969 - Tommy Edwards

American singer Tommy Edwards died after suffering a brain aneurysm in Henrico County, Virginia, at the age of 47. Had the 1958 US & UK No.1 single 'It's All In The Game'.

1969 - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney publicly denied rumors that he was dead. The most recent of many "clues" of this Death Hoax was the fact that he was the only barefoot Beatle on the newly released Abbey Road LP cover. The story was actually started as a prank by Fred La Bour, a sports and arts writer for the student paper, The Michigan Daily at the University of Michigan.

1969 - Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin II was released on Atlantic Records in the UK. The Jimmy Page produced album which was recorded over six months between four European and three American tours, peaked at No.1 in both the UK and US, going on to sell over 12 million copies in the US alone, (and spending 138 weeks on the UK chart). The album is now recognised by writers and music critics as one of the greatest and most influential rock albums ever recorded.

1986 - Jane Dornacker

Jane Dornacker was killed in a helicopter crash during a live traffic report for WNBC radio in New York. Listeners heard the terrified voice of Dornacker screaming 

1988 - Phil Collins

Phil Collins started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with his version of 'Groovy Kind Of Love', his 6th US No.1. The song was also a hit for The Mindbenders, the group that backed Wayne Fontana in 1965. 

1988 - U2

U2 scored their fourth UK No.1 album with the double set and film soundtrack 'Rattle And Hum', featuring their first UK No.1 single 'Desire'.

1989 - Ewan MacColl

English folk singer, songwriter, poet, and record producer Ewan MacColl died aged 74. He wrote 'Dirty Old Town' and 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face', (became a No.1 hit for Roberta Flack in 1972). Acts including Planxty, The Dubliners, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash recorded his songs. He was the father of singer, songwriter Kirsty MacColl.

1990 - Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam played their first ever concert when they appeared at the Off Ramp in Seattle.

1993 - Oasis

Oasis signed a six-album deal with Creation Records for a £40,000 advance.

1996 - Beatles

It was announced that, "The Beatles were now bigger than The Beatles". The statement was based on sales so far this year, having sold 6,000,000 albums from their back catalogue and a combined total of 13,000,000 copies of ‘The Beatles Anthology 1’ and ‘The Beatles Anthology 2’. With the release of ‘The Beatles Anthology 3’ a week away, it was anticipated that total Beatles album sales for 1996 would exceed 20 million. A poll showed 41 percent of sales were to teenagers who were not born when The Beatlesofficially called it quits in 1970.

1999 - Sinead O'Connor

It was reported that Sinead O’Connor was attempting to buy the church where she was ordained into the Catholic sisterhood. The church was on the market for £70,000.

2000 - George Michael

George Michael paid £1.45m for the Steinway piano on which John Lennon wrote 'Imagine'. George said, "I know that when my fingers touch the keys of that Steinway, I will feel truly blessed. And parting with my money has never been much of a problem, just ask my accountant." The singer outbid Robbie Williams and The Oasis brothers.

2000 - Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam appeared at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, California, celebrating the tenth anniversary of their first live performance as a band.

2003 - Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith, US singer songwriter, committed suicide aged 34. One time member of Stranger Than Fiction, solo 1997 album 'Either/Or'.

2005 - Abba

Waterloo by ABBA was voted the best song in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest. Viewers in 31 countries across Europe voted during a special show in Copenhagen to celebrate the annual event's 50th birthday.

2008 - Paul McCartney

A homeless man claimed a £2,000 reward by returning a waxwork head of ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney which had been left on a train. Anthony Silva found the item in a bin at Reading station after auctioneer Joby Carter left it under a seat at Maidenhead station. The homeless man thought it was a Halloween mask and had been using it as a pillow before realising what it was. The wax model sold the following week for £5,500 at auction.

2014 - Kasabian

Kasabian won best live act and best act in the world at the Q Awards held in London, England. Former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson was named a Q Icon, Elbow's The Take Off and Landing of Everything, was named best album, Paolo Nutini's Iron Sky received the best track award, while 22-year-old soul singer Sam Smith was named best new act.

2017 - George Young

Australian musician, songwriter and record producer George Young died aged 70. Young, the brother of AC/DC's Angus and Malcolm Young, was a member of the Easybeats and co-wrote the band's 1966 hit 'Friday On My Mind'. Born in Scotland in 1946, he migrated to Australia with his family as a teenager, forming The Easybeats after he met Dutch-born artist Harry Vanda in Sydney. After the band broke up in 1969, Vanda and Young embarked on a songwriting career that saw the pair produce dozens of hits. They became two of Australia's best-known songwriters, with Young's work including 'Love Is In The Air' and 'Yesterday's Hero' both hits for John Paul Young.

Born Today In Music

October 22nd

1942 - Bobby Fuller

Bobby Fuller singer, The Bobby Fuller Four. (1966 US No.9 single 'I Fought The Law' written by Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly's Crickets). Fuller died on 18th July 1966 mysteriously from gasoline asphyxiation, while parked in a car outside his apartment.

1945 - Leslie West

Leslie West, guitar, Mountain, (1970 US No.21 single 'Mississippi Queen'), West Bruce & Laing.

1946 - Eddie Brigati

Eddie Brigati, with American rock band, The Rascals (initially known as The Young Rascals) who had the US No.1 hits 'Good Lovin'' (1966), 'Groovin'' (1967), and 'People Got to Be Free' (1968).

1956 - Stiv Bators

Stiv Bators, vocals, Dead Boys, Wanderers, Lords Of The New Church.

1968 - Shaggy

Shaggy, (Orville Richard Burrell), 1993 UK No.1 single 'Oh Carolina', 2001 UK & US No.1 single 'It Wasn't Me', 2001 UK & US No.1 album 'Hotshot').

1968 - Shelby Lynne

US singer, songwriter, Shelby Lynne, (1999 album 'I Am Shelby Lynne'), 2001 Grammy Award winner for Best Newcomer.

1976 - Jon Foreman

Jon Foreman, lead singer, guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of Switchfoot. Their 2014 album Fading West reached No.6 on the US album chart.

1983 - Plan B

English rapper, singer-songwriter, actor and film director, Plan B, (born Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew). Plan B first emerged as a hip hop artist releasing his critically acclaimed debut album 'Who Needs Actions When You Got Words' in 2006.

1985 - Zachary Hanson

Zachary Walker Hanson, guitar, keyboards and vocals with Hanson, who had the 1997 UK & US No.1 single 'MMMbop'. Hanson has sold over 16 million records worldwide and have had 8 top 40 albums and 6 top 40 singles in the US.