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Featured Events
2015"Because I Got High" singer Afroman is arrested for assault after punching a female fan who attempts to dance with him on stage at a show in Biloxi, Mississippi. Afroman, who doesn't see the woman until he turns around to clock her, blames his anxiety and says that he hadn't had time to take his meds when he went on stage.More
1998Ani DiFranco fascination peaks as the singer ships 250,000 copies of her latest album on her own label, Righteous Babe Records. DiFranco's DIY business model has earned her a great deal of media coverage, as it proves that an artist doesn't need a major label to succeed.
1991Ed Sheeran is born in West Yorkshire, England. He breaks through in 2011 with "The A-Team," written about a drug-addicted prostitute he met while performing at a charity event for a homeless shelter.
1990Aerosmith appear on Saturday Night Live, performing "Monkey on My Back" and "Janie's Got A Gun," and also appearing in a Wayne's World skit where Tom Hanks plays their roadie.
1978Kate Bush, a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Britain, releases her debut album, The Kick Inside. The collection of art pop features the #1 UK hit single "Wuthering Heights."More
1972Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is born in Oakland, California. He is raised in nearby Rodeo, where he records his first song at age 5.
1972Pink Floyd perform "Eclipse" at the Rainbow Theatre in London. A year later, this music becomes the Dark Side Of The Moon album.
17
In Music History
2014Bob Casale (rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for Devo) dies of heart failure at age 61.
2013Country singer Mindy McCready dies of a self-inflicted gunshot at age 37.
2010Mumford & Sons make their US TV debut on The Late Show with David Letterman.
2006Ray Barretto, whose 1968 album Acid became a Latin jazz classic, dies at age 76.
2005With Tommy Lee back in the band for the first time in five years, Mötley Crüe begin their Red, White & Crüe tour in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It's a circus theme, with clowns, fire-eaters and acrobats. For his drum solo, Tommy Lee and his rig go up on a trapeze and he performs from 30 feet in the air.
2004The Darkness win Brit Awards for Best British group, Best British Rock Act and Best British Album (Permission to Land). Busted wins for the British Breakthrough Award and takes Best Pop Act.
2001Brad Paisley joins the cast of the Grand Ole Opry.
2001Shaggy's album Hot Shot hits #1 in America, where it goes on to sell over 6 million copies. The most popular track is "It Wasn't Me," where Shaggy (in character) explains how deny it when caught cheating.
1998Songwriter Bob Merrill commits suicide aged 76. His compositions include the #1 UK hits "(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window?" and "She Wears Red Feathers (And A Huly-Huly Skirt)."
1997ABC airs Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees, a one-hour comedy special written and directed by original Monkee Mike Nesmith. From their '60s pad, the group recalls their old shenanigans and sings a medley of their classic hits: "Last Train To Clarksville," "Daydream Believer," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "I'm A Believer" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday."
199525 years after agreeing to sing at Marcia Brady's prom, Davy Jones reunites with the Bradys... sort of. Jones and fellow Monkees Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz appear in the spoof The Brady Bunch Movie. Jones performs at the prom again, singing a grungy rendition of "Girl," the same song he sang on the TV show.
1990Emma Anderson admits in an interview that her band Lush is the "Most hated band in London."
1982Jazz great Thelonious Monk dies at age 64.
1979The Clash open their first US tour at the Palladium in New York City.
1974Country singer Bryan White is born in Oklahoma.
Eagles Release The Greatest Of Greatest Hits Albums
1976The Eagles release Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), a collection of 10 songs from their first four albums. For a while, it is certified as the top-selling album in US history.
Many fans came late to the Eagles' party, so the album is a chance for them to catch up with a digest of their back catalog, including favorites like "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "Desperado." With the big-name acts between releases, it slides into the #1 spot in March and stays for a total of five weeks. Thanks to catalog sales, the album keeps selling through the '80s and in 1990 the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certifies that 12 million units have shipped. That number somehow jumps to 22 million in 1995, and when it is listed at 26 million in 1999, it takes over from Michael Jackson's Thriller as the best-selling album of all time. In 2006, it still holds the title with 29 million sold, but after Jackson's death in 2009, Thriller vaults past it on the list. Of course, there is some fudgy math going on here as the RIAA is tracking units shipped, which allows for all kinds of creative accounting. Still, the album is wildly successful and the standard bearer for a greatest hits compilation. In 1982, Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 is released, and it also enjoys fantastical sales figures, certified at over 11 million. Along with Hotel California, this gives the group three albums with 10 million-plus certifications, what the RIAA calls a "diamond."
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