What Happened Today In Music

March 13th

1961 - The Temptations

The Temptations auditioned for Motown Records. They were then known as the Elgins but soon changed their name. Now having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are one of the most successful groups in music history, known for their choreography, distinct harmonies, and flashy wardrobe, the group was highly influential in the evolution of R&B and soul music. 

1964 - The Beatles

Billboard reported that sales of Beatles singles currently accounted for 60 percent of the US singles market and The Beatles album Meet the Beatles had reached a record 3.5 million copies sold.

1965 - Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton quit The Yardbirds due to musical differences with the other band members. Clapton wanted to continue in a blues type vein, while the rest of the band preferred the more commercial style of their first hit, 'For Your Love'.

1965 - The Beatles

The Beatles started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Eight Days A Week', the group's 7th US No.1. Paul McCartney would later say the name of the song came from a chauffeur who drove him one day. 'I said, 'How've you been?' 'Oh working hard,' he said, 'Working eight days a week.'

1966 - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd appeared for the first time at The The Marquee Clubin Wardour Street, London, England. The Marquee became the most important venue for the emerging British scene and witnessed the rise of some of the most important artists in the 1960s and 1970s, such as Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Manfred Mann, The Who, Yes, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, King Crimson and Genesis.

1966 - Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart left the British blues band Steampacket to work as a solo artist. Arguably, the UK's first "supergroup" Steampacket was formed in 1965 by Long John Baldry and also featured singer Julie Driscoll, organist Brian Auger and guitarist Vic Briggs.

1967 - The Beatles

Working at Abbey Road studios in London, six members of Sounds, Inc. recorded the horn parts for The Beatles song 'Good Morning Good Morning' (three saxophones, two trombones, and one french horn).

1971 - Brewer & Shipley

Brewer and Shipley entered the US singles chart with 'One Toke Over The Line'. The song, which featured Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia on steel guitar, peaked at No.10 despite being banned by radio stations for its drug references. Brewer and Shipley maintained that the word 'toke' meant 'token' as in ticket, hence the line 'waitin' downtown at the railway station, one toke over the line.'

1976 - The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'December 1963, (Oh What A Night)', the group's 5th US No.1, also their only UK No.1.

1977 - Manhattan Transfer

Manhattan Transfer were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Chanson D'amour', the group's only UK No.1. The retro Jazz vocal harmony group had been working in New York gay bars, singing 40s and 50s swing classics.

1977 - Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop kicked off a the North American leg of The Idiot World Tour at Le Plateau Theatre, Montreal, Canada (with David Bowiein the band playing keyboards and backing vocals). Blondie were the opening act on this leg of the tour.

1985 - Bob Geldof

Bob Geldof and Midge Ure received the Best Selling A Side award at the 30th Ivor Novello Awards as the composers of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'

1993 - Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Unplugged. It remains the most successful and best-selling live album ever, winning two Grammy awards at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993. It is also Clapton's best-selling album ever, having sold 26 million copies worldwide.

1995 - Radiohead

Radiohead released their second studio album The Bends. In the UK, The Bends, which features the tracks 'High and Dry' and 'Fake Plastic Trees' reached No.4 and stayed on the chart for 160 weeks. In 2006, British Hit Singles & Albums and NME organised a poll in which 40,000 people worldwide voted for the 100 best albums ever. The Bends was placed at No.10.

1998 - Judge Dread

English reggae and ska artist Judge Dread (Alex Hughes) died after collapsing as he walked off stage in Canterbury, England. He achieved 10 UK hit singles during the 70s and was the first white recording artist to have a reggae hit in Jamaica. Dread has the most banned songs at radio of all time.

1999 - Cher

Cher started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Believe', making the singer the oldest woman to top the Hot 100 at the age of 53. The song reached No.1 in almost every country it charted, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Italy. It also became the highest-selling single by a solo female artist in the United Kingdom. 'Believe' remains one of the best-selling singles of all time with sales of over 11 million copies worldwide.

2006 - Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols refused to attend their own induction into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Blondie, Herb Alpert and Black Sabbath were all inducted but the Pistols posted a handwritten note on their website, calling the institution 'urine in wine', adding 'We're not your monkeys, we're not coming. You're not paying attention'.

2006 - The Kinks

The Kinks came out the top earners for music used in TV adverts in the US, earning them £6m a year. The sixties group were enjoying a resurgence with their music being used to sell washing powder, computers and medicines. Led Zeppelin came in second place with £4m and The Rolling Stones third with £2.3m.

2008 - Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson refinanced his Neverland ranch to save it from being auctioned off, after being told that if he failed to pay $25m (£12.5m) he owed on the California property, it would be auctioned within a week. Jackson bought Neverland in 1987 intending to create a fantasy land for children naming it after an island in the story Peter Pan, where children never grow up.

2013 - Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix scored his highest chart debut since 1969 when his new studio album, People, Hell & Angels, consisting of unreleased tracks recorded with a variety of musicians between 1968 and 1970, sold 72,000 copies in the US on the week of release and made its debut at No.2 on the charts.

2014 - Southwest (SXSW) Festival

Two people were killed and 23 injured after a drunk driver crashed through barricades set up for the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas. The driver was thought to have been trying to escape from the police when the accident happened. Two other people later died in hospital.

2018 - The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was at No.1 on the UK album chart. As of February 24, 2019, the soundtrack has totalled 28 non-consecutive weeks at No.1 on the UK chart, making it the longest reigning album of the decade, ahead of Adele's 21, which notched 23 weeks at No.1. 

Born Today In Music

March 13th

1933 - Mike Stoller

Mike Stoller, (Leiber &), songwriter, and producer for Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, The Monkees and Cliff Richard. Their hit songs include 'Hound Dog' and 'Kansas City'. Later in the 1950s, particularly through their work with The Coasters, they created a string of ground-breaking hits that are some of the most entertaining in rock and roll.

1937 - Terry Cox

Terry Cox, English drummer who worked with David Bowie on his 1969 album David Bowie (released as Man of Words/Man of Music by Mercury in the US). Cox also worked with Pentangle, the Bee Gees and Elton John.

1939 - Neil Sedaka

American singer, songwriter Neil Sedaka who had the 1959 UK No.3 single 'Oh Carol' plus over 30 US & 14 UK other Top 40 singles including the 1962 US No.1 & UK No.7 single 'Breaking Up Is Hard To Do'. He has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and others including two songs recorded by The Monkees. His first group The Tokens were a doo-wop-style vocal group best known for their chart-topping 1961 single, 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'.

1942 - Scatman John

American music artist Scatman John who created a fusion of scat singing and dance music, best known for his 1995 hits 'Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)' and 'Scatman's World' and 1997 hit 'Everybody Jam!'. He died at his home in Los Angeles on 3 December 1999 at the age of 57.

1953 - Rustee Allen

American musician Rustee Allen from Sly and the Family Stone who had the 1968 US No.1 singles 'Everyday People', the 1971 US No.1 'Family Affair' and the 1971 US No.1 album There's a Riot Goin' On. Allen has also played bass with a number of other artists, including George Clinton, Lenny Williams, The Temptations.

1959 - Greg Norton

American musician Greg Norton from American rock band Husker Du, who had the 1987 album Warehouse Songs And Stories. 

1959 - Ronnie Rogers

Ronnie Rogers, guitar, T'Pau, who had the 1987 UK No.1 single 'China In Your Hand' and the 1987 US & UK No.4 single 'Heart And Soul', (which was initially a flop in the UK). T'Pau took their name from a Vulcan elder of the same name in the sci-fi series Star Trek.

1960 - Adam Clayton

British-Irish musician Adam Clayton, U2, who had the 1984 UK No.3 single 'Pride, In The Name Of Love' plus over 25 other UK Top 20 singles. The 1987 UK and the world wide No.1 album The Joshua Tree spent 156 weeks on the UK chart. U2 scored five consecutive US No.1 albums from 1987. As a member of U2, Clayton has received 22 Grammy Awards.

1973 - David Draiman

David Draiman, American songwriter and the vocalist for the band Disturbed, (2005 US No.1 album 'Ten Thousand Fists').

1979 - Toni Lundow

Toni Lundow, singer from British-Irish group Liberty X, who had the 2002 UK No.1 single 'Just A Little'. The group was formed by the five finalists of the British talent show Popstars who failed to make it into the group Hear'Say. Liberty X went on to achieve ten consecutive UK Top 20 singles.