Feb 22, 1989
One of the most controversial moments in rock history happened this week in 1989. It was the first year the Grammys introduced a Heavy Metal category. Everyone expected Metallica to take home the trophy for ...And Justice for All, but in a shock that resulted in audible boos from the audience, the award went to Jethro Tull
The Eagles released the single "Hotel California," which eventually hit #1
Long before Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie was struggling to find his niche. This week in 1969, he began a UK tour supporting Tyrannosaurus Rex. Bowie didn't sing. He performed a one-man mime act as the opening set. Audiences were often baffled by the silent, painted performer before the folk-rock started. Groovy.
In 1978 The iconic bleached-blonde look of The Police wasn't a stylistic choice for the punk scene. This week in 1978, the band filmed a commercial for Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum. As you do. The director insisted they all dye their hair blonde for the shoot. The commercial was eventually shelved, but the band liked the look so much they kept it
On this day in 1967, In Studio 2 of Abbey Road, The Beatles were recording that massive, crashing final piano chord for "A Day in the Life." Meanwhile, right down the hall in Studio 3, a then-unknown Pink Floyd was recording their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
Feb 28, 1970 In a bizarre legal twist, Led Zeppelin was forced to perform under the name "The Nobs" for a show in Copenhagen. A relative of the airship's inventor, Countess Eva von Zeppelin, threatened to sue the band if they used the family name in Denmark, famously calling them "shrieking monkeys."
In 1966 the original Cavern Club in Liverpool closed its doors for the first time due to mounting debt. Fans actually barricaded themselves inside the club to protest the closure.
Ray Charles was performing this week in 1977 when a man rushed the stage and attempted to strangle him with his own microphone cord. His band and security intervened quickly. No charges were filed after the attacker’s community group promised to handle the matter internally.
In 1968 before they were prog-rock giants, Genesis released their first single, "The Silent Sun," this week in 1968. At the time, they were so desperate for a hit that Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks intentionally wrote the song to sound exactly like the Bee Gees. They knew their producer, renowned kiddie fiddler Jonathan King, was a huge fan of the Gibbs brothers and hoped to trick him into giving them more studio time.
