Stories Behind the Music
Verified moments, turning points, performances and decisions that shaped music history. Every published story begins with reviewed source evidence.
BORN ON THIS DAY - CHUCK BERRY CHANGED ONE WORD IN “JOHNNY B. GOODE” TO HELP IT REACH RADIO
BORN ON THIS DAY — CHUCK BERRY CHANGED ONE WORD IN “JOHNNY B. GOODE” TO HELP IT REACH RADIO 🎂🎸 Before Chuck Berry’s defining song reached listeners in 1958, one word stood between his original …
BORN ON THIS DAY - A WATER-FILLED HELMET TURNED THE “NO SURPRISES” VIDEO INTO A TERRIFYING ENDURANCE TEST
BORN ON THIS DAY — A WATER-FILLED HELMET TURNED THE “NO SURPRISES” VIDEO INTO A TERRIFYING ENDURANCE TEST 🌊 Born on October 7, 1968, Thom Yorke would become known for music filled with unease, vulnerability …
BORN ON THIS DAY - HE REFUSED TO LEARN TO DRIVE
BORN ON THIS DAY — HE REFUSED TO LEARN TO DRIVE, THEN DIED AS A PASSENGER IN A CAR CRASH Marc Bolan was born Mark Feld in London on September 30, 1947. Thirty years later, …
BORN ON THIS DAY - SUCCESS BROKE MEAT LOAF AFTER BAT OUT OF HELL
BORN ON THIS DAY — SUCCESS BROKE MEAT LOAF AFTER BAT OUT OF HELL The album that transformed Meat Loaf into a star was followed by a nervous breakdown and the loss of the very …
BORN ON THIS DAY - PATTI SMITH TURNED HIS UNFINISHED CHORUS INTO “BECAUSE THE NIGHT”
BORN ON THIS DAY — PATTI SMITH TURNED HIS UNFINISHED CHORUS INTO “BECAUSE THE NIGHT” 🎂🎶 Bruce Springsteen had already found the heart of “Because the Night”—the music, structure and soaring central chorus—but its verses …
BORN ON THIS DAY - THE SURGERY THAT LEFT DAVID COVERDALE FACING A FIFTY-FIFTY CHANCE OF LOSING HIS SIGNATURE VOICE
BORN ON THIS DAY — THE SURGERY THAT LEFT DAVID COVERDALE FACING A FIFTY-FIFTY CHANCE OF LOSING HIS SIGNATURE VOICE At the very moment Whitesnake were creating the album that would define their career, David …
BORN ON THIS DAY - NICK CAVE SANG INTO MY ARMS AT MICHAEL HUTCHENCE'S TELEVISED FUNERAL BUT KEPT HIS PERFORMANCE OFF CAMERA
BORN ON THIS DAY — NICK CAVE SANG “INTO MY ARMS” AT MICHAEL HUTCHENCE’S TELEVISED FUNERAL, BUT KEPT HIS PERFORMANCE OFF CAMERA 🎂 Born on September 22, 1957, in Warracknabeal, Victoria, Nick Cave built a …
BORN ON THIS DAY - PHIL SPECTOR PRESSED A .45 AGAINST LEONARD COHEN'S NECK DURING THEIR CHAOTIC ALBUM SESSIONS
BORN ON THIS DAY — PHIL SPECTOR PRESSED A.45 AGAINST LEONARD COHEN’S NECK DURING THEIR CHAOTIC ALBUM SESSIONS 🔫 Born in Montreal on September 21, 1934, Leonard Cohen established himself as a poet and novelist …
BORN ON THIS DAY - OASIS ENDED MINUTES BEFORE A FESTIVAL SET AFTER A BACKSTAGE FIGHT
BORN ON THIS DAY — OASIS ENDED MINUTES BEFORE A FESTIVAL SET AFTER A BACKSTAGE FIGHT 🎸 On August 28, 2009, Oasis were due to headline the Rock en Seine festival in Paris. The audience …
ON THIS DAY IN 2022 - KAREN O TURNED A REAL BEDROOM FIRE INTO “BURNING”
ON THIS DAY IN 2022 — KAREN O TURNED A REAL BEDROOM FIRE INTO “BURNING” 🔥 When Karen O was 19 and living in New York’s East Village, she stepped across the street for an …
ON THIS DAY IN 2021 - TONY BENNETT RECORDED HIS FINAL ALBUM WHILE ALZHEIMER'S WAS STEALING HIS EVERYDAY WORDS
In 2021, Tony Bennett’s final studio album arrived after being recorded while Alzheimer’s disease was making ordinary words, objects and memories increasingly difficult for him. Yet when the music began, his singing voice was still …
THE GHOSTLY VOICE ON EMINEM’S “GOOD GUY” CAME FROM A THREE-YEAR-OLD TOKYO GHOUL RECORDING
When Eminem surprise-released Kamikaze in 2018, one of its eeriest sounds had not been recorded in Detroit—or even for Eminem. It came from an Australian singer, a Tokyo studio and a very unusual piece of …
THE PIANO TUNER STARTED WORK — THEN MARK RONSON COMMANDEERED THE MACHINE
Queens Of The Stone Age entered United Recording to make Villains with a precise target: Josh Homme wanted the band to sound clear, tight and driven by the beat. Then an ordinary piano-tuning session took …
A GREATEST-HITS OBLIGATION GREW INTO HESITATION MARKS
Nine Inch Nails’ 2013 comeback album began with a chore left over from an old contract. 📄 Trent Reznor said NIN still owed Interscope a greatest-hits collection under an agreement signed roughly 20 years earlier. …
Mark Lanegan walked out mid‑take — because the lyric was 'too suggestive'
On Hawk’s sessions Mark Lanegan famously stopped mid‑take when he realised the lyric he was singing was, in his words via Isobel Campbell, "too suggestive" — he reportedly halted the vocal and refused to continue, …
ON THIS DAY IN 2009 - PEARL JAM HID PRIVATE MEMORIES AND A FAMOUS DEATH IMAGE IN THE COVER ART
ON THIS DAY IN 2009 — PEARL JAM HID PRIVATE MEMORIES AND A FAMOUS DEATH IMAGE IN THE COVER ART 🗓️ When Pearl Jam released Backspacer on September 20, 2009, its brightly colored cover looked …
DEATH MAGNETIC'S LYRICAL THEME BEGAN AS A LAYNE STALEY TRIBUTE
One of Death Magnetic’s darkest ideas began, in part, with James Hetfield thinking about Layne Staley. 🕯️ When Metallica released the album in 2008, Hetfield explained that its lyrical theme had started as a partial …
ON THIS DAY IN 2003 - HER DEAD CANARY INSPIRED ONE OF FRANK’S MOST TENDER SONGS
ON THIS DAY IN 2003 — HER DEAD CANARY INSPIRED ONE OF FRANK’S MOST TENDER SONGS 🎙️ When Amy Winehouse released her debut album Frank on October 20, 2003, listeners heard a sharp, jazz-soaked collection …
ON THIS DAY IN 2003 - THE REALITY TOUR ENDED AFTER BOWIE NEEDED EMERGENCY HEART SURGERY
On this day in 2003, David Bowie released Reality—an album designed for the stage. Less than a year later, the world tour built around it would end with emergency heart surgery and become the final …
ON THIS DAY IN 2000 - MICHAEL STIPE'S ADVICE TO THOM YORKE BECAME HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY
ON THIS DAY IN 2000 — MICHAEL STIPE’S ADVICE TO THOM YORKE BECAME “HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY” 🎧 On October 2, 2000, Radiohead released Kid A. Among its most emotionally powerful moments was a song …
ON THIS DAY IN 2000 - WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FOR A GIRL CAME FROM A HIDDEN PREGNANCY AND A TUMULTUOUS RELATIONSHIP
ON THIS DAY IN 2000 — “WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FOR A GIRL” CAME FROM A HIDDEN PREGNANCY AND A TUMULTUOUS RELATIONSHIP 🎵 As Madonna worked on Music, the public did not know she was …
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS MADE JUST 25 MACHINA II SETS—AND TOLD RECIPIENTS TO SHARE THE ALBUM ONLINE FOR FREE
When The Smashing Pumpkins completed Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music in 2000, they had an album—but no ordinary release waiting for it. Billy Corgan had conceived Machina as a larger double-album rock …
ON THIS DAY IN 1999 - A DOCUMENTARY SUBJECT INSPIRED STING'S PORTRAIT OF A TRANSGENDER SEX WORKER
ON THIS DAY IN 1999 — A DOCUMENTARY SUBJECT INSPIRED STING’S PORTRAIT OF A TRANSGENDER SEX WORKER 🎵 When Sting released Brand New Day, one of its most unexpected characters came not from an entirely …
ON THIS DAY IN 1999 - LA MER EMERGED FROM A BIG SUR RETREAT WHERE TRENT REZNOR CONTEMPLATED SUICIDE
ON THIS DAY IN 1999, Nine Inch Nails released The Fragile — and one of its most serene pieces emerged from a Big Sur retreat where Trent Reznor contemplated suicide. 🌊 Before the album took …
ON THIS DAY IN 1998 - MARK LANEGAN MISSED THE FIRST QUEENS RECORD WHILE IN LONG-TERM REHAB
ON THIS DAY IN 1998 — MARK LANEGAN MISSED THE FIRST QUEENS RECORD WHILE IN LONG-TERM REHAB 🎙️ When Queens of the Stone Age released their self-titled debut on September 22, 1998, the album might …
ON THIS DAY IN 1997 - WESTERN EYES HID A BRAND-NEW PERFORMANCE BEHIND A FICTIONAL VINTAGE RECORD
ON THIS DAY IN 1997 — “WESTERN EYES” HID A BRAND-NEW PERFORMANCE BEHIND A FICTIONAL VINTAGE RECORD 🎧 When Portishead released their self-titled second album on September 29, 1997, its oldest-sounding moment was actually one …
ON THIS DAY IN 1997 - AN ALBUM TRACK SHARED THE WORLD'S MOST DEMANDED SINGLE WITH DIANA'S MEMORIAL SONG
ON THIS DAY IN 1997 — AN ALBUM TRACK SHARED THE WORLD’S MOST DEMANDED SINGLE WITH DIANA’S MEMORIAL SONG 🎹 On September 22, 1997, Elton John released The Big Picture in the UK. Yet one …
WEEKS AFTER THE TEST FOR ECHO TOUR
WEEKS AFTER THE TEST FOR ECHO TOUR, TRAGEDY PUT RUSH INTO A FIVE-YEAR HIATUS 🎸 On July 4, 1997, Rush completed the tour behind their 1996 album Test for Echo. The final concert took place …
ONE PURPLE LAMBORGHINI WAS WRECKED—THE REPLACEMENT FILMED “COSMIC GIRL” WITHOUT A WINDSCREEN
For an album called Travelling Without Moving, Jamiroquai’s sleekest car fantasy began with a genuine automotive nightmare. 🚗 While planning the video for “Cosmic Girl,” Jay Kay decided its mysterious heroine would not be played …
ON THIS DAY IN 1995 - A HOTEL-ROOM OVERDOSE LEFT THE TOURING KEYBOARDIST DEAD AND THE DRUMMER FIRED
ON THIS DAY IN 1995 — A LANDMARK ALBUM ARRIVED, BUT ITS TOUR WOULD END IN A HOTEL-ROOM OVERDOSE, A MUSICIAN DEAD AND THE DRUMMER FIRED. 🌙 The Smashing Pumpkins released Mellon Collie and the …
ON THIS DAY IN 1995 - A SONG FIRST SUNG BY TEENAGER TEVIN CAMPBELL RETURNED IN PRINCE'S VOICE
🎙️ ON THIS DAY IN 1995 — A SONG FIRST HEARD ON RECORD IN THE VOICE OF TEENAGER TEVIN CAMPBELL RETURNED IN PRINCE’S VOICE. Two years earlier, Prince had written and produced “Shhh” for Campbell’s …
ON THIS DAY IN 1995 - A PAWNSHOP PEDAL BOUGHT THAT DAY BECAME THE SOUND OF “THE DIAMOND SEA”
ON THIS DAY IN 1995 — A PAWNSHOP PEDAL BOUGHT THAT DAY BECAME THE SOUND OF “THE DIAMOND SEA” 🎛️ While Sonic Youth were recording Washing Machine in Memphis, engineer John Siket noticed something unusual …
ON THIS DAY IN 1994 - DOLORES O’RIORDAN WROTE THE TITLE TRACK FROM A HOSPITAL BED AFTER A SKIING ACCIDENT
ON THIS DAY IN 1994, The Cranberries released *No Need to Argue*—an album whose title track had taken shape beside a hospital bed after Dolores O’Riordan was injured in a skiing accident. 🎿🏥 The band …
ON THIS DAY IN 1994 - R.E.M. FINISHED KURT COBAIN'S SONG OF GRIEF ON A GUITAR THAT HAD BELONGED TO HIM
ON THIS DAY IN 1994 — R.E.M.’S MONSTER ARRIVED CARRYING A SONG OF GRIEF FOR KURT COBAIN, RECORDED ON A GUITAR THAT HAD BELONGED TO HIM. 🎸 Michael Stipe had begun writing “Let Me In” …
OASIS WROTE “SUPERSONIC” DURING A TAKEAWAY BREAK — AND RELEASED THE QUICK MONITOR MIX
Before Oasis released Definitely Maybe, the song that became their debut single emerged from a studio session running out of energy — and spare tape. 🎛️ At Liverpool’s Pink Museum in December 1993, memories differ …
ON THIS DAY IN 1993 - THE PENNYROYAL TEA SINGLE WAS WITHDRAWN AFTER COBAIN'S DEATH
On this day in 1993, Nirvana released an album containing a future single that would be manufactured, withdrawn and transformed into a rarity before its planned launch. 🎸 “Pennyroyal Tea” appeared on In Utero, the …
ON THIS DAY IN 1992 - WEILAND RECORDED A DEFINITIVE ACOUSTIC PLUSH PERFORMANCE WHILE HIGH AS A ZOMBIE
🎸 On September 29, 1992, Stone Temple Pilots released their debut album, Core. Just over two months later, Scott Weiland and Dean DeLeo walked into an early-morning MTV taping in alarming condition—and recorded one of …
ON THIS DAY IN 1992 - "ROOSTER" HELPED JERRY CANTRELL AND HIS VIETNAM-VETERAN FATHER CONFRONT A SILENT PAST
ON THIS DAY IN 1992 — “ROOSTER” HELPED JERRY CANTRELL AND HIS VIETNAM-VETERAN FATHER CONFRONT A SILENT PAST. 🎸 When Alice In Chains released Dirt on September 29, 1992, one of its most powerful songs …
ON THIS DAY IN 1991 - A BADMOTORFINGER DEEP CUT BECAME CHRIS CORNELL'S FINAL SONG ONSTAGE
ON THIS DAY IN 1991 — A BADMOTORFINGER DEEP CUT BECAME CHRIS CORNELL’S FINAL SONG ONSTAGE When Soundgarden released Badmotorfinger on October 8, 1991, “Slaves & Bulldozers” arrived as one of the album’s heaviest tracks …
ON THIS DAY IN 1991 - THE PROGRAMMER MICK HUCKNALL HIRED TURNED OUT TO BE THE BAND'S NEXT DRUMMER
ON THIS DAY IN 1991, Mick Hucknall released an album featuring a programmer he had hired for rhythm work—only to discover during the sessions that the same musician was also an accomplished live drummer. 🎛️🥁 …
ON THIS DAY IN 1991 - JOHN FRUSCIANTE WANTED TO QUIT BEFORE THE ALBUM'S TOUR EVEN BEGAN
ON THIS DAY IN 1991 — JOHN FRUSCIANTE WANTED TO QUIT BEFORE THE ALBUM’S TOUR EVEN BEGAN 🎸 When Red Hot Chili Peppers released Blood Sugar Sex Magik on September 24, 1991, the band appeared …
ON THIS DAY IN 1991 - BOBBY GILLESPIE COLLAPSED AND ROBERT YOUNG FINISHED SLIP INSIDE THIS HOUSE
ON THIS DAY IN 1991 — BOBBY GILLESPIE COLLAPSED AND ROBERT YOUNG FINISHED “SLIP INSIDE THIS HOUSE” 🎙️ When Primal Scream released Screamadelica on September 23, 1991, one of its most striking performances carried a …
ON THIS DAY IN 1991 - AXL'S OVERDOSE AND SLASH'S HEROIN DELIRIUM BOTH SURFACED IN COMA
ON THIS DAY IN 1991 — AXL’S OVERDOSE AND SLASH’S HEROIN DELIRIUM BOTH SURFACED IN “COMA” When Guns N’ Roses released Use Your Illusion I on September 17, 1991, its longest and final track carried …
BEFORE TEN
In 1990, Pearl Jam did not yet exist — and the Seattle musicians who would make Ten still needed a singer. Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament and Mike McCready had recorded instrumental demos with Soundgarden drummer …
ON THIS DAY IN 1990 - A NIGHTMARE SOUNDTRACK SONG BECAME IRON MAIDEN'S ONLY UK NO. 1
ON THIS DAY IN 1990, IRON MAIDEN RELEASED THE ALBUM THAT TURNED A NIGHTMARE SOUNDTRACK SONG INTO THEIR ONLY UK NO. 1. 🎃 “Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter” was never intended for an Iron …
ON THIS DAY IN 1990 - A DISASTROUS NORTHERN IRELAND DEDICATION SHAPED HOLY WARS
ON THIS DAY IN 1990 — A DISASTROUS NORTHERN IRELAND DEDICATION SHAPED “HOLY WARS” ⚡ Before Megadeth released Rust in Peace on September 24, 1990, Dave Mustaine had already stumbled into one of the most …
ON THIS DAY IN 1990 - FROU-FROU FOXES BEGAN THE DAY AFTER SIMON RAYMONDE'S FATHER DIED
ON THIS DAY IN 1990, Cocteau Twins released Heaven or Las Vegas — an album whose closing song began in the immediate aftermath of a devastating loss. 🕯️ While the record was being made, bassist …
ON THIS DAY IN 1989 - A DINNER BESIDE OPPENHEIMER INSPIRED KATE BUSH'S DANCE WITH HITLER
ON THIS DAY IN 1989 — A DINNER BESIDE OPPENHEIMER INSPIRED KATE BUSH’S DANCE WITH HITLER On October 16, 1989, Kate Bush released The Sensual World — an album containing one of her darkest fictional …
FUGAZI RETURNED TO THE MARGIN WALKER TAPES — AND STRIPPED AWAY THE DRUM TRIGGERS
Fugazi’s 13 Songs joined the band’s first two EPs on one CD. But its final six tracks carried a studio decision that never sounded quite right to the musicians themselves. 💿 In late 1988, Fugazi …
ON THIS DAY IN 1988 - TENDER PREY HONORED THE TEENAGE STAR OF PIXOTE AFTER HIS DEATH
ON THIS DAY IN 1988 — TENDER PREY HONORED THE TEENAGE STAR OF PIXOTE AFTER HIS DEATH When Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released Tender Prey on September 19, 1988, the album carried a …
JASON NEWSTED WROTE “BLACKENED”’S MAIN RIFF ON BASS — THEN THE MIX BURIED HIS INSTRUMENT
Metallica’s new bassist helped write the main riff of the song that opens ...And Justice for All. Then his bass was reduced to barely audible in the finished mix. 🎸 Jason Newsted had joined his …
ON THIS DAY IN 1987 - SPRINGSTEEN RELEASED AN ALBUM OF MARITAL DOUBT MONTHS BEFORE HIS MARRIAGE PUBLICLY UNRAVELED
ON THIS DAY IN 1987 — BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN RELEASED AN ALBUM OF MARITAL DOUBT MONTHS BEFORE HIS MARRIAGE PUBLICLY UNRAVELED. 🎢 On October 9, 1987, Springsteen released Tunnel of Love while married to actress Julianne …
ON THIS DAY IN 1987 - SINÉAD RECORDED THE ALBUM TWICE WHILE RESISTING PRESSURE TO END HER PREGNANCY
ON THIS DAY IN 1987 — SINÉAD RECORDED THE ALBUM TWICE WHILE RESISTING PRESSURE TO END HER PREGNANCY 🎙️ Sinéad O’Connor was only 19, almost 20, when the making of her debut album became entangled …
ON THIS DAY IN 1987 - THE SMITHS HAD ALREADY BROKEN UP WHEN THEIR FINAL ALBUM ARRIVED
ON THIS DAY IN 1987 — THE SMITHS HAD ALREADY BROKEN UP WHEN THEIR FINAL ALBUM ARRIVED 🎧 On September 28, 1987, The Smiths released Strangeways, Here We Come. It was their fourth and final …
ACTUALLY’S ALBUM COVER CAUGHT NEIL TENNANT IN A REAL 2 A.M. YAWN
Pet Shop Boys needed a cover for Actually. Their first idea was respectable: a specially commissioned portrait by Scottish painter Alison Watt. But the painting didn’t feel right for the album. Neil Tennant eventually kept …
ON THIS DAY IN 1986 - A LEAKED “AMANDA” BECAME A RADIO FAVORITE TWO YEARS BEFORE ITS RELEASE
ON THIS DAY IN 1986 — A LEAKED “AMANDA” BECAME A RADIO FAVORITE TWO YEARS BEFORE ITS RELEASE 📻 Long before Boston officially released “Amanda,” an early version had already escaped into radio circulation—and listeners …
WARNER BROS. TOLD THE B-52’S TO WRITE A HIT—THEN GAVE THE ALBUM LITTLE PROMOTION
The B-52’s had built their career by being impossible to categorize. But during Bouncing Off the Satellites, Warner Bros. did something it had never done to them before. 🛰️ The label asked them to go …
THE RECORDED “CALL ME AL” BASS BREAK IS ONE BAR SPLICED TO ITS OWN REVERSE
Paul Simon’s Graceland contains a bass break that nobody performed from start to finish. 🎸 During the session for “You Can Call Me Al,” South African bassist Bakithi Kumalo was playing the fretless Washburn he …
ON THIS DAY IN 1985 - RUSH RECORDED A 25-VOICE CHOIR AND A 30-PIECE ORCHESTRA FOR A POWER-TRIO ALBUM
In 1985, Rush—the famously self-contained power trio—found themselves recording with a 30-piece orchestra and a 25-voice choir. 🎸🎻 The expansion came during the making of Power Windows, the band’s 11th studio album and its first …
ON THIS DAY IN 1985 - BROKEN RIBS STOPPED PATSY CLINE FROM FINISHING "CRAZY"—THEN SHE RETURNED AND SANG IT IN ONE TAKE
ON THIS DAY IN 1985, the Sweet Dreams soundtrack returned Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” to the spotlight—but the performance listeners heard almost never made it through the microphone. 🎙️ Back in June 1961, Cline survived a …
ON THIS DAY IN 1985 - I STILL REMEMBER WAS REWRITTEN IN THE VOICE OF AN ABUSED DOG
ON THIS DAY IN 1985 — “I STILL REMEMBER” WAS REWRITTEN IN THE VOICE OF AN ABUSED DOG When Gary Numan released The Fury on September 16, 1985, its closing track was a song of …
ON THIS DAY IN 1985 - KATE BUSH SANG AND DREAM OF SHEEP IN A WATER TANK—THEN NEEDED A DAY TO RECOVER FROM MILD HYPOTHERMIA
ON THIS DAY IN 1985 — KATE BUSH’S “AND DREAM OF SHEEP” BEGAN ITS VOYAGE. NEARLY THREE DECADES LATER, SHE SANG IT LIVE IN A WATER TANK—AND NEEDED A DAY TO RECOVER FROM MILD HYPOTHERMIA. …
ON THIS DAY IN 1984 - BONO TURNED A CHILDHOOD FRIEND'S HEROIN STRUGGLE INTO "BAD"
🔥 ON THIS DAY IN 1984, BONO TURNED A CHILDHOOD FRIEND’S HEROIN STRUGGLE INTO “BAD.” When U2 released The Unforgettable Fire on October 1, 1984, its seventh track carried a deeply personal story. “Bad” was …
STEVIE WONDER DEDICATED HIS OSCAR TO NELSON MANDELA—THEN SOUTH AFRICA BANNED HIS MUSIC
The 1984 soundtrack The Woman in Red was made for a Gene Wilder romantic comedy, with Stevie Wonder leading the music and Dionne Warwick appearing on three tracks. ❤️🎬 Nearly seven months after its release, …
ON THIS DAY IN 1982 - AFTER FINISHING THE NIGHTFLY
ON THIS DAY IN 1982 — AFTER FINISHING THE NIGHTFLY, DONALD FAGEN SAID HE CAME APART LIKE A CHEAP SUIT 🌙 Released on October 1, 1982, The Nightfly was Donald Fagen’s first solo album: a …
ON THIS DAY IN 1982 - A SONG MARTIN GORE WROTE AT 17 BECAME DEPECHE MODE'S FIRST TEST AFTER VINCE CLARKE LEFT
ON THIS DAY IN 1982, Depeche Mode released A Broken Frame — an album created after the departure of the songwriter who had helped define their early sound. Suddenly, Martin Gore had to supply the …
ON THIS DAY IN 1981 - A SONG OF HOPE FROM THE BELFAST HUNGER STRIKES WAS KEPT OFF BBC TELEVISION
ON THIS DAY IN 1981, THE POLICE RELEASED AN ALBUM CARRYING A SONG OF HOPE FROM THE BELFAST HUNGER STRIKES—AND ITS PROMOTIONAL FILM HAD BEEN KEPT OFF BBC TELEVISION. 📺 Released on October 2, 1981, …
How a shelved reggae jam became the Stones’ arena anthem
The opener “Start Me Up” wasn’t written from scratch for Tattoo You — it began as a reggae‑tinged jam called “Never Stop” laid down in the mid‑1970s (first tried during 1975 Black and Blue sessions …
ON THIS DAY IN 1980 - THE ALBUM'S GO-GO'S CAMEO SAT BESIDE A SECRET ROMANCE AND A FUTURE POP HIT
ON THIS DAY IN 1980 — THE ALBUM’S GO-GO’S CAMEO SAT BESIDE A SECRET ROMANCE AND A FUTURE POP HIT When The Specials released More Specials on September 19, 1980, one of its most intriguing …
ROBERT PALMER HEARD TELEKON BEFORE ITS RELEASE — THEN RECORDED “I DREAM OF WIRES” WITH GARY NUMAN
In 1980, Gary Numan carried an unreleased Telekon to the Bahamas. Robert Palmer heard one track — and recorded his own version while Numan was still there. 🌴 Palmer, then best known for records mixing …
IAN ANDERSON STOPPED A “CROSSFIRE” REHEARSAL TO WATCH A REAL SIEGE — THEN FINISHED THE LYRICS NEXT MORNING
Jethro Tull’s 1980 album A opens with a song that was overtaken by the kind of crisis Ian Anderson had only begun imagining. “Crossfire” already had a title and some lyrical direction when Anderson and …
THE B-52’S HAD MOST OF WILD PLANET WRITTEN BEFORE THEIR DEBUT WAS RECORDED
When The B-52’s faced album number two, they were not staring at a blank page. Most of Wild Planet had already been written before they even recorded their 1979 debut. 🛸 The material came from …
ON THIS DAY IN 1979 - BOB MARLEY TURNED THE ATTEMPT ON HIS LIFE INTO "AMBUSH IN THE NIGHT"
ON THIS DAY IN 1979 — BOB MARLEY TURNED THE ATTEMPT ON HIS LIFE INTO “AMBUSH IN THE NIGHT” 🎶 Three years before Survival was released, violence came directly to Bob Marley’s home. On December …
MIKE THORNE TURNED CBGB OWNER HILLY KRISTAL'S VOICE INTO CHORDS
MIKE THORNE TURNED CBGB OWNER HILLY KRISTAL’S VOICE INTO CHORDS 🎙️ Before Hilly Kristal’s bass voice surfaced on Wire’s “A Mutual Friend,” producer Mike Thorne captured it during a completely separate job in New York. …
ON THIS DAY IN 1978 - PETE SHELLEY TURNED A MOVIE LINE AND A SECRET SEVEN-YEAR RELATIONSHIP INTO A PUNK CLASSIC
ON THIS DAY IN 1978 — PETE SHELLEY TURNED A MOVIE LINE AND A SECRET SEVEN-YEAR RELATIONSHIP INTO A PUNK CLASSIC On September 22, 1978, Buzzcocks released their second album, Love Bites, carrying a song …
ON THIS DAY IN 1978 - A UNION COFFEE BREAK HALTED GREGGERY PECCARY FOUR BARS FROM THE END
ON THIS DAY IN 1978 — A UNION COFFEE BREAK HALTED “GREGGERY PECCARY” FOUR BARS FROM THE END 🎼 On September 15, 1978, Frank Zappa’s Studio Tan arrived with one of his most elaborate creations …
ON THIS DAY IN 1977 - BOWIE WROTE A SONG ABOUT AN ARTIST WHO HAD HIMSELF NAILED TO A VOLKSWAGEN
ON THIS DAY IN 1977, BOWIE WROTE A SONG ABOUT AN ARTIST WHO HAD HIMSELF NAILED TO A VOLKSWAGEN 🔩🚗 Three years earlier, American performance artist Chris Burden had staged one of modern art’s most …
ON THIS DAY IN 1977 - CHUCK RAINEY HID HIS SLAP-BASS PART FROM THE CONTROL ROOM
🎸 ON THIS DAY IN 1977 — CHUCK RAINEY HID HIS SLAP-BASS PART FROM THE CONTROL ROOM During the sessions for Steely Dan’s “Peg,” bassist Chuck Rainey was given a clear instruction from Donald Fagen …
ON THIS DAY IN 1976 - ROGER GLOVER THREATENED TO WALK AFTER FIVE DAYS PRODUCED NO RECORDINGS
ON THIS DAY IN 1976 — ROGER GLOVER THREATENED TO WALK AFTER FIVE DAYS PRODUCED NO RECORDINGS 🎛️ Five days into a two-week studio booking, Rory Gallagher and his band still had not put anything …
ON THIS DAY IN 1976 - STEVIE WONDER PUT HIS DAUGHTER'S REAL BATHTIME SOUNDS INSIDE “ISN'T SHE LOVELY”
ON THIS DAY IN 1976, STEVIE WONDER PUT HIS DAUGHTER’S REAL BATHTIME SOUNDS INSIDE “ISN’T SHE LOVELY” 👶🎶 When Stevie Wonder created “Isn’t She Lovely,” he wasn’t simply writing about becoming a father. He was …
ON THIS DAY IN 1976 - BON SCOTT SANG “RIDE ON” AGAIN SIX DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH
ON THIS DAY IN 1976 — AC/DC RELEASED THE ALBUM THAT CARRIED “RIDE ON,” THE SONG BON SCOTT SANG AGAIN SIX DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH ⚡ On September 20, 1976, AC/DC released Dirty Deeds Done …
BOB DYLAN LIVED IN A TENT OUTSIDE THE STUDIO—THEN BROUGHT CLAPTON “SIGN LANGUAGE”
In March 1976, Eric Clapton was making No Reason to Cry at Shangri-La, The Band’s studio in Malibu. The sessions were anything but tightly controlled. Clapton later described them as a party, with visitors drifting …
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN THREW THE BORN TO RUN ACETATE INTO A HOTEL POOL
By the summer of 1975, Bruce Springsteen had finally completed Born to Run. The problem was that he couldn’t bring himself to release it. 🎛️ Springsteen had spent more than a year wrestling with the …
ON THIS DAY IN 1974 - KING CRIMSON HAD ALREADY CEASED TO EXIST WHEN RED ARRIVED
ON THIS DAY IN 1974 — KING CRIMSON HAD ALREADY CEASED TO EXIST WHEN RED ARRIVED 🔴 On October 6, 1974, King Crimson released Red—but there was no functioning King Crimson left to take it …
ON THIS DAY IN 1974 - ELO DISLIKED THE COVER THAT BECAME ONE OF THEIR MOST ICONIC IMAGES
ON THIS DAY IN 1974 — ELO DISLIKED THE COVER THAT BECAME ONE OF THEIR MOST ICONIC IMAGES 💿 When Electric Light Orchestra released Eldorado on September 28, 1974, its sleeve carried a striking image …
ON THIS DAY IN 1974 - THE LABEL DEMANDED A COMMERCIAL SINGLE AND GENTLE GIANT FOUGHT ITS RELEASE
ON THIS DAY IN 1974 — THE LABEL DEMANDED A COMMERCIAL SINGLE, AND GENTLE GIANT FOUGHT TO GET IT WITHDRAWN. 🎛️ There was already an album called The Power and the Glory—but its original LP …
THE COVER PUT MICK FLEETWOOD IN BORROWED LACE UNDERWEAR WITH HIS THREE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER
THE COVER PUT MICK FLEETWOOD IN BORROWED LACE UNDERWEAR WITH HIS THREE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER 📸 For Fleetwood Mac’s 1974 album Heroes Are Hard to Find, photographer Herbie Worthington created one of the band’s strangest cover images: …
AFTER A 36-HOUR ROCKA ROLLA SESSION
Judas Priest’s first album was made on a schedule that sounds less like rock-star luxury and more like factory work. Studio time was cheaper at night, so the young band recorded Rocka Rolla after dark. …
KEN HENSLEY WROTE “STEALIN’” WHILE VISITING GARY THAIN AS HE STRUGGLED WITH HEROIN
KEN HENSLEY WROTE “STEALIN’” WHILE VISITING GARY THAIN AS HE STRUGGLED WITH HEROIN 🎹 Behind one of Uriah Heep’s most enduring songs was not a wild outlaw adventure, but a private attempt to support a …
MARVIN GAYE’S “LET’S GET IT ON” BEGAN AS A REHAB SONG ABOUT GETTING ON WITH LIFE
Before it became one of music’s most famous invitations to the bedroom, “Let’s Get It On” carried a very different message. 🎹 Ed Townsend had recently undergone treatment for alcoholism when he developed the song’s …
ADRIAN MABEN LOST HIS PASSPORT — THEN FOUND PINK FLOYD’S POMPEII SETTING
Pink Floyd’s 1972 Live at Pompeii is famous for the thing it removed: the audience. But director Adrian Maben did not discover its extraordinary setting on a formal location scout. He found it while searching …
ON THIS DAY IN 1971 - WHARF RAT LATER GAVE A SOBER DEADHEAD COMMUNITY ITS NAME
ON THIS DAY IN 1971 — “WHARF RAT” LATER GAVE A SOBER DEADHEAD COMMUNITY ITS NAME 💀🌹 A song about an alcoholic living at society’s edge would eventually help clean-and-sober Grateful Dead fans find one …
ON THIS DAY IN 1971 - JULY MORNING BECAME THE ANTHEM OF BULGARIA'S UNOFFICIAL SUNRISE CELEBRATION
ON THIS DAY IN 1971 — “JULY MORNING” BEGAN ITS JOURNEY TOWARD BECOMING THE ANTHEM OF BULGARIA’S UNOFFICIAL SUNRISE CELEBRATION 🌅 When Uriah Heep released Look at Yourself, few could have imagined that its ten-minute …
JOHN LENNON SAID YOKO AND PHIL SPECTOR WINCED AT THE SONG THAT BECAME “JEALOUS GUY”
While making Imagine, John Lennon returned to a melody he had carried for three years — and to lyrics that, by his own account, made Yoko Ono, Phil Spector and several other listeners wince. 😬 …
BOB WELCH JOINED FLEETWOOD MAC WITHOUT A FORMAL AUDITION — THEN HIS FIRST SONG WITH THEM BECAME THE ALBUM TITLE
Fleetwood Mac needed a guitarist in 1971. Bob Welch needed almost everything else. 🎸 After Jeremy Spencer left the band during an American tour, Fleetwood Mac associate Judy Wong contacted Welch, her old school friend. …
ON THIS DAY IN 1970 - “WOULD YOU GO ALL THE WAY?” WAS READ BACK TO ZAPPA IN HIGH COURT
ON THIS DAY IN 1970 — “WOULD YOU GO ALL THE WAY?” WAS READ BACK TO ZAPPA IN HIGH COURT 🎸 Frank Zappa’s Chunga’s Revenge arrived on October 23, 1970. Nearly five years later, one …
ON THIS DAY IN 1970 - PARANOID'S LYRICS WERE GEEZER BUTLER'S OUTLET FOR UNDIAGNOSED DEPRESSION
ON THIS DAY IN 1970, one of heavy metal’s most famous songs arrived carrying a private truth few listeners could have recognized. Released on September 18, Black Sabbath’s Paranoid featured lyrics Geezer Butler wrote as …
CARAVAN SELF-PRODUCED “IF I COULD…” — THEN BROUGHT IN TWO REMIX ENGINEERS
Caravan went into their second album determined to produce themselves. It sounded like freedom. It became an education. 🎛️ After working with producer Tony Cox on their debut, the four musicians took control of 1970’s …
YA-YA’S WAS PLANNED AS A DOUBLE ALBUM WITH B.B. KING AND IKE & TINA TURNER
When the Rolling Stones prepared Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!, the plan reached beyond the Stones themselves. 🎙️ At Madison Square Garden on November 27 and 28, 1969, Glyn Johns recorded the concerts from a mobile …
ON THIS DAY IN 1969 - AN ICELANDIC JOURNEY INSPIRED LED ZEPPELIN'S VIKING WAR CRY
ON THIS DAY IN 1970 — AN ICELANDIC JOURNEY INSPIRED LED ZEPPELIN’S VIKING WAR CRY ⚡ Before “Immigrant Song” opened Led Zeppelin III, its Norse-charged imagery emerged from an unexpected cultural-exchange visit to Iceland. 🇮🇸 …
ON THIS DAY IN 1969 - A CAR CRASH PUT A DOUBLE BED AND MICROPHONE INSIDE THE STUDIO
ON THIS DAY IN 1969, The Beatles released Abbey Road — an album whose studio story included a scene almost impossible to imagine: Yoko Ono recuperating in a double bed beside the band, with a …
ON THIS DAY IN 1969 - PETER GREEN RECORDED A MASTURBATION SONG ABOUT MICK FLEETWOOD WITH A REAL RATTLESNAKE ON THE TAPE
ON THIS DAY IN 1969, Fleetwood Mac released Then Play On — carrying a Peter Green song about masturbation, inspired by drummer Mick Fleetwood and completed with the sound of a real rattlesnake. 🐍 The …
MOTOWN REJECTED “GRAPEVINE” AS A SINGLE—THEN RETITLED THE ALBUM AFTER DJS PLAYED IT
Marvin Gaye’s In the Groove arrived in August 1968 with a future No. 1 sitting fourth on side one—and Motown still did not want it as a single. 🎙️ Gaye had recorded “I Heard It …
ON THIS DAY IN 1967 - FALL BREAKS CARRIED ECHOES OF THE FIRE MUSIC BRIAN WILSON FEARED
🔥 ON THIS DAY IN 1967 — “FALL BREAKS” CARRIED ECHOES OF THE FIRE MUSIC BRIAN WILSON FEARED On September 18, 1967, The Beach Boys released Smiley Smile. Hidden among its hushed, eccentric tracks was …
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART FELL OFFSTAGE — AND RY COODER QUIT A WEEK BEFORE MONTEREY
Safe as Milk had been recorded but was still unreleased when Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band headed to Mount Tamalpais for one crucial test: a festival performance one week before their scheduled appearance at …
AL KOOPER COULDN’T TURN ON THE ORGAN — THEN DYLAN ASKED FOR IT LOUDER
AL KOOPER COULDN’T TURN ON THE ORGAN — THEN DYLAN ASKED FOR IT LOUDER One of the defining sounds on Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited was played by a guitarist who had only been invited …
