This Day in Rock History: January 27
Let’s dive into some interesting trivia from Jan. 27 in rock history, including breakthrough hits, industry milestones, cultural happenings, notable recordings and performances, and challenges and changes affecting your favorite music genre.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
On Jan. 27, these are some of the hits and music milestones you may or may not remember from years past:
- 1956: Elvis Presley released his first hit single, “Heartbreak Hotel,” the top-selling single for that year. The song helped launch his career and has been performed by many great artists since.
- 1970: John Lennon wrote and recorded ‘Instant Karma’ in one day. It would become the fastest-released songs arriving in stores ten days later.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Check out these notable recordings and performances that made history on Jan. 27:
- 1980: AC/DC played their last show with singer Bon Scott at Gaumont Theater in Southampton. Bon Scott would later pass away a few weeks later on February 19th.
- 1984: Madonna performed on American Bandstand, making her first national TV appearance and cementing her music career. This was when she first stated her ambition “to rule the world.”
Industry Changes and Challenges
These Jan. 27 changes and challenges have affected rock music as an industry:
- 1944: Nick Mason, a member of Pink Floyd, was born. He’d become the only band member to play on every album. He later formed a new band in 2018 that performed Pink Floyd’s music.
- 1968: Mike Patton was born. He’d become a singer and multi-instrumentalist with Faith No More.
- 1990: Gainesville, Florida, declared Jan. 27 Tom Petty Day. The well-known musician was born in Gainesville in 1950, and his song “I Won’t Back Down” can now be heard at all Gator home games.
- 2015: Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne were credited with writing on Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me.” Due to similarities to Petty’s ‘I Won’t Back Down’ Petty’s publisher approached Smith. They settled out of court.
- 2023: Drummer Floyd Sneed of Three Dog Night passed away at the age of 80. The rock band had three No. 1 hits between 1969 and 1975.
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