Category: Flashback

AC/DC Defies Adversity with Back In Black

Flashback

On July 25, 1980, AC/DC released “Back In Black,” their first album without the late Bon Scott as the lead singer. This album served as a heartfelt tribute to Scott, who tragically passed away five months prior due to alcohol poisoning after a drinking binge. Rather than disbanding, the remaining members of the band made the bold decision to carry on and enlisted Brian Johnson, formerly the vocalist for “Geordie.”

“Back In Black” went on to achieve unprecedented success both commercially and critically, cementing its position as one of the best-selling albums in the history of music. Sales estimates from around the world consistently place it second only to Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller.”

After Back in Black was released, AC/DC’s previous records “Highway to Hell,” “If You Want Blood You’ve Got It,” and “Let There Be Rock” all re-entered the British charts, which made them the first band since “The Beatles” to have four albums in the British Top 100 simultaneously.

Frankie Strikes Chord

Flashback

This week in 1984 “Two Tribes” by “Frankie Goes To Hollywood” was in the middle of a nine week stretch at number one in the UK. It would become the longest running number-one single in the UK of the 80’s. The song’s title derives from the line “two mighty warrior tribes went to war” from the movie Mad Max 2.

“Two Tribes” was released as an anti-war single during a tumultuous period characterized by the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, along with their respective allies. In this context of heightened global apprehensions about nuclear warfare, the song struck a chord with listeners, resonating the collective fears and concerns of the time. Accordingly the song was a hit in many other countries as well and also topped the charts in Belgium, Greece, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand and West-Germany.

A Rock ‘n’ Roll Tragedy Unresolved

Flashback

On July 18, 1966, the music world was shocked by the untimely death of Bobby Fuller, frontman of The Bobby Fuller Four. Bobby was found dead in a car parked outside his Hollywood apartment. The circumstances surrounding the 23-year-old singer’s death have remained shrouded in mystery for decades. Was it a murder, suicide, or a tragic accident? While authorities stated that asphyxia due to gasoline inhalation was the official cause of death, persistent speculation and lingering doubts leave some convinced that Bobby Fuller met a more sinister fate.

Bobby Fuller’s death occurred within months of “I Fought the Law” reaching the top 10 in the USA and becoming The Bobby Fuller Four’s biggest hit.

Born To Be Wild

Flashback

This week in 1969 The cult classic Easy Rider opened in theaters. The movie’s opening scenes are accompanied by the “heavy metal thunder” of Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild. Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper star as motorcycle-riding free spirits who travel through the American Southwest and South, carrying the proceeds from a cocaine deal. The songs that make up the soundtrack were carefully selected to form a “musical commentary” within the film.

From Jingle to Number One

Flashback

This week in 1971 Radio stations started running a Coke commercial called I’d Like To Buy The World A Coke, sung by “The Hillside Singers.” Advertising agency McCann Erickson had produced the jingle for Coca-Cola and had wanted “The New Seekers” to sing it, but that group could not fit the project into their schedule and turned it down. The jingle was also used as a TV commercial showing young people from around the world singing on a hillside. Because of the popularity of the commercial the lyrics were re-written as I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing. “The Hillside Singers” recording of the full song hit number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. This convinced “The New Seekers” to record the song as well. Their version became an even bigger hit and reached the top of the charts in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand.

The Purple One Peaks at 1

Flashback

This week in 1984 When Doves Cry, from his upcoming movie Purple Rain, gave “Prince” his first number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Billboard it was the top song of 1984 in the USA. It also topped the charts in Australia and Canada. The music video was directed by Prince himself and was released on MTV in June 1984 and sparked controversy among network executives, who thought that its sexual nature was too explicit for television. 

The Emergence of Pink Floyd

Flashback

This week in 1967 Pink Floyd appeared on the British TV show “Top Of The Pops” for the first time, playing their second single, See Emily Play. The song was written by Syd Barrett who was one of the band’s original members. His band mates kicked him out in 1968 after he had become increasingly unpredictable, doing a lot of Acid and, at times, refusing to play at shows. Barrett claimed “Emily” was a girl he saw when he woke up one night after sleeping in the woods after a gig. It is unclear if she was a real person or a drug-induced hallucination.

See Emily Play was a Top 10 hit in the UK.

Sports Hits Number 1 in 1984

Flashback

This week in 1984 the album Sports, the third album by American rock band “Huey Lewis and the News,” claimed a week at Number 1 in the USA. Sports spent just over three years on the US album chart and spawned four top-ten hits, with Heart and Soul and The Heart of Rock & Roll earning Grammy Award nominations. Sports also did very well internationally, with most of its singles charting in the top 40 in multiple countries.  It’s one of just five albums to top the US album chart in 1984, the others being Thriller, Purple Rain, Born in the U.S.A., and the Footloose soundtrack.

A Little Old Place Where We Can Get Together

Flashback

The B-52’s are an American band formed in 1976. This week in 1989 they released Cosmic Thing, their mainstream breakthrough and their first album following the death of guitarist and band co-founder Ricky Wilson. The second single released from the album, Love Shack, is considered the band’s signature song and has been a concert staple since its release. Commercially, the single topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand, reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. Rolling Stone magazine named Love Shack the best single of 1989.