Music History Events: Debut Albums
June 17, 1977 Steve Winwood releases his debut solo album, Steve Winwood.
May 20, 1977 The stage show "Beatlemania" opens at the Winter Garden Theater, New York.
December 10, 1976 Billy Idol's Generation X play their first live performance, at London's Central College of Art.
November 9, 1976 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers release their self-titled debut album. The album features the band's debut single, "Breakdown," and one of their all-time signature tunes, "American Girl," but it takes a while before it receives commercial attention in the US. It's eventually certified Gold for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States.
April 1, 1975 Journey release their self-titled debut album, a mix of progressive rock and jazz with little emphasis on the vocals. It finds just a niche audience, as do their next two albums, but after adding lead singer Steve Perry to the band in 1977 they switch to a pop sound and become consistent hitmakers.
February 26, 1975 Harry Chapin's Broadway revue featuring his songs, The Night That Made America Famous, opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. It closes in April.
October 12, 1974 "Rollermania" takes hold as the Bay City Rollers' debut album, Rollin', hits #1 in the UK.
May 3, 1974 Led Zeppelin launches its Swan Song label.
January 15, 1974 With '50s nostalgia trending, Happy Days premieres on ABC with "Rock Around The Clock" as its theme song.
February 18, 1973 The nationally syndicated radio concert series The King Biscuit Flower Hour premieres, featuring Blood, Sweat & Tears, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
June 16, 1972 Roxy Music release their self-titled debut album. With obtuse lyrics from Bryan Ferry and futuristic synth soundscapes by Brian Eno, it's a tough nut to crack for many listeners but is later hailed as a triumph.
September 21, 1971 The musical variety show The Old Grey Whistle Test premieres on BBC-TV, featuring America as well as clips of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan.
May 17, 1971 The Christian musical Godspell opens at New York's Cherry Lane Theatre. It becomes the third-longest-running off-Broadway production of its day.
May 3, 1971 Led Zeppelin play their song "Four Sticks" for the first and only time in concert during a show in Denmark.
January 7, 1971 The film Performance, starring Mick Jagger, premieres in London two years after its completion.
August 25, 1970 At Plymouth Guildhall in England, Emerson, Lake & Palmer perform for the first time. They play to a far larger audience four days later at the the Isle Of Wight Festival.
May 20, 1970 George Harrison meets producer Phil Spector at Abbey Road Studios to play demos of the songs which will appear on his debut album, All Things Must Pass.
April 17, 1970 Paul McCartney releases his first solo album, McCartney. Unlike the grand Beatles' productions, this one is stripped-down, with Paul playing all the instruments himself.
February 17, 1970 Bee Gee Maurice Gibb opens in the London stage musical Sing A Rude Song.
September 14, 1969 Genesis take the stage for the first time, playing at the cottage owned by leader Peter Gabriel's former Sunday School teacher.
September 13, 1969 John Lennon introduces the Plastic Ono Band at the Rock and Roll Revival Show in Toronto. The set is later released as the Live Peace In Toronto 1969 album. Basically a supergroup with revolving members headed by John and Yoko, they are credited for the single "Give Peace A Chance."
August 30, 1969 Santana release their self-titled debut album, with standout tracks "Evil Ways" and "Soul Sacrifice."
July 21, 1969 Blind Faith, a group comprised of Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech, release their self-titled debut album in the United States.More
June 20, 1969 After working as a music teacher for most of her 20s, Roberta Flack releases her debut album, First Take, at age 32. It doesn't get much attention at first but goes to #1 three years later when the song "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" becomes a surprise hit thanks to its use in the Clint Eastwood movie Play Misty For Me.
June 5, 1969 The Doors concert documentary Feast Of Friends premieres at the Cinematheque in Los Angeles.
April 17, 1969 The first solo concert by The Band is held in San Francisco, California.
March 31, 1969 Led Zeppelin's first album is released in the UK. The self-titled LP contains many hard rock classics, including "Dazed And Confused," "Good Times, Bad Times" and "Communication Breakdown."
March 5, 1969 The rock magazine Creem is published for the first time.
January 12, 1969 Led Zeppelin's self-titled debut album is released in America.More
November 12, 1968 Neil Young releases his self-titled debut solo album, featuring one of his most enduring songs, "The Loner." More
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