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Pick a Day

Music History Events: Milestones

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February 14, 1981 The Funky 4 + 1 become the first hip-hop group to perform on national TV when they do "That's The Joint" on Saturday Night Live. Debbie Harry of Blondie, an early proponent of rap music, is the host.

September 27, 1980 Kurtis Blow becomes the first rapper to perform on national television when he does "The Breaks" on Soul Train. Host Don Cornelius is flummoxed. "It doesn't make sense to old guys like me," he tells Kurtis in the interview segment.More

August 19, 1980 "The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow becomes the first rap single certified Gold.More

December 7, 1979 "Christmas Rappin'" by Kurtis Blow becomes the first rap song released on a major label - Mercury Records. It sells about 400,000 copies and provides the template for his next single, "The Breaks," which becomes the first rap Gold record.

November 24, 1979 "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer becomes the first duet between two women to hit #1 in America.

November 17, 1979 The Guinness Book of World Records verifies ABBA as the biggest-selling recording group in history.

November 10, 1979 "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang becomes first rap song to hit the Billboard Hot 100, entering the chart at #84.More

January 5, 1979 The double-album soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever reaches sales of 25 million worldwide, making it the best-selling LP in history.More

January 20, 1977 Jimmy Buffett releases his seventh studio album, Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes, which features his signature song "Margaritaville." Peaking at #8, the tropical-themed track remains his highest entry on the Billboard Hot 100.More

November 24, 1976 The Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser collaboration Wanted! The Outlaws becomes the first country album certified Platinum.More

October 16, 1976 Disc jockey Rick Dees hits #1 in the US with "Disco Duck," a goofy number that envisions Donald Duck enjoying the spoils of the disco era. It is the last novelty song to top the Hot 100.More

May 31, 1976 The Who set the record for "World's Loudest Rock Band" when their show in London measures 126 decibels. Concerned about hearing loss, Guinness later stops certifying the record.

February 24, 1976 The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) becomes the first album certified Platinum by the RIAA, a designation introduced in 1975.

August 5, 1975 The first all-female hard-rock band is formed when producer Kim Fowley puts together The Runaways, featuring Joan Jett, future Bangle Michael Steele, and Lita Ford.More

August 5, 1975 Stevie Wonder signs the largest contract for a single artist in history: $13 million over seven years for seven albums with Tamla/Motown.

June 7, 1975 Elton John's Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy, with the hit "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," becomes the first album to debut at #1 in the US. It holds the top spot for seven (non-consecutive) weeks.

November 9, 1974 Bachman-Turner Overdrive become just the second Canadian band to hit #1 in America when "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" claims the top spot. The first to do it was another Randy Bachman band: The Guess Who, who topped the chart with "American Woman" in 1970.

July 6, 1974 "Rock The Boat" by The Hues Corporation becomes the first disco song to top the Hot 100.

February 2, 1974 Barbra Streisand scores her first #1 when "The Way We Were" hits the top spot.More

October 26, 1973 The Who release Quadrophenia in the UK (the American debut is a week later). Like their 1969 album Tommy, it is a rock opera, this time centered on the character Jimmy, a mod on a search for meaning.

November 4, 1972 With reggae catching fire in America, "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash (an American singer) hits #1 on the Hot 100, becoming the first reggae tune to top the chart.

April 16, 1971 The Rolling Stones issue "Brown Sugar," the first release on their own label, Rolling Stones Records.

April 26, 1969 Walter Carlos's album Switched-On Bach, notable for being the first successful album to remix classical music compositions on the newly-invented Moog synthesizer, reaches #10 on the Billboard Albums chart. The popularity of the album is the commercial breakthrough for Moog synthesizers, which go on to be part of the soundtrack in the films Tron, The Shining, and A Clockwork Orange. This in part brings synthesized music to mainstream popularity, paving the way for disco (especially the 'hi-NRG' style) in the '70s.

April 26, 1969 "Oh Happy Day" by The Edwin Hawkins Singers enters the Hot 100 at #72, becoming the first pure gospel song to make that chart. More

December 28, 1968 Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Steppenwolf and the Grateful Dead, land in Hallandale, Florida's Gulfstream Park to entertain 100,000 fans at Miami Pop Festival II, the East Coast's first major rock festival.More

January 7, 1967 Charley Pride becomes the first African American solo singer to perform at the Grand Old Opry in Nashville. He is invited to perform at the venerable country music mecca after the success of his hit "Just Between You and Me," which makes it to #9 on the Country music chart.More

October 22, 1966 The Supremes become the first girl group with a #1 album in the US when The Supremes A' Go-Go bumps The Beatles' Revolver from the top spot.

May 7, 1966 "Monday Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas goes to #1 on the Hot 100, becoming the first song with a day of the week in the title to top the chart.

December 28, 1963 Merle Haggard makes his first appearance on the country chart with "Sing A Sad Song," which peaks at #19.

August 23, 1963 In the UK, The Beatles release "She Loves You," which becomes the best-selling UK single of all time, a record that isn't broken until 1977, when Paul McCartney releases "Mull Of Kintyre."

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