Pick a Day

Music History Events: Releases

September 23, 1997 Jackson Browne releases The Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson Browne.

September 23, 1997 The Rolling Stones release Bridges To Babylon.

July 15, 1997 Sarah McLachlan releases her fourth album, Surfacing, 10 days after starting the Lilith Fair, where she's a featured performer along with other musical ladies like Sheryl Crow and Jewel. It's a slow build: By the time the hit single "Adia" is on the charts, the second Lilith Fair is under way. The album eventually sells over 8 million copies in America and another million in her native Canada.

July 15, 1997 Missy Elliott releases her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, with lead single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)," a reworking of the Ann Peebles song "I Can't Stand The Rain." Guests on the album include Ginuwine, Busta Rhymes and Aaliyah, all artists Elliott has produced.

June 17, 1997 Blink-182, a pop-punk trio from San Diego, release their major-label debut, Dude Ranch. The album boasts their first rock-radio hit, "Dammit," a breakup tune that blows out bassist Mark Hoppus' vocal chords.More

May 20, 1997 Foo Fighters release their second album, The Colour And The Shape, with the hits "Everlong" and "My Hero." It's their first album with members other than Dave Grohl (Pat Smear on guitar and Nate Mendel on bass).

April 14, 1997 Creed release their debut album, My Own Prison, on their own label, Blue Collar Records. When a local radio station in Tallahassee puts the title track in rotation, they earn a deal with Wind-Up Records, which re-issues the album in August.

October 22, 1996 Journey return to action with Trial By Fire, their first album of new music in 10 years. It's their last with lead singer Steve Perry, whose hip condition keeps him from touring. He leaves the band in 1998, replaced by the similar-sounding Steve Augeri.

October 12, 1996 Though they've refused to release it on video for 27 years, largely due to dissatisfaction over their own performance, The Rolling Stones finally release their landmark 1968 all-star BBC television special, The Rolling Stones' Rock And Roll Circus.

October 1, 1996 A collection of live Nirvana performances is released on the album From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah.

June 25, 1996 Jay-Z issues his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, as the first release on his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records. The first track is "Can't Knock the Hustle," which features Mary J. Blige and tells the story of Jay's come-up in Brooklyn. Roc-A-Fella later partners with Def Jam Records, which appoints Jay-Z president in 2004.

April 30, 1996 With "Satellite" from their 1994 major-label debut album Under The Table and Dreaming still getting airplay, The Dave Matthews Band release Crash, which provides a new set of radio hits, including "Crash Into Me," "So Much To Say" and "Too Much."

March 12, 1996 Celine Dion releases her biggest-selling album, Falling Into You. It includes her covers of "All By Myself" and "River Deep - Mountain High," as well as the hits "Because You Loved Me" and "It's All Coming Back to Me Now."

March 4, 1996 The Beatles song "Real Love," compiled from a John Lennon demo recording, is released in the UK.

November 21, 1995 The Beatles release Anthology I (including the previously unreleased track "Free As A Bird," and sell 450,000 copies the first day).

November 21, 1995 Bruce Springsteen releases The Ghost Of Tom Joad.

November 14, 1995 The soundtrack to the movie Waiting to Exhale is released. Produced by Babyface with all female artists (including TLC, Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige), each song represents one of the characters in the film. Whitney Houston, one of the stars, contribues three songs, including the #1 hit "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)." The soundtrack spends five weeks at #1 and sells over 7 million copies in America.

November 13, 1995 The Rolling Stones release Stripped.

November 7, 1995 Alice In Chains' self-titled album is released on CD and cassette. Previously, the album only existed in a vinyl edition, released on Halloween of 1995.

November 6, 1995 Queen release Made In Heaven, an album pieced together from recordings made before Freddie Mercury's 1991 death. It debuts at #1 in the UK.

October 23, 1995 Smashing Pumpkins release their double album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. Many of the songs, including "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," find lead singer Billy Corgan poking fun at his reputation for never seeming happy by leaning into it in very dramatic fashion.

October 10, 1995 Peter Frampton releases Frampton Comes Alive II. The album is the sequel to his 1975 smash Frampton Comes Alive - the best-selling live album in history.

August 29, 1995 Junior M.A.F.I.A. release their debut album, Conspiracy. The group is led by The Notorious B.I.G. and also features newcomer Lil' Kim, one of the few female rappers to be part of a group. Two hits emerge from the album: "Player's Anthem" and "Get Money."

August 15, 1995 Garbage release their self-titled debut album, adding a much-needed female voice (Shirley Manson) to the alternative rock scene. Hits from the album include "Queer" and "Only Happy When It Rains."

July 25, 1995 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony release their breakthrough album E. 1999 Eternal, which sells over 4 million copies. The big hit from the set is "Tha Crossroads," which wins a Grammy for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group.

July 4, 1995 Foo Fighters release their self-titled debut album. It's essentially a Dave Grohl solo project - he wrote, produced, and played all the instruments except for some guitar on "X-Static" by Greg Dulli.

June 13, 1995 Fear Factory issues their second full-length effort, Demanufacture. Produced by Colin Richardson, the album spawns such industrial-metal classics as the title track, "Replica," and a cover of Head of David's "Dog Day Sunrise."

February 28, 1995 Mike Watt of Minutemen and Firehose releases his first solo album, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?, with an all-star team of guest musicians including Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, Flea, Henry Rollins and Frank Black. Vedder and Grohl join his band for the subsequent tour.

October 11, 1994 Korn release their self-titled debut album, a furious set of songs that deal with lead singer Jonathan Davis' demons - a common theme in their lyrics. The album gets little attention at first but goes on to sell over 2 million copies as the band builds a fanbase.

September 27, 1994 Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker releases his debut album, 11 Tracks Of Whack. Becker co-produces the album with longtime bandmate Donald Fagen, who also contributes keyboards to the project.