Pick a Day

Music History Events: Releases

June 20, 1995 Michael Jackson's ninth album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, is released. MTV becomes "MJTV" for a week to celebrate.

June 20, 1995 George Jones and Tammy Wynette, who divorced in 1975 after six years of marriage, release an album together called One and also go on tour.

June 13, 1995 Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette releases her breakthrough album, the alt-rock classic Jagged Little Pill.More

November 15, 1994 TLC release their second album, CrazySexyCool, featuring the hits "Creep" and "Waterfalls." The group's most successful album, it sells over 10 million copies in the US.More

November 1, 1994 Mariah Carey's album Merry Christmas is released. By the end of the year, it has sold over 3 million copies in America, becoming one of the most popular Christmas albums of all time.More

November 1, 1994 Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York album, taken from a performance a year earlier, is finally released. The album tops the charts in many countries, including the US, UK and Australia.

September 7, 1994 Weezer release their breakthrough single, "Buddy Holly," named for the rock and roll icon on what would have been his 58th birthday. It's featured on the band's debut album, Weezer (aka The Blue Album).

August 29, 1994 Oasis release their debut album, Definitely Maybe. The record goes on to sell over a million copies in the US, spearheading a second British Invasion, but for now the band remain unknown outside of the UK.More

August 23, 1994 Jeff Buckley's first and only album, Grace, is released to critical acclaim.More

July 5, 1994 Hootie & the Blowfish release their debut album Cracked Rear View. It takes off at the beginning of 1995, eventually selling a staggering 21 million copies.More

May 10, 1994 Weezer release their self-titled debut (aka The Blue Album). It sells 90 copies the first week but picks up steam when "Undone - The Sweater Song" starts getting airplay. "Buddy Holly" becomes a hit on MTV, and the album eventually sells over 3 million copies.

April 26, 1994 Live release their third album, Throwing Copper. It very slowly finds an audience as radio stations and MTV warm to tracks like "Lightning Crashes" and "I Alone." The album goes to #1 in America a year after its release and sells over 8 million copies.

April 19, 1994 Nas releases his landmark debut album Illmatic at the age of 20, helping revive the flagging New York City rap scene and birth the era of lyricism. It goes on to be widely accepted as one of the greatest rap albums of all time.More

April 8, 1994 The Offspring release their breakthrough album Smash on the indie label Epitaph Records. Thanks to the success of the singles "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem," it sells over 10 million copies worldwide to become the best selling independently released and distributed album of all time.

March 8, 1994 Two seminal albums from the '90s are released: Soundgarden's Superunknown and Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral. They enter the albums chart at #1 and #2, respectively.More

November 15, 1993 A mysterious act called The Fireman releases an album called Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest in the UK. The cover is a red square with just a touch of text, and the music is mellow electronica. It is later revealed that The Fireman is a Paul McCartney side project.More

November 9, 1993 The first Wu-Tang Clan album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), is released. The album becomes a hardcore rap landmark and proof that a 9-man hip-hop collective can succeed.More

September 21, 1993 "All Apologies," backed with "Rape Me," is released. It's the last Nirvana single released while Kurt Cobain is still alive.

July 5, 1993 Björk releases her first post-Sugarcubes solo album, titled Debut. Featuring the tracks "Human Behaviour" and "Big Time Sensuality," it sets the stage for her rise as a solo star.

November 10, 1992 Ween's major-label debut, Pure Guava, is released on Elektra records. The album features the single "Push th' Little Daisies," which gets them attention on MTV after being featured on the channel's animated series Beavis and Butt-head. During the clip, Butt-head quips, "These guys have no future."More

October 21, 1992 Madonna's book Sex is released. Everything about it is shocking: the $50 price, the Mylar wrapping, the metal covers, and especially the images inside.More

October 20, 1992 Madonna releases Erotica, a concept album about the pleasures and pitfalls of sex and romance, a day before her controversial Sex book hits the market.More

October 13, 1992 Prince releases an album with a symbol on the cover that later becomes his name.More

July 28, 1992 Barenaked Ladies release their debut studio album, Gordon.

July 28, 1992 Mary J. Blige releases her debut album, What's The 411?, executive produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs. It takes the top spot on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart as well as #6 on the Billboard 200. Her unique blend of hip-hop and soul earns her the nickname "Queen of Hip Hop Soul."More

May 19, 1992 Billy Ray Cyrus releases his debut album, Some Gave All, featuring his signature song "Achy Breaky Heart." The album dominates the Billboard 200 chart for 17 consecutive weeks, and the single's music video spawns a line-dancing trend across the US, where a new breed of country music is already becoming a phenomenon. More

April 6, 1992 Annie Lennox releases her first solo album, Diva, with the hits "Why" and "Walking On Broken Glass."More

March 31, 1992 Bruce Springsteen releases two albums on the same day, Human Touch and Lucky Town. They're his first since Tunnel Of Love in 1987, and first since Nebraska (1982) without the E Street Band.More

March 17, 1992 After reuniting at their ex-manager's funeral, Spinal Tap issue their 17th album, Break Like The Wind.More

February 25, 1992 TLC release their debut album, Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip. Their first single, "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg," hits the Top 10 on both the Hot 100 and R&B charts.