30 NOVEMBER
In Music History
1931 Teddy Wilburn (of the country duo The Wilburn Brothers) is born in Hardy, Arkansas. In addition to recording hit records, Teddy and brother Doyle start a music publishing company and sign an up-and-coming singer named Loretta Lynn.
1924 Allan Sherman is born Allan Copelon in Chicago, Illinois. Aside from being the producer of the popular game show I've Got A Secret, he makes a living as a novelty singer, notably with the 1963 hit "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah."
1915 Folk-blues singer Brownie McGhee is born Walter Brown McGhee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Known for his longtime collaboration with harmonica player Sonny Terry.
Michael Jackson Releases Thriller
1982Michael Jackson releases Thriller, which becomes, by far, the best selling album worldwide.
Read more30 NOVEMBER
Featured Events
1991 Billboard changes its methodology for determining the Hot 100, using SoundScan data to track record store sales and BDS information for radio plays. SoundScan, an electronic system that counts record sales when they are rung up, replaces record store reporting, which was typically done with phone calls. BDS is a Shazam-like service that identifies songs played by radio stations, which eliminates the need for stations to report their playlists. The first #1 on the revamped chart is "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" by P.M. Dawn.
1979 Pink Floyd's album The Wall is released, seeing out the '70s in spectacular fashion as it sells over 13 million copies. The powerful concept album's themes of isolation and despair resonate with legions of fans, and it even spawns a #1 single - "Another Brick In The Wall (part II).More
1977 Bing Crosby's last Christmas special airs. The program was recorded in September, and Crosby died that October. The show is remembered for Crosby's unusual duet with David Bowie, where they sing a modified version of "Little Drummer Boy," with Bowie singing the new "Peace On Earth" lyrics composed by the show's writers.
1974 Elton John's Greatest Hits album hits #1 in America, where it stays for the last five weeks of 1974 and first five of 1975.
1955 Billy Idol is born William Michael Albert Broad in Stanmore, Middlesex, England.
1940 Desi Arnaz marries Lucille Ball. The pair met on the set of the RKO musical Too Many Girls and eloped less than two months after the film's release.
1929 Dick Clark is born in Mount Vernon, New York. Dubbed the "world's oldest teenager," he becomes a cultural icon as the longtime host of American Bandstand and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.
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