This Day in Rock History: February 15
Feb. 15 will always be known as the day when the Beatles got their first No. 1 album in the US, out of an astonishing total of 19. It’s also…
Feb. 15 will always be known as the day when the Beatles got their first No. 1 album in the US, out of an astonishing total of 19. It's also when U2 "went pop," the band Chicago was formed, and young blues legend Gary Clark Jr. was born. These are just some of the most noteworthy events that happened on this day in rock history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
The Beatles and U2 dominate today's milestones and breakthrough hits category:
- 1964: The Beatles' Meet the Beatles! album went to No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, where it spent 11 weeks. The album was a slightly modified version of the With the Beatles UK release and sold 4 million copies in 1964 alone, only being dethroned on the US charts by another record from the boys from Liverpool, The Beatles' Second Album.
- 1997: U2 reached the top spot on the UK singles chart with "Discotheque," from their Pop album. It also topped the weekly charts in several other countries, including Norway, Finland, Canada, and Ireland.
Cultural Milestones
Today we celebrate the birth of a band and of a modern blues icon, while also remembering one of music's all-time greats:
- 1965: Nat King Cole passed away in a hospital in Santa Monica, California. His legendary work helped bridge the gap between swing and rock 'n' roll, and he was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
- 1967: Musicians Walt Parazaider, Terry Kath, Danny Seraphine, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane, and Robert Lamm formed a band in Chicago, Illinois. It was initially called The Big Thing, was changed to Chicago Transit Authority the following year, and they finally settled on Chicago in 1969.
- 1984: Gary Clark Jr. was born in Austin, Texas. He started his professional career in 2011 and quickly became popular due to his unique take on blues, which includes elements of soul, rock, and even hip-hop.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Feb. 15 is also the anniversary of some special releases and recordings, including:
- 1954: Joe Turner recorded the rock 'n' roll classic "Shake, Rattle and Roll." It was released as a single in April of that year, and was covered extensively since, most famously by Elvis and Bill Haley & His Comets.
- 1965: The Beatles released their “Eight Days A Week”/“I Don't Want To Spoil The Party” single in the US. It was the last of seven Beatles singles to top the US Billboard Hot 100 over a one-year period, an amazing record that still holds to this day.
- 1974: Deep Purple released their eighth studio album, Burn, via Purple Records. It was their first with then-unknown singer David Coverdale as their frontman, and added funk influences to the band's classic bluesy sound.
From the Beatles conquering the US to David Coverdale bursting onto the scene, Feb. 15 has had its share of important rock moments throughout the past decades. Come back tomorrow to discover what happened on that day in rock history.
