This Week In Classic Rock History

Historic events this week from Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones and Bob Seger

MAY 1, 1976: LED ZEPPELIN’S PRESENCE IS #1
Led Zeppelin’s penultimate album, Presence, spent two weeks at #1 despite not having a charting single in the US.

They were unable to tour for the album because singer Robert Plant was recovering from a car accident.

Plant recorded all of his vocals for Presence while seated in a wheelchair.

• • •
MAY 5, 1981: TOM PETTY RELEASES HARD PROMISES
Hard Promises was the last Heartbreakers album to go Top 5 until Mojo (#2) in 2010 and Hypnotic Eye (#1) in 2014.

Featuring Stevie Nicks on “Insider” and “You Can Still Change Your Mind”, the Platinum-selling album is notable for containing Tom Petty’s first #1 song, “The Waiting”.

• • •
MAY 6, 1965: KEITH RICHARDS DREAMS UP “SATISFACTION”
According to legend, Keith Richards wrote “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” in his sleep.

Richards went to bed with his acoustic guitar, and a tape player rolling.

The next morning, without any recollection, he discovered that he’d been playing the iconic riff as he drifted off to sleep.

• • •
MAY 6, 1978: CHERYL TIEGS INSPIRES BOB SEGER
While in Hollywood to record Stranger In Town, the chorus for what would become “Hollywood Nights” came to him.

Cheryl Tiegs’ appearance on the cover of Time magazine inspired the rest of the song.

A song about a Midwestern boy who meets and spends time with his dream girl in LA. He wakes up one morning alone and brokenhearted.

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