AUG 14-20: Historic events this week from Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, The Doors, CCR, Nirvana and the Eagles
AUGUST 15, 1979: IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR
Led Zeppelin’s In Through the Out Door divided fans and critics alike due to the softer, synthesizer-driven direction.
The album still managed to quickly go #1 and spent 7 straight weeks at the top spot; eventually selling 6 million copies in the US.
It proved to be their final album, as they disbanded after the Sept. ’80 death of drummer John Bonham.
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AUGUST 16, 1994: NEIL YOUNG’S SLEEPS WITH ANGELS
Neil Young’s 20th album, and 7th with Crazy Horse, is a dark affair.
The dark, grunge inflected rock of Sleeps With Angels stands in sharp contrast to the country/folk rock of his previous album, Harvest Moon.
Having Kurt Cobain quote his “It’s better to burn out than to fade away” in his suicide letter, inspired Young to write the album’s title track.
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AUGUST 17, 1968: THE DOORS’ WAITING FOR THE SUN IS #1
The Doors’ third album, Waiting for the Sun, is their only US #1 album.
The album held the top spot for four straight weeks, thanks to their second #1 single, “Hello, I Love You.”
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AUGUST 17, 1991: NIRVANA’S “SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT” VIDEO
Nirvana handed out casting call fliers for the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, which is designed to look like a pep rally.
Filled with teen angst and anarchy, the video proved to be a smash and helped propel the single to the top of the charts.
The iconic video has been viewed over 1.3 billion times on YouTube.
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AUGUST 20, 1970: CCR’s COSMO’S FACTORY #1
CCR’s second #1 album, Cosmo’s Factory, remains their biggest seller.
The album contains such classics as “Travelin’ Band”, “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”, “Run Through the Jungle”, “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”.
Cosmo’s Factory spent nine straight weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts.
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AUGUST 20, 2018: A MILESTONE FOR THEIR GREATEST HITS (1971-1975)
It’s no secret that Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) from the Eagles is one of the biggest selling albums of all-time.
But in 2018, the collection became the biggest seller of all-time in the US with 38 million in sales.
However, Michael Jackson’s Thriller remains the biggest selling album worldwide with over 66 million copies sold.
