Historic events this week from The Police, CCR, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Talking Heads and The Rolling Stones
JULY 9, 1983: THE POLICE’S “EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE” IS #1
The Police had their only #1 single in the US with the release of “Every Breath You Take”.
The best-selling single of 1983 would spend 8 straight weeks at #1.
The single helped their final album, Synchronicity, sell over 8 million copies in the US
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JULY 10, 2021: CCR’S ONLY #1 BILLBOARD HIT
Fifty years after its release as a single, Creedence Clearwater Revival have their first US #1 hit.
In July 2021, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” topped Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart, giving CCR their first ever Billboard #1.
The song’s resurgence is credited to John Fogerty’s presence on social media platform TikTok.
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JULY 11, 1975: FLEETWOOD MAC’S SELF-TITLED 10TH ALBUM
Fleetwood Mac’s first album with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks was a big one.
Loaded with great songs like “Monday Morning”, “Landslide” and “Rhinannon”, the album sold 500,000 copies within five months of its release.
It remains their second biggest album, behind Rumours, with 7 million sold in the US.
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JULY 13, 1973: QUEEN’S DEBUT LP
It’s been 50 years since the release of Queen’s self-titled debut album.
The album sold 500,000 copies in the US and contains the single “Keep Yourself Alive”.
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JULY 13, 1985: LIVE AID
Taking place simultaneously in London & Philadelphia, the benefit concert for Ethiopian famine relief featured major artists such as Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, U2, David Bowie, and so many more.
Featuring Phil Collins on drums, Led Zeppelin reunited for the first time since John Bonham’s death.
Queen’s 21-minute set remains one of the most memorable performances in rock history.
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JULY 14, 1978: TALKING HEADS’ 2nd ALBUM
Hot on the heels of the buzz generated with Talking Heads: 77, the NYC band returned with More Songs About Buildings And Food.
The album was their first of three with producer Brian Eno, who would push them to experiment and expand their sound.
More Songs About Buildings And Food went Gold thanks to their hit cover of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River.”
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JULY 15, 1978: SOME GIRLS IS #1
Some Girls is The Rolling Stones’ biggest selling album with 6 million sold in the US alone.
The album contains the classics “Beast of Burden”, “Shattered”, and the #1 hit “Miss You”.
Some Girls was nominated for the 1979 Album of the Year Grammy, but lost to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
