NOV 17-23: Historic events this week from Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Elton John, REO Speedwagon and more
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NOVEMBER 17, 1994: BOB DYLAN’S UNPLUGGED PERFORMANCE
Dylan’s MTV Unplugged appearance occurred over two nights at Sony Music Studios in New York.
With a setlist dominated by classic tracks, the only new song in the set was “Dignity”.
“Dignity”, an outtake from Oh Mercy (1989), was released on Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Volume 3 two days before the the Unplugged shows.
NOVEMBER 18, 1978: 52ND STREET IS #1
52nd Street contained two of Billy Joel’s biggest singles: “My Life” (#3) and “Big Shot” (#14).
The album would spend the rest of 1978 (seven consecutive weeks) at #1.
52nd Street would go on to sell 7 million copies in the US.
NOVEMBER 18, 1993: NIRVANA’S UNPLUGGED PERFORMANCE
Nirvana’s performance on MTV’s Unplugged is one of the finest in the series.
The set was dominated by album tracks and lesser known covers, with the only Nirvana hit being “Come As You Are”.
The live album was released in November ’94, and earned the band their only Grammy: Best Alternative Music Performance.
NOVEMBER 19, 1994: DAVE GROHL & THE HEARTBREAKERS
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were without a drummer when they were booked for their 5th SNL appearance.
Heartbreakers drummer, Stan Lynch, had quit the band a month and a half earlier.
Petty tapped (former) Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl for the gig, and offered him a permanent job afterwards.
After careful consideration, they both agreed Grohl needed to focus his burgeoning talent on his own project, which would come to be known as Foo Fighters.
NOVEMBER 20, 2022: ELTON’S FINAL US CONCERT
On the brink of retiring from performing live, Elton John performed his final US concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
The 24-song set featured five tracks from his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, and included “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with a special appearance from Kiki Dee.
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which began in 2018 (with a 2 year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic), wrapped up on July 8, 2023 in Sweden.
NOVEMBER 21, 1980: HI INFIDELITY
REO Speedwagon’s 9th album featured their first Top 10 songs, with “Keep on Loving You” topping the charts, and “Take It on the Run” peaking at #5.
Hi Infidelity would go on to spend 15 non-consecutive weeks at #1 in 1982.
It’s REO’s only #1 album, and is far and away their biggest selling album, with over 10 million sold in the US alone.
NOVEMBER 22, 1968: “THE WHITE ALBUM”
The Beatles’ self-titled epic, simply known as “the white album”, contains 30 songs in all. Only 16 feature all four Beatles.
Featuring “Back in the USSR”, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”, and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, The Beatles became the group’s 12th US #1 album.
“The white album” remains The Beatles’ biggest selling album in the US with 24 million in sales.
NOVEMBER 23, 1991: FREDDIE MERCURY CONFIRMS RUMOURS
After years of rumors speculating that he was stricken with an illness, Queen’s Freddie Mercury confirmed that he was living with HIV/AIDS.
24 hours later, Mercury succumbed to AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia.
He was 45
