Historic events this week from Queen, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, U2 and Van Halen
• • •
APRIL 20, 1992: QUEEN’S STAR-STUDDED TRIBUTE TO FREDDIE
On Easter Sunday, 5 months after the passing of frontman Freddie Mercury, the members of Queen performed a star-studded out concert for AIDS awareness.
The incredible lineup of guests featured performances from Slash, Robert Plant, David Bowie,
Axl Rose, George Michael, Elton John and many more.
APRIL 20, 1993: AEROSMITH RELEASE GET A GRIP
With Get a Grip, Aerosmith had their first ever #1 album.
Boasting six Top 10 singles, with five in the Top 5, Get a Grip would sell 7 million copies within 2½ years of its release.
They took home the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in ’93 & ’94 for “Livin’ on the Edge” and “Crazy”, respectively.
APRIL 23, 1971: ROLLING STONES RELEASE STICKY FINGERS
Sticky Fingers was the Stones’ first US #1 album since 1965’s Out Of Our Heads.
The classic album features “Brown Sugar”, “Wild Horses” and “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”.
Sticky Fingers was the first of 8 straight US #1 albums for the band.
APRIL 24, 1989: TOM PETTY’S SOLO DEBUT
After 7 LPs with The Heartbreakers, Tom Petty decided it was time for a solo project.
Retaining Mike Campbell on lead guitar and enlisting Jeff Lynne as producer/co-writer, Full Moon Fever was arguably his best album since Hard Promises.
“Runnin’ Down a Dream”, “I Won’t Back Down” and “Free Fallin’” all went to #1.
APRIL 25, 1987: U2’s THE JOSHUA TREE IS #1
The Joshua Tree was U2’s first of eight straight #1 albums in their native Ireland.
On the strength of US #1 singles “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, The Joshua Tree spent nine-straight weeks at #1, on its way to eventually selling 25 million copies worldwide.
APRIL 26, 1986: VAN HALEN’S 5150 IS #1
There were several firsts for Van Halen with the release of their seventh album, 5150.
5150 was the first album with new lead singer, Sammy Hagar.
One month after its release, 5150 was the first Van Halen album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200.
Every studio album Van Halen did with Sammy Hagar went to #1, making 5150 the first of four straight #1 albums for the band.
