Historic events this week from Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Paul McCartney and The Smashing Pumpkins
OCTOBER 19, 1979: DAMN THE TORPEDOES BY TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS
Damn the Torpedoes was the breakthrough album that catapulted Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers to superstardom. Fueled by Tom Petty‘s defiance during a legal battle with his record label and featuring hit singles like “Refugee” and “Don’t Do Me Like That,” the album is widely regarded as one of the band’s finest and most energetic works.
OCTOBER 19, 1993: PEARL JAM’S SOPHOMORE ALBUM
Vs. was Pearl Jam‘s aggressive and raw second album which cemented their success following their debut Ten. It broke records by selling nearly a million copies in its first week and featured enduring hits like “Daughter” and “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town,” despite the band’s decision to refuse to make any music videos.
OCTOBER 20, 1979: BOB DYLAN’S ONLY SNL APPEARANCE
In Saturday Night Live‘s history, Bob Dylan has been a musical guest only once. He appeared on the program to promote his 19th studio album, Slow Train Coming. He performed “When You Gonna Wake Up”, “I Believe in You”, and the Grammy-winning “Gotta Serve Somebody”.
OCTOBER 22, 1969: LED ZEPPELIN II
Led Zeppelin released their first two albums in 1969. Their 12x Platinum sophomore album, Led Zeppelin II, contained the classics “Whole Lotta Love”, “Heartbreaker” and “What Is and What Should Never Be”.
OCTOBER 23, 1990: AC/DC’s BACK IN BLACK CERTIFIED DIAMOND
AC/DC‘s first album with Brian Johnson was released 5 months after Bon Scott died. Back in Black was certified Diamond (10 million sold) this week in 1990. It has since gone Double Diamond with 27 million sold in the US.
OCTOBER 24, 1979: PAUL McCARTNEY PRESENTED WITH RHODIUM ALBUM
Paul McCartney is the “Most Honored Composer and Performer in Music” according to Guinness World Records. With sales of over 100 million singles and 100 million albums, he was presented with a Rhodium album. The only one of its kind.
OCTOBER 24, 1995: THE SMASHING PUMPKINS’ MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is a sprawling, 28-track double album that cemented The Smashing Pumpkins‘ status as one of the most ambitious and diverse alternative rock bands of the 1990s. Featuring a wide array of musical styles, from baroque-pop ballads like “Tonight, Tonight” to heavy grunge anthems like “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” the album was a massive critical and commercial success.
