Historic events this week from Rush, Bob Dylan, U2, Nirvana, Bush, Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, Chris Cornell and The Smashing Pumpkins
NOVEMBER 16, 1977: THREE RUSH ALBUMS ARE CERTIFIED GOLD
Three Rush albums (2112, A Farewell to Kings and the live All the World’s a Stage) were all certified Gold on the same day, with over 500,000 copies sold.
2112 has since gone 3x Platinum in the US and 2x Platinum in Canada.
NOVEMBER 17, 1994: BOB DYLAN FILMS MTV UNPLUGGED
Bob 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, 1991: U2’S ACHTUNG BABY
U2‘s 1991 album, Achtung Baby, marked a radical reinvention for the band, trading their earnest stadium rock for a darker, more experimental sound influenced by electronic music and alternative rock. Driven by hit singles like “Mysterious Ways” and “One,” the record is often hailed as a creative peak that successfully repositioned the band for the decade to come.
NOVEMBER 18, 1993: NIRVANA’S MTV 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 PERFORMS WITH TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS ON SNL
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.
Tom Petty tapped (former) Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl for the gig, and offered him a permanent job afterwards.
After careful consideration, they both agreed Dave Grohl needed to focus his burgeoning talent on his own project, which would come to be known as Foo Fighters.
NOVEMBER 19, 1996: BUSH’S SOPHOMORE ALBUM RAZORBLADE SUITCASE
Razorblade Suitcase, the sophomore album from Bush, is notable for its raw, stripped-down sound engineered by Steve Albini, who famously recorded Nirvana‘s In Utero. Despite receiving mixed critical reviews and comparisons to grunge predecessors, the album was a major commercial success, debuting at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and featuring the hit singles “Greedy Fly” and “Swallowed.”
NOVEMBER 20, 2001: THE SMASHING PUMPKINS RELEASE ROTTEN APPLES/JUDAS O
Rotten Apples is The Smashing Pumpkins‘ official greatest hits collection, chronicling their decade-long run of essential singles and key album tracks from 1991 to 2000. It was primarily packaged with the bonus disc Judas Ø which served as a B-sides and rarities compilation featuring songs from the Mellon Collie, Adore, and Machina eras.
NOVEMBER 21, 2011: CHRIS CORNELL’S LIVE SONGBOOK ALBUM
Chris Cornell‘s acoustic live Songbook album presented stripped-down versions of songs from across his career, including Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, and his solo work. The intimate collection highlights his powerful vocal range and songwriting ability, featuring familiar hits like “Black Hole Sun” alongside deep cuts and covers like Led Zeppelin‘s “Thank You” and John Lennon‘s “Imagine.”
NOVEMBER 22, 1994: VITALOGY BY PEARL JAM
Vitalogy marked a conscious move away from the arena-rock sound of Pearl Jam‘s first two albums, embracing a more raw, aggressive punk influence alongside acoustic ballads and experimental sonic detours. Dealing heavily with the pressures of fame and the music industry, the album delivered anthems like “Corduroy” and the massive hit “Better Man.”
