Historic events this week from David Bowie, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Police, Coldplay and Fleetwood Mac
JULY 6, 1972: BOWIE DEBUTS “ZIGGY” ON TOP OF THE POPS
Three weeks after the release of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, the titular character made his TV debut on UK’s Top of the Pops
Bowie’s performance of “Starman” propelled sales of the single and the album, which peaked at #10 and #5, respectively.
JULY 6, 1987: ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN’S EPONYMOUS FIFTH LP
Echo & the Bunnymen’s self-titled fifth album marked a more polished and commercial sound for the band, featuring their well-known track “Lips Like Sugar.”
During the album’s sessions, the band notably recorded their cover of The Doors’ “People Are Strange” for The Lost Boys soundtrack, even featuring Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
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
JULY 10, 2000: COLDPLAY RELEASES PARACHUTES
Coldplay’s debut LP, Parachutes, blends acoustic folk elements with bittersweet balladry and features the beloved hits “Yellow” and “Trouble.”
The album has sold over 13 million copies worldwide, and won the 2002 Grammy for Best Alternative Music album.
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 “Rhiannon”, 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.
