Historic events this week from Talking Heads, The Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, U2, The Cars, Soul Asylum and Coldplay
JUNE 1, 1983: TALKING HEADS RELEASE SPEAKING IN TONGUES
Talking Heads‘ Speaking in Tongues is a highly danceable and commercially successful album that embraces funk and New Wave sensibilities. It features more direct, synth-driven grooves while still retaining the band’s signature quirky charm, highlighted by hits like “Burning Down the House” and “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody).”
JUNE 2, 1998: THE SMASHING PUMPKINS RELEASE ADORE
The Smashing Pumpkins‘ Adore marked a significant stylistic shift for the band, embracing electronic and gothic rock elements in a more subdued, introspective sound following personal losses for Billy Corgan. Despite initially dividing some fans, the album gained a cult following and peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard 200.
JUNE 2, 2023: FOO FIGHTERS’ BUT HERE WE ARE
Foo Fighters‘ But Here We Are is a profoundly emotional and cathartic album, largely influenced by the recent deaths of drummer Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl‘s mother. It channels grief and loss into a powerful blend of raw punk energy and the band’s signature arena-rock anthems, often drawing comparisons to their earlier, more direct sound, and notably peaked at number 1 on both the Billboard Top Alternative Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums charts.
JUNE 5, 1983: U2 PERFORMS AT RED ROCKS
On the 31st date of the North American leg of their War Tour, U2 played Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Two of the songs from that show would appear on their classic Under a Blood Red Sky live album.
The full Red Rocks show was later released on VHS/DVD as U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky. The 20 song performance features tracks from the albums Boy (1980), October (1981) and War (1983).
JUNE 5, 2025: TALKING HEADS RELEASE OFFICIAL ‘PSYCHO KILLER’ MUSIC VIDEO
Talking Heads released their first-ever official music video for “Psycho Killer” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first concert. The video stars Saoirse Ronan, portraying a woman experiencing a mental breakdown through a series of mundane and increasingly unsettling routines.
JUNE 6, 1978: THE CARS’ DEBUT ALBUM
The Cars‘ self-titled debut album is the band’s biggest, with 6 million copies sold in the US.
The classic debut features the singles “Just What I Needed”, “Good Times Roll”, “My Best Friend’s Girl”, as well as “Bye Bye Love”, “Moving in Stereo” and “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight.”
JUNE 6, 1995: SOUL ASYLUM’S FOLLOW-UP TO GRAVE DANCERS UNION
Soul Asylum‘s 1995 album, Let Your Dim Light Shine, followed their breakthrough success with 1992’s multi-platinum Grave Dancers Union, which featured the Grammy-winning hit “Runaway Train.” Let Your Dim Light Shine continued the band’s strong momentum, producing the hit single “Misery” and showcasing their evolving rock sound.
JUNE 6, 2005: COLDPLAY’S X&Y
Coldplay‘s X&Y delves into themes of uncertainty and grandiosity, featuring popular tracks like “Fix You” and “Speed of Sound” that showcase a continued evolution in their sound. This ambitious album became a global success, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.
