On this day in 1936, Billboard Magazine debuted their “music hit parade,” the first-ever chart that ranked national record sales. Founded in 1894 as a trade publication for bill posters, by the early 20th century, the magazine shifted its focus to different aspects of the entertainment industry, such as circuses and burlesque shows. As music began to be more accessible through technological advancements like the phonograph, record player, radio and jukebox, Billboard began to cover more of the music industry. For their first “music hit parade” published on January 4, 1936, jazz violinist Joe Venuti took the Number 1 spot. In 1955, the Billboard Hot 100 chart of top-selling songs was introduced, followed later by the Billboard 200 for top-selling albums. To this day, the Billboard charts serve as the magazine’s “most enduring and influential” achievement.

On this day in 1968, The Beatles’ ninth studio album, “The Beatles” (more commonly referred to as the “White Album” due to its plain white sleeve with no graphics) reached Number One on U.S. charts, remaining there for nine weeks. The four-sided album was released in late November of that year and featured celebrated songs such as “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Dear Prudence,” and “Blackbird.” Critically and commercially, the album was a success, however, it was during these recording sessions that the band began to experience great tension. Fights over creative differences, drug use, and the presence of Yoko Ono plagued the making of the album, with Ringo Starr even briefly quitting the band in August. With tensions continuing to mount amongst the band members, The Beatles would ultimately break-up in April of 1970.

On this day in 1982, Michael Jackson released his iconic sixth studio album, “Thriller.” Even before recording began, Jackson was looking to create an album where “every song was a killer,” and boy, did he succeed! Featuring hit singles like “Billie Jean,” Beat It,” and “Thriller,” it remains the world’s best-selling album of all time, with over 105 million copies sold globally. “Thriller” won Album of the Year and seven other awards at the Grammy Awards in 1984. “Thriller” was an international success due to Jackson’s overwhelming star quality, it’s excellent songwriting and it’s combination of several musical genres, including pop, rock and funk. In 2003, Rolling Stone placed “Thriller” at number 20 on their list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Not only that, the music video for the song “Thriller” is credited as transforming the medium of music video from a promotional tool used by studios to sell records, into an art form.

On this day in 1981, legendary British rock band, Queen, released their single, “Under Pressure,” in the U.K. The song, which was written and recorded in collaboration with David Bowie, evolved from a jam session, as evidenced by the scat singing heard throughout the piece. The song reached number one of the UK Singles Chart, the band’s second number one hit in the U.K. (the first was 1975’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”) “Under Pressure” was played live at every Queen concert from 1981 until the end of Queen’s touring career in 1986.

On this day in 1992, Radiohead released their debut single, “Creep,” written by the band’s lead singer, Thom Yorke, while he attended University in the late 1980’s. Radiohead performed the song for their producers during rehearsals for their first album, “Pablo Honey.” After a successful single take recording, their producers decided to make “Creep” the band’s debut single. “Creep” met little success in the UK and the US, receiving very little airtime on the radio because many DJs found the song “too depressing.” The single initially sold only 6,000 copies. It wasn’t until the release of “Pablo Honey” in February 1993 that “Creep” became a worldwide hit and eventually, one of Radiohead’s best known songs.

On this day in 1983, award winning British singer and songwriter, Amy Winehouse, was born in Southgate, London. Winehouse was best known for for mixing soul, jazz, and rhythm and blues styles in her music, as well as her unique, raspy vocals and her “delinquent” persona accompanied by a retro, beehive hairdo. She began pursuing music at an early age, thanks to her musically inclined extended family, and attended various performing arts schools in London throughout her adolescence. Winehouse’s debut album, Frank (2003), was a success in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her sophomore album, Back to Black (2006), resulted in five Grammy Awards in 2008, as well as the Brit Award for Best Female Artist. Winehouse tragically died of alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011, at the age of 27, but her music, image, and influence remain strong to this day.

On this day in 1968, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham made their live debut as Led Zeppelin at a Teen Club in Gladsaxe, Denmark. However, at the time, they were billed as the New Yardbirds because Jimmy Page’s old group, Yardbirds, who were supposed to embark on a Scandinavian tour together, broke up. Wanting to fulfill his commitments, Page assembled a new version of the band to play at the already-booked gigs. Upon completing the tour, the newly-formed band began recording their first album and changed their name to Led Zeppelin (thanks to a cease and desist letter by a former Yardbirds member.) The rest is history!

On this day in 1991, the self-titled, fifth album (commonly known as “The Black Album”) by iconic heavy metal band, Metallica, hit Number 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart. Released on August 12, the album featured five singles that are considered to be among the band’s best-known songs: “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Sad but True.” The album received widespread critical acclaim, becoming the band’s best-selling album (and one of the best-selling albums worldwide). The release of “Metallica” marked a transition in the band’s sound from thrash metal to something a bit more subdued. In 2003, the album was ranked number 252 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”

On this day in 1999, “Pop Princess” Christina Aguilera released her self-titled debut album. Prior to the album’s release, Aguilera made a name for herself as a cast member on the television series “The Mickey Mouse Club” alongside other budding artists like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. In 1998, Aguilera was chosen by Disney to be the recording artist for “Reflection,” the theme song for their new animated film, “Mulan.” Shortly after recording “Reflection,” Aguilera signed with RCA Records and began working on her debut album, which peaked at Number 1 on Billboard 200 and sold over 17 million copies worldwide. The album’s lead single, “Genie in a Bottle,” became the top-selling debut single of 1999. At the Grammy Awards in February 2000, Aguilera won “Best New Artist.” http://www.christinaaguilera.com/

Brought to you by Blackfire Research….On this day in 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in upstate New York was scheduled to come to a close. However, due to delays caused by severe weather, the musical acts were forced to halt. (Images of Free Love activists dancing, running, tumbling and sliding in muddy fields due to the heavy rain has become synonymous with the festival.) Jimi Hendrix, who was supposed to close the festival on Sunday night, didn’t begin his set until the following morning at 8:30am. The audience of around 400,000 at the height of the festival dwindled to about only 30,000 by the time Hendrix took the stage Monday. In total, 32 acts performed throughout the weekend, including The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, The Who and Jefferson Airplane. To this day, the legacy of Woodstock lives on, widely viewed as a defining moment for popular music, and the culminating event that defined the counterculture generation.

On this day in 1963, American comedy writer, Allan Sherman, released his most successful comedic-parody track “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadda,” a novelty song in which a boy describes his disastrous experience at fictional “Camp Granada” to the tune of Ponchielli’s “Dance of the Hours.” The lyrics were based off letters Sherman received from his son, Robert, while he attended camp in upstate New York. The song became a surprise hit, reaching No. 2 on the national charts for three weeks, even winning Sherman a Grammy Award for Comedy in 1964. Although Sherman’s success eventually faded, to this day, “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadda” remains a classic fixture in American pop culture.

On this day in 1983, The Queen of Pop, Madonna, released her self-titled, debut album. Born in Michigan, the pop star moved to New York City to pursue a dance career but began singing in her performance groups. She was eventually signed by Sire Records. Her debut album, “Madonna,” was an upbeat, post-disco sound that used new technology for the time, such as a Moog bass, the Linn drum machine, and the OB-X synthesizer. Five singles were released from the album, including “Holiday” and “Borderline,” which became international top 10 hits. The album set the stage for pop music in the 1980’s, creating an entirely new sound for the coming decade. Madonna’s second album, “Like a Virgin,” released the following year, became her first Number 1 album. Madonna herself would go on to become a global icon: spearheading the rise of music videos on MTV, dictating 1980’s and 1990’s women’s fashion trends, and becoming the best-selling female recording artist of all time. Check out Madonna’s website here: http://www.madonna.com/

On this day in 1965, iconic American folk singer, Bob Dylan, released his most influential single “Like a Rolling Stone.” The song is a condensed version of a ten page verse Dylan had written upon returning from a tour in England that left him exhausted. The song was hailed as revolutionary due to it’s cynical stance and the repeated direct address of the question “How does it feel?” “Like a Rolling Stone” was the first song Dylan performed with an electric guitar, which shifted him from niche folk singer to mainstream rock and roller. However, this shift alienated many of his die hard, folk fans. In fact, the first time he performed the song live (a few days after it’s release) he was booed by the audience for using an electric guitar. Rolling Stone Magazine has twice placed the song at Number 1 on it’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”

On this day in 1964, English blues rock band, The Animals, reached number one on the singles charts in the UK with their rendition of “House of The Rising Sun.” With it’s howling vocals and haunting organ riffs, the song is viewed by many music historians as the first mainstream, folk rock hit. Although The Animals popularized this particular ballad, musicologists have traced its theme and wordage back to a 16th century. The song was eventually brought to the US, where the location changed from England to New Orleans by Southern performers. The oldest published version of the song dates back to 1925, and the oldest known recording is by Appalachian musicians from 1933. Woody Guthrie recorded a version in 1941, and Bob Dylan followed suite 20 years later. But it wasn’t until The Animals’ 1964 version of the song that it became a mainstream hit, and eventually, a rock classic.

On this day in 1964, the film “A Hard Day’s Night” starring Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon of The Beatles premiered at The Pavilion Theatre in London. The film was produced and released during the height of “Beatlemania” and was made in the style of a “mockumentary,” which followed the band as they headed to London from their hometown of Liverpool to play a show, dodging screaming hordes of fans along the way. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards – one for Best Screenplay and one for Best Score (Adaptation) – and earned an estimated $11 million worldwide. “A Hard Day’s Night” is cited as one of the most influential musical films of all time, serving as inspiration for the American television program “The Monkees.” It also catapulted the popularity of British spy-comedies of the late 1960’s, and is often viewed as a precursor to the modern music video.

On this day in 1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played their final public performance at the Denver Pop Festival in Colorado. The rock band, which formed in London in 1966, consisted of Jimi Hendrix as lead vocals, songwriter, and guitarist; Noel Redding as backing vocals and bassist; and Mitch Mitchell on drums. From 1966 through 1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three successful studio albums, several hit singles (“Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe,” and their cover of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”) and popularized psychedelic rock, channeling the style and energy of the 1960’s counterculture. They became notorious in the US after their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967, where Hendrix ended the set by lighting his Fender Stratocaster on fire. However, relations between Hendrix and bassist Redding soon began to deteriorate, and after their appearance at the Denver Pop Festival in June of 1969, Redding left the trio. After Redding’s departure, Hendrix and Mitchell expanded the band, sometimes still referred to as The Jimi Hendrix Experience (and sometimes as Gypsy Sun and Rainbows), performing at Woodstock in August of that same year. However, more arguments and bandmate shuffling plagued the group, until Hendrix himself died of a drug overdose in September of 1970. In 1992 the Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On this day in 1963, a 13-year old Stevie Wonder (then known as Little Stevie Wonder) made his US singles chart debut with “Fingertips Parts One and Two.” Born blind, Wonder was a musical prodigy, mastering the harmonica, the drums, and piano by the age of eight. A Detroit native, Wonder was signed to Motown Records in 1961 at the age of eleven. “Fingertips Parts One and Two” was recorded during a live Motor Town Revue performance and features a young Marvin Gaye on drums. It was the first live, non-studio recording to reach Number 1 on the singles chart in the US since 1952.

On this day in 1989, the Godfathers of Grunge, Nirvana, released their debut studio album, “Bleach.” Kurt Cobain claimed that most of the album’s lyrics were written the night before it was to be recorded in Seattle, and that he was feeling “pissed off” while writing. The title for the album was inspired by public health posters urging drug users to bleach their needles (“Bleach Your Works.”) At the time, the band was still defining their signature sound, borrowing heavily from influences in dirge-rock, punk rock, and heavy metal. “Bleach” was well received by critics, but it wasn’t a commercial success. Interest in the band’s debut album peaked after the release of “Nevermind” in 1991.

On this day in 1963, the classic pop single written and produced by infamous record producer, Phil Spector, “Da Doo Ron Ron,” peaked at number 3 on the US singles chart. The song, released in March, was performed by The Crystals, a prominent act in the “Girl Group Era” of the early 1960’s. The Crystals were well known before the single, but “Da Doo Ron Ron,” as well as “Then He Kissed Me,” also written and produced by Spector and released in July of that same year, made the group a household name. For the composition of “Da Doo Ron Ron,” Spector used his signature production technique. By using a multi-track recording system, Spector was able to build the song in layers, ultimately achieving a result he called a “Wall of Sound.” This “Wall of Sound,” created by a large ensemble of musicians, resulted in fuller, more dense harmonies, and therefore, ensured more engaging music for AM radio play and jukeboxes.

On this day in 1964, The Rolling Stones landed in New York City to embark on their first U.S. Tour, which would run from June 5th-20th. The tour was in support of their first album, “The Rolling Stones,” which featured early hits such as “Route 66” and “Can I Get a Witness.” The album remained #1 on U.K. charts for 12 weeks. Along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the “British Invasion” of English rock bands to take the U.S. by storm, identifying with the emerging counterculture that began to develop in the early 1960’s. However, this first tour was not a success: at the time, the band had yet to have their big break in the U.S., and television personalities mocked their appearance and performances. It wouldn’t be until the following year, with the success of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” that the band would become a household name.