1980: Billy Joel had the best selling single in America with "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me", a number he wrote in the back of a car on the way to a recording session. The lyrics are sung from the prospective of a manager and an artist, arguing about remaining hip for the younger crowd vs. staying the course and letting the music speak for itself. The song would go on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.
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1969: David Bowie's single, "Space Oddity" is released to coincide with the first lunar landing by Apollo 11 on July 20th. The song would rise to #5 in the UK but would not become a hit in the US until it was re-released in 1973 when it would reach #15.
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1965: The Rolling Stones classic rocker "Satisfaction" was number one in the US on both the Cashbox and Billboard charts. In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine placed "Satisfaction" in the number two spot on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and in 2006 it was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, despite its sexually suggestive lyrics.
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1983: The Police started an eight week run at #1 on the US singles chart with "Every Breath You Take", also a chart topper in the UK.
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1972: 34 year old Bill Withers had the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Lean On Me", his second US Top Ten hit after "Ain't No Sunshine" in September 1971. The song reached #18 in the UK. Just a couple of years earlier, Withers was making toilet seats for Boeing 747s.
Courtesy of classicbands.com, YouTube, and Spirit of Resistance Radio!
