Entertainment

On August 31, 1984, Prince fans across the UK rushed to cinemas to catch Purple Rain, which was causing plenty of buzz since its release a month earlier in America. Buoyed by a hit soundtrack—which featured the enduring singles “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” as well as the title track—the blockbuster film grossed over $72 million worldwide. Across the pond, Purple Rain won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score, while in 2019, the Library of Congress selected it to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry.

In 1991, Metallica’s self-titled fifth studio album (commonly referred to as The Black Album) began a four-week run at the top of the Billboard 200. A stylistic turning point in their career, the LP featured some of their best-known songs, including the ballad “Nothing Else Matters” and the platinum-certified hit, “Enter Sandman.” In 1992, Metallica won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance, while the album has since been certified 16x Platinum by the RIAA.

In 1968, one of the Rolling Stones’ most political songs, “Street Fighting Man,” was released via Decca Records. Inspired by an anti-Vietnam war rally that Mick Jagger attended, the song was banned by many US radio stations, due to its seemingly subversive lyrics.

In 2007, Hilly Kristal, the founder of New York punk club CBGB, died at 75, following a battle with lung cancer. Founded on December 10, 1973 as “CBGB & OMFUG” (Country, Bluegrass, Blues, and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers), the club soon became an underground hub, launching the careers of seminal punk and new wave acts, including the Talking Heads, Television, and Blondie. Kristal was also credited with discovering the likes of Patti Smith and The Ramones.

In 2003, Elton John’s 1979 single, “Are You Ready For Love,” hit No. 1 on the UK singles chart after he performed it in an ad for Sky Sports’ new football season. The uplifting song was originally recorded in 1977 and later remixed, following the popular ad spot.

BORN ON AUGUST 31

1945: Van Morrison
1948: Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions)
1957: Gina Schock (The Go-Go’s)
1957: Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze)
1967: Gerard Love (Teenage Fanclub)
1970: Debbie Gibson
1977: Del Marquis (Scissor Sisters)

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On August 28, 1964, The Beatles met Bob Dylan for the first time at The Delmonico Hotel, following their show at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium. After being introduced by a mutual friend, writer Al Aronowitz, the band offered their guests drinks, but Dylan and Aronowitz expressed interest in smoking weed instead. This marked the Fab Four’s first taste of marijuana – an experience that would prove to be transformative in their career.

In 1968, Tammy Wynette recorded “Stand By Your Man” at Epic Studios. The track, completed in just 15 minutes, became Wynette’s signature hit and one of the most covered songs in country music. Co-written with producer Billy Sherrill, the song also served as the title track of Wynette’s 1969 album and would be featured over the decades in films like Five Easy Pieces, Four Weddings, The Crying Game, and Sleepless in Seattle.

In 1984, The Jacksons’ Victory Tour sold over 1.1 million tickets in two months, surpassing the record for concert ticket sales. The 55-show run was the only tour with all six Jackson brothers, playing to approximately 2 million attendees in 22 locations and grossing approximately $75 million. Paula Abdul choreographed the tour.

In 1988, Kylie Minogue’s debut album, Kylie, became the biggest-selling album by a female artist in Britain, setting a new UK record by moving nearly 2 million units. It was the best-selling album of the 80s by a female artist and spent more than a year on the UK Albums Chart.

In 1972, Alice Cooper topped the UK singles chart with “School’s Out,” the title track of the band’s fifth album. Cooper himself noted that he was inspired to write the song about the three greatest minutes of his life: Christmas morning and the last day of school.

In 2009, the British group Oasis disbanded after 18 years, following the departure of Noel Gallagher. The songwriter and guitarist noted that he could no longer work with his brother, Liam. “It’s with some sadness and a great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight,” Noel expressed on the band’s website. The band, who were slated to appear later in the day at the Rock en Seine festival, canceled their performance, while Liam and the remaining band members would go on to perform as Beady Eye until 2014.

In 2016, Mexican pop icon Juan Gabriel died of a heart attack at age 66. Gabriel (also known as “Juanga” and “El Divo de Juárez”) was one of Latin America’s most prolific and successful artists, selling an estimated 60 million records worldwide. His 1984 record, Recuerdos, Vol. II, sold over eight million copies, making it the best-selling album of all time in Mexico.

BORN ON AUGUST 28

1942: Sterling Morrison (Velvet Underground)
1948: Danny Seraphine (Chicago)
1949: Hugh Cornwell (The Stranglers)
1965: Shania Twain
1969: Jack Black
1982: LeAnn Rimes
1986: Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine)

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On August 27, 1991, Seattle rockers Pearl Jam released their debut album, Ten. A cornerstone in grunge, Ten featured such hits as “Alive,” “Even Flow,” and “Jeremy”—the latter of which earned the band Grammy nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Hard Rock Performance. The band’s most commercially successful album, Ten would be certified 13x Platinum by the RIAA, while it remained on the Billboard 200 for nearly five years, becoming one of the highest-selling rock records ever.

In 1993, Def Jam Records co-founder Rick Rubin laid the term ‘def’ to rest, feeling that it was becoming overused in pop culture as a synonym for ‘cool.’ Rubin and Russell Simmons launched the label in 1984 after founding it in Rubin’s New York University dorm. To commemorate the event, Rubin held a star-studded funeral in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Forever cemetery, complete with a eulogy by Reverend Al Sharpton and a burial of a casket filled with records.

In 1966, The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” peaked at No. 2 on the UK singles chart. Along with being one of the first commercial songs to use the word ‘God’ in its title, the track included the usage of many unorthodox instruments, such as the French horns in the introduction. Paul McCartney cited “God Only Knows” as his favorite song of all time.

In 1967, The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein was found dead in his London home, following a drug overdose. He was just 32 years old. Epstein first met the Fab Four at Liverpool’s Cavern Club in December 1961, signing them to a five-year contract a month later. During his career, he managed several artists, including Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, and The Remo Four.

On this day in 1990, 35-year-old Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash, following a Wisconsin show with Robert Cray and Eric Clapton. Considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time, the highly respected blues-rocker was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2013, Forbes named Madonna the world’s top-earning celebrity of the year. The 55-year-old mogul made an estimated $125 million from her MDNA tour, as well as from her similarly-named clothing and fragrance lines.

In 1992, John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics for The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life” sold for $100,000 (£56,600) in an auction at Sotheby’s London. Nearly two decades later, in 2010, the lyric sheet was auctioned again, and purchased by an anonymous American buyer for $1,200,000.

BORN ON AUGUST 27

1942: Daryl Dragon (The Captain and Tenille)
1942: Chip Douglas (The Turtles)
1953: Alex Lifeson (Rush)
1956: Glen Matlock (The Rich Kids, Sex Pistols)
1970: Tony Kanal (No Doubt)
1977: Mase
1979: Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire)
1999: Rod Wave

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On August 26, 2007, The Rolling Stones concluded their A Bigger Bang World Tour with a final show at London’s O2 Arena. The band’s longest and largest tour of their career, it earned over $560 million and the title as the highest-grossing tour in rock history. The Stones had previously set the record with their 1994 Voodoo Lounge Tour.

In 1970, long-running recording studio Electric Ladyland opened its doors in New York City. While the facility was commissioned by Jimi Hendrix two years earlier, the esteemed rockstar only spent ten weeks recording there before his death. Nevertheless, it soon became a hotspot for many top-selling recording artists, including John Lennon, AC/DC, Stevie Wonder, and Guns N’ Roses.

Across the Atlantic that same year, the third Isle of Wight Festival kicked off. Featuring Joni Mitchell, The Doors, The Who, Miles Davis, and The Moody Blues, the British festival also marked Hendrix’s final UK appearance. An estimated 600,000-700,000 people attended the weekend.

In 1995, Britpop rivals Blur and Oasis released their singles “Country House” and “Roll with It,” respectively. While the two bands were neck-and-neck, Blur’s “Country House” sold 270,000 copies (50,000 more than Oasis), placing them at the top of the pop charts and earning them their very first No.1 single in the UK.

In 2003, Rolling Stone named Jimi Hendrix as the greatest guitarist in rock history. Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine wrote that Hendrix “manipulated the guitar, the whammy bar, the studio, and the stage” and “took what was to become Seventies funk and put it through a Marshall stack, in a way that nobody’s done since.” Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Page, and Stevie Ray Vaughan also made the ranking’s top 10.

In 1967, The Beatles held a press conference with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at University College in Bangor, North Wales. The four-piece announced that they had become disciples of the guru and members of the Maharishi’s “Spiritual Regeneration Movement,” renouncing the usage of drugs and donating a week’s earnings monthly to the organization.

In 2014, Kate Bush made her stage comeback after 35 years with a performance at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. Her 22-show residency sold out in less than 15 minutes and ran from August 26-October 1.

In 1987, Sonny Bono announced his campaign for mayor of Palm Springs, California. The singer, songwriter, and former husband of Cher had once stated that he had never voted until he was 53, but he successfully won the 1988 mayoral election and went on to win a seat in Congress in 1996.

1938: Jet Black (The Stranglers)
1948: Valerie Simpson (Songwriter and recording artist)
1965: Annie Holland (Elastica)
1966: Dan Vickrey (Counting Crows)
1966: Shirley Manson (Garbage)
1969: Adrian Young (No Doubt)

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On August 25, 1975, Bruce Springsteen released his third studio album, Born to Run. The now-classic title peaked at No.3 on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA. Featuring iconic hits like “Born to Run” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” the record marked the New Jersey rocker’s breakthrough album, bringing him mainstream success and broad critical acclaim. Over the decades, the album has ranked on numerous best-of lists (including landing at No.18 Rolling Stones’ 500 Greatest Albums of All Time), while in 2015, Born to Run was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.

In 1970, Elton John played his first American show at The Troubadour. In addition to performing his recent single, “Border Song,” the 23-year-old British singer-songwriter’s setlist included “Your Song,” “Take Me to the Pilot,” and a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women.” The Los Angeles show, which kicked off a 17-date US tour, was attended by the likes of Don Henley, Quincy Jones, and Leon Russell.

In 2001, 22-year-old R&B star and actress Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas, while shooting a music video for her single “Rock the Boat.” The artist, who rose to fame as a teenager in 1994 with her multi-platinum debut, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, had recently released her third studio album, Aaliyah. The record would go on to sell more than 13 million copies worldwide, following her tragic death.

In 1957, Paul Anka, who was just shy of his 16th birthday, became the first teenage solo act to reach No. 1 with the single “Diana,” written about his brother’s babysitter. The Canadian Music Hall of Famer would go on to find major success as a singer and songwriter over the following decades.

In 2000, the Academy Award-winning composer, songwriter, musician, arranger, and producer Jack Nitzsche died of a heart attack at age 63. As a producer, Nitzsche worked with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, The Walker Brothers, and Buffalo Springfield, while he scored such films as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Exorcist.

BORN ON AUGUST 25

1918: Leonard Bernstein
1933: Wayne Shorter
1942: Walter Williams (The O’Jays)
1949: Gene Simmons (KISS)
1951: Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
1954: Elvis Costello
1961: Billy Ray Cyrus
1967: Jeff Tweedy

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On August 24, 1975, Queen began recording their operatic masterpiece, “Bohemian Rhapsody” at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales. Frontman Freddie Mercury, who wrote the ambitious song, directed the band during the sessions. Mercury, May, and Taylor sang their parts for 10-12 hours a day over a three-week period, resulting in 180 separate overdubs. The six-minute suite has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was named the most-streamed song of the 20th century.

In 1963, Stevie Wonder became the first artist to top Billboard’s album and pop charts in the same week. The young R&B star accomplished the achievement with his live album, Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius, and single “Fingertips. (Part 2),” which also marked the first-ever live recording to top the Hot 100.

In 2021, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died at the age of 80 in London. As a founding member of the legendary rock band, Watts began his nearly six-decade-long tenure with the Stones in 1963. Together, they would rise to become one of the biggest and longest-running acts in the world. Considered to be among the greatest drummers of all time, Watts was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the UK Music Hall of Fame, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award alongside his bandmates.

In 2019, Billie Eilish’s single “bad guy” topped the Billboard Hot 100, ending the record-breaking, 19-week run of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road.” Released in March, Eilish’s song marked the fifth single off her debut, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and was co-written with her brother, FINNEAS. In 2020, “bad guy” won Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

In 1981, Mark Chapman received a prison sentence of 20 years for the murder of John Lennon. On December 8, 1980, Chapman shot Lennon five times at close range in New York City, just hours after the former Beatle had autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for him. Lennon was pronounced dead that evening. His widow, Yoko Ono, later scattered his ashes in Central Park.

In 1966, The Doors began recording their self-titled debut at Sunset Sound Recording Studios in Los Angeles. It was released in January 1967 and featured the extended version of their single “Light My Fire.” Both the LP and single have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, while the album was selected by the Library of Congress to be included in the National Recording Registry in 2015.

BORN ON AUGUST 24

1938: David Frieberg (Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship)
1942: Marshall Thompson (The Chi-Lites)
1948: Jean-Michel Jarre (electronic composer)
1951: Michael Derosier (Heart)
1954: Steve Holley (Wings)
1961: Mark Bedford (Madness)
1968: Andreas Kisser (Sepultura)

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