This Day in Music
In 1997, 24-year-old rapper Notorious B.I.G. was shot and fatally wounded as he was traveling back to his hotel after leaving a Los Angeles awards party. Born Christopher Wallace, the artist – also known as Biggie Smalls – was a gangster rap icon and regarded by many as one of hip-hop’s finest MCs. He topped the Billboard Hot 100 twice in 1997 with the singles “Hypnotise” and “Mo Money Mo Problems” and was commemorated by his wife, R&B singer Faith Evans, with the transatlantic chart-topper “I’ll Be Missing You,” based on a sample of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.”
In 1987, U2 released The Joshua Tree, their first album to top the US charts. In addition to becoming the fastest-selling album in the UK, where it spent 201 weeks on the Official Charts, it also had the distinction of being the first album to sell a million copies in the recently introduced CD format.
In 1968, Bob Dylan’s eighth album John Wesley Harding began a ten-week chart-topping run in the UK. The album included Dylan’s original version of “All Along The Watchtower,” a hit later that year for Jimi Hendrix. While the LP stalled at No. 2 in the US, stuck behind The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour, it went gold after three months.
In 1985, the Liverpool group Dead Or Alive reached No.1 after 17 weeks on the UK chart with “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record).” The track also marked the debut chart-topper for the London-based production team Stock, Aitken & Waterman, who went on to rack up over 100 Top 40 UK hits.
In 1991, The Clash scored their only UK No.1 with “Should I Stay Or Should I Go,” reissued after it was used in a Levi’s jeans commercial. The track first appeared on the London punk band’s 1982 album, Combat Rock, and originally made No.17 in the UK singles chart.
In 1966, The Beach Boys began recording “God Only Knows,” which opened side two of their acclaimed Pet Sounds album and reached No. 2 in the UK singles chart. In the US, the song was relegated to the B-side of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” due to record company fears that the word “God” in its title might prove controversial.
In 1996, British boy band Take That racked up their eighth UK No.1 with a cover of the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love.” It was the Mancunian quartet’s final single before they split up.
BORN ON MARCH 9
1930: Ornette Coleman
1942: John Cale (Velvet Underground)
1945: Robin Trower (Procol Harum)
1958: Martin Fry (ABC)
1968: Robert Sledge (Ben Folds Five)
1980: Chingy
1985: Wretch 32
1993: Suga (BTS)
