This Day in Music
On October 2, 2017, Tom Petty was pronounced dead at the age of 66, just days after performing a hometown show with the Heartbreakers at the Hollywood Bowl. Fans around the globe mourned the loss of the beloved singer and songwriter, whose catalog of hits spanned four decades. Petty rose to fame with the Heartbreakers in 1977, with whom he released such enduring favorites as “American Girl,” “Breakdown,” “Don’t Do Me Like That,” and “Refugee.” In 1987, the artist embarked on a solo career, topping Billboard’s rock charts with singles like “Free Fallin’” and “I Won’t Back Down,” while in 1988, he joined the supergroup Travelling Wilburys, alongside Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Bob Dylan. Petty continued to tour and record both as a solo artist and with the Heartbreakers until his death.
In 1995, Oasis released their record-breaking sophomore album, (What’s The Story), Morning Glory, which debuted at No.1 in the UK. In addition to featuring such genre-defining hits as “Wonderwall,” “Champagne Supernova,” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” the Britpop classic became the UK’s highest-selling album of the decade and the second-longest charting album on the UK charts. With more than 22 million copies sold worldwide, it also remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.
In 1970, Pink Floyd released their fifth studio album, Atom Heart Mother, which went on to become their first to reach No.1 in the UK.
In 1982, Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett rejoined Genesis after their departures in 1975 and 1977, respectively, for a one-off benefit performance at The Milton Keynes Bowl in Buckinghamshire, England. To this day, it’s the only time Peter Gabriel has sang Genesis songs onstage after leaving the band.
In 1998, Gene Autry, who was known as “The Singing Cowboy,” died at the age of 91. The only performer to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in all five categories (music, film, TV, radio, and live performance), Autry’s influence was far-reaching. In addition to appearing in 93 films and hosting The Gene Autry Show in the 50s, Autry was a pioneering country artist, known for such hits as ‘Back in the Saddle Again” and “At Mail Call Today.” The Country Music Hall of Famer also lent his voice to several Christmas classics, including “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty The Snowman,” and “Here Comes Santa Claus.”
In 1982, British-Jamaican reggae group Musical Youth hit the top of the UK pop charts with “Pass The Dutchie,” off their debut album, The Youth of Today. To avoid being banned for a drug reference, the group swapped any references to marijuana for food, including “kutchie” (slang for a marijuana pipe) to “dutchie” (slang for a Dutch oven cooking pot).
In 1983, Bonnie Tyler became the first Welsh artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 with her enduring hit, “Total Eclipse Of The Heart.” Written and produced by Jim Steinman (Meat Loaf, Air Supply, Barry Manilow), the song originally clocked in at just over seven minutes long, but was shortened to four minutes and thirty seconds to be more radio-friendly. Steinman said the song was written as a “vampire love story,” and was initially intended to be part of a Nosferatu musical he was working on.
In 1961, Phil Spector and Lester Sill released The Crystals’ “Oh Yeah Maybe Baby” as the first single under their new label, Philles. A little over a year later, The Crystals achieved their first No.1 hit under the label with “He’s A Rebel.”
In 2002, Robbie Williams signed the most lucrative British record deal in history with EMI records for a whopping £80m.
BORN ON OCTOBER 2
1945: Don McLean
1949: Richard Hell
1951: Sting
1955: Phil Oakey (Human League)
1969: Badly Drawn Boy
1971: Jim Root (Slipknot)
1971: Tiffany
1988: Brittany Howard
