This Day in Music
On this day in music, March 19, 2005, rapper 50 Cent wrote himself into the history books by becoming the first solo artist to have three singles in the US Top 5 at the same time. His song “Candy Shop” – from his second album, the multi-platinum The Massacre – bagged the No.1 slot while at No. 4 was “How We Do” by fellow rapper, The Game, which he had a guest spot on. At No. 5 was another track from The Massacre: “Disco Inferno,” not to be confused with The Trammps’ 70s dancefloor anthem.
In 2018, Drake smashed first-day streaming records on both Apple Music and Spotify with the single “God’s Plan,” his fourth US No.1 and the first single from his fifth studio album, Scorpion. The hit, which topped the charts in 14 countries around the globe, was the most-streamed song of 2018.
In 2015, Ed Sheeran’s second album x (aka multiply) equaled a feat held by Adele, Emeli Sandé, Take That, and Michael Bublé during the same decade by racking up two million UK sales. The album stayed at No.1 in the UK for 12 weeks and went on to spend 74 consecutive weeks in the Top 10, surpassing the 71-week record held by Adele’s 21.
In 1982, Randy Rhoads – a founding member of Quiet Riot and guitarist with Ozzy Osbourne, died in a plane crash. While he was only 25 at the time of his death, Rhoads was considered to be one of metal’s most innovative musicians, who popularized a variety of techniques, including two-handed tapping and dive bombs.
In 2006, Colombian pop singer Shakira became the first artist to release a single in the form of an exclusive cell phone download. The track was “Hips Don’t Lie,” which later went on general release and shot to No.1. It became the most-played pop song during a single week in US radio history, racking up 9,637 plays in seven days.
1962, Bob Dylan‘s self-titled debut album was released in the US by Columbia Records. Produced by the legendary John Hammond – who discovered Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Bruce Springsteen – it was largely ignored on its release. Its disappointing sales saw Columbia executives describe it as “Hammond’s Folly.”
BORN ON MARCH 19:
1928: Clarence Paul (Producer)
1944: Tom Constanten (Grateful Dead)
1946: Ruth Pointer (The Pointer Sisters)
1953: Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big)
1953: Ricky Wilson (The B-52’s)
1959: Terry Hall (The Specials)
