This Day in Music

On this day in music, January 15, 2018, Irish singer-songwriter Dolores O’Riordan, known best as the frontwoman of The Cranberries, died unexpectedly at the age of 46. Rising to fame with the band’s 1993 breakthrough album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, O’Riordan immediately stood out with her unique vocals – particularly her use of traditional “keening” and yodeling, as heard on such defining alt-rock hits as “Zombie,” “Linger,” and “Dreams.” With the Cranberries, O’Riordan released seven studio albums, as well as the posthumous In The End.

In 1983, Australian new wavers Men At Work began a four-week run at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Down Under.” Originally released in 1980, the song was re-recorded when the band signed to Colombia Records. Over the next two years, the upbeat track spread across the globe and finally debuted on the US pop charts in November 1982. Thanks to the success of the single, the group became the first Australian act to have a simultaneous No.1 hit and a No.1 album (Business as Usual) in America.

In 1965, The Who released their first single, “I Can’t Explain.” The enduring mod favorite, which featured a young Jimmy Page on guitar, eventually peaked at No.8 on the UK pop chart.

In 1994, the prolific singer-songwriter, Harry Nilsson, died at the age of 52, following a heart attack. In addition to releasing the very first remix album (1971’s Aerial Pandemonium Ballet), Nilsson was best known for such hits as “Everybody’s Talking” (from the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack), the oft-covered “Without You,” and the whimsical “Coconut.” Considered to be among one of the greatest songwriters of all time by a variety of outlets, Nilsson was also a well-documented favorite of The Beatles.

In 1977, the Eagles scored their third No.1 album in the US with Hotel California. One of the best-selling albums of all time, Hotel California marked the group’s fifth studio LP and featured such enduring hits as “Life in the Fast Lane,” “New Kid in Town,” and the title track. The album earned the band multiple Grammy nods and catapulted The Eagles to new heights of fame.

In 1972, Don McLean’s epic folk-rock ballad, “American Pie,” began a four-week run at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The song, which laments the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper, became an enduring hit for McLean and struck a deep chord, culturally, for years to come.

In 1972, Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100. The hard-rocking track spent eight weeks on the chart, eventually peaking at No.8. The song’s title was inspired by a black labrador retriever, who visited the group at the recording studio during their sessions.

In 1961, soul history was made when The Supremes signed a recording contract with Motown Records. Helping to make the Detroit label a household name, The Supremes became Motown’s most successful act (not to mention one of the biggest girl groups of all time) releasing 12 chart-topping hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

BORN ON JANUARY 15

1893: Ivor Novello (Songwriter)
1941: Don Van Vilet (Captain Beefheart)
1948: Ronnie Van Zandt (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
1953: Douglas Elwin Erikson (Garbage)
1965: Adam Jones (Tool)
1967: Lisa Valez (Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam)