This Day in Music
On this day in music, January 21, 1978, the defining soundtrack of the disco era, Saturday Night Fever, began a 24-week run at the top of the US album chart. Released in November 1977, several weeks before the John Travolta film hit theaters, the Bee Gees-led double LP spawned multiple No.1 hits, including “Night Fever,” “Stayin’ Alive,” and “If I Can’t Have You.” The record went on to win Album of the Year at the 1979 Grammy Awards and eventually sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling soundtracks album of all time, second only to The Bodyguard.
In 2012, Adele topped the Billboard 200 with her second studio album, 21. The LP yielded five hit singles, including “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You,” and “Set Fire to the Rain.” The monumental album has since sold more than 31 million copies worldwide.
In 1968, the talents of two great artists intertwined when Jimi Hendrix and the Experience recorded their stunning version of the Bob Dylan song “All Along the Watchtower” at London’s Olympic Studios. Joining the band was the Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones (percussion) and Traffic’s Dave Mason (twelve-string guitar). Now a classic rock staple, the track was released as a single in the US, where it became Hendrix’s highest-charting song, peaking at No.20.
In 2002, pioneering singer, songwriter, and actress Peggy Lee died at the age of 81. With a career that spanned more than 60 years, Lee recorded more than 60 albums and 1000 songs, including her signature hits “Fever” (1958) and the Grammy-winning “Is That All There Is?” (1969). The hugely influential and versatile artist was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1999 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1995 Grammys.
BORN ON JANUARY 21
1938: Wolfman Jack (DJ)
1941: Richie Havens
1941: Placido Domingo
1942: Edwin Starr
1950: Billy Ocean
1965: Jam Master Jay (Run DMC)
1973: Chris Kilmore (Incubus)
1976: Emma Bunton (The Spice Girls)
1980: Benjamin Moody (Evanescence)
