This Day in Music
On this day in music, May 18, 2017, 52-year-old singer, songwriter, and grunge icon Chris Cornell took his own life while on tour. Known best as the frontman for Soundgarden, the Seattle-born artist was a force in the local rock scene, beginning in the mid-80s. In 1994, Soundgarden rose to international fame with their fourth album, Superunknown, which featured their signature hit, “Black Hole Sun.” Beyond Soundgarden, the three-time Grammy winner enjoyed a successful solo career, while he was also the frontman and founder of Temple of the Dog (with members of Pearl Jam) and served as the lead vocalist in the supergroup Audioslave.
In 1980, 23-year-old Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis took his own life, just one day before the Manchester band was set to embark on their first North American tour. While the group only released two albums, 1979’s Unknown Pleasures and Closer, which arrived two months after Curtis’ death, Joy Division’s brand of danceable, gothic-tinged post-punk would influence several generations of musicians.
In 1993, Janet Jackson set new first-week sales records with her fifth studio album, janet. Her first LP to debut at the top of the Billboard 200, janet. sold 350,000 copies in its first week – more than any other title by a solo female artist at that time. The album, which produced a historic six Top 10 hits (including “That’s the Way Love Goes,” “Again,” and “If”) also topped the charts in Canada, Australia, and the UK, cementing Jackson’s status as a global superstar.
In 1985, Simple Minds had the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” The song – now a new wave classic – was featured prominently in John Hughes’ blockbuster teen drama, The Breakfast Club.
In 1975, country star Tammy Wynette topped the UK pop chart with “Stand by Your Man.” The enduring hit was originally recorded and released in the US in 1968, where it spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard country chart and peaked in Hot 100’s Top 20. The song, which has since become a country standard, would go on to earn Wynette a Grammy Award.
In 2008 Manchester pop duo The Ting Tings scored their first UK No.1 single with “That’s Not My Name.” The breakout hit, which appeared on their debut album, was a global sensation, selling more than one million digital copies, landing in the Top 10 across Europe and Australia, and peaking in the US Top 40.
BORN ON MAY 18
1911: Big Joe Turner
1912: Perry Como
1942: Albert Hammond
1950: Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo)
1952: George Strait
1953: Butch Tavares (Tavares)
1954: Wreckless Eric
1957: Enigma
1969: Martika
1975: Jack Johnson
