This Day in Music
On August 24, 1975, Queen began recording their operatic masterpiece, “Bohemian Rhapsody” at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales. Frontman Freddie Mercury, who wrote the ambitious song, directed the band during the sessions. Mercury, May, and Taylor sang their parts for 10-12 hours a day over a three-week period, resulting in 180 separate overdubs. The six-minute suite has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was named the most-streamed song of the 20th century.
In 1963, Stevie Wonder became the first artist to top Billboard’s album and pop charts in the same week. The young R&B star accomplished the achievement with his live album, Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius, and single “Fingertips. (Part 2),” which also marked the first-ever live recording to top the Hot 100.
In 2021, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died at the age of 80 in London. As a founding member of the legendary rock band, Watts began his nearly six-decade-long tenure with the Stones in 1963. Together, they would rise to become one of the biggest and longest-running acts in the world. Considered to be among the greatest drummers of all time, Watts was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the UK Music Hall of Fame, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award alongside his bandmates.
In 2019, Billie Eilish’s single “bad guy” topped the Billboard Hot 100, ending the record-breaking, 19-week run of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road.” Released in March, Eilish’s song marked the fifth single off her debut, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and was co-written with her brother, FINNEAS. In 2020, “bad guy” won Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards.
In 1981, Mark Chapman received a prison sentence of 20 years for the murder of John Lennon. On December 8, 1980, Chapman shot Lennon five times at close range in New York City, just hours after the former Beatle had autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for him. Lennon was pronounced dead that evening. His widow, Yoko Ono, later scattered his ashes in Central Park.
In 1966, The Doors began recording their self-titled debut at Sunset Sound Recording Studios in Los Angeles. It was released in January 1967 and featured the extended version of their single “Light My Fire.” Both the LP and single have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, while the album was selected by the Library of Congress to be included in the National Recording Registry in 2015.
BORN ON AUGUST 24
1938: David Frieberg (Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship)
1942: Marshall Thompson (The Chi-Lites)
1948: Jean-Michel Jarre (electronic composer)
1951: Michael Derosier (Heart)
1954: Steve Holley (Wings)
1961: Mark Bedford (Madness)
1968: Andreas Kisser (Sepultura)
