This Day in Music
On this day in music, May 7, 1977, the Eagles topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Hotel California,” their fourth No.1 hit in the US. At six-and-a-half minutes long, the record company hesitated to release it, but the band refused to shorten the song to accommodate for radio airplay. Described by the band as an “interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles,” it became their signature hit, receiving a Gold certification from the RIAA three months after its release. The title track of their 1976 album was awarded the 1977 Grammy for Record of the Year, while its guitar solo remains one of the greatest of all time.
In 1968, while flying back to the UK after his final show with Bluesology, Elton John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight) devised his stage name. In the cabin, the singer-songwriter asked Bluesology’s horn player, Elton Dean, and lead singer Long John Baldry if he could combine their names for his solo act. After several years of performing under the pseudonym, the artist legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John on January 7, 1972. He has since sold over 300 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
In 1966, The Mamas & the Papas topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Monday, Monday.” The first hit with a day of the week in its title, “Monday, Monday” was also the first single by a mixed-gender group to reach No.1 in the US. Written in 20 minutes by “Papa” John Philips, the group reportedly all hated the song aside from its songwriter. But Philips had the last laugh: in addition to its chart success, “Monday, Monday” also won the 1967 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
In 1974, Led Zeppelin held a launch party at New York City’s Four Seasons Hotel to celebrate their new label, Swan Song Records. Overseen by manager Peter Grant, Swan Song released several Led Zeppelin records and was home to Bad Company, Maggie Bell, Pretty Things, and Dave Edmunds, among many others.
In 1971, Arnold Corns, a band formed by David Bowie, released “Moonage Daydream.” Bowie later rerecorded the single for his 1972 record, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The song shares its title with a 2022 documentary on Bowie, which was the first posthumous film about his life to be approved by his estate.
In 1998, singer-songwriter Eddie Rabbitt died at age 56 of lung cancer. During his career, he composed numerous hits, including Elvis Presley’s “Kentucky Rain” and “Patch It Up,” as well as Ronnie Milsap’s “Pure Love.” His last studio album was released in 1998.
BORN ON MAY 7
1931: Teresa Brewer
1946: Thelma Houston
1946: Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead)
1955: Steve Diggle (Buzzcocks)
1969: Eagle Eye Cherry
1974: Lynden David Hall
1986: Matt Helders (Arctic Monkeys)
