This Day in Music
On this day in music, May 8, 1970, The Beatles released their 12th and final album, Let It Be, nearly a month after their disbandment. Recorded before Abbey Road and initially titled Get Back, Paul McCartney devised the record in an attempt to restore the band’s chemistry after friction within the quartet. Lead single “Get Back” was issued in April 1969, while “Let It Be” and “I Me Mine” were recorded in January 1970 without John Lennon. Despite the controversy surrounding the album, it went on to be a best-seller, topping charts around the globe.
In 2016, a recently-departed Prince held the top two spots on the Billboard albums chart with The Very Best of Prince and Purple Rain. Born Prince Rogers Nelson, the legendary singer, songwriter, and guitarist died on April 21, 2016, at the age of 57. Today, he is recognized as one of the biggest recording artists of all time, selling over 100 million records worldwide.
In 1993, Aerosmith’s 11th studio album, Get A Grip, topped the Billboard 200, marking the long-running band’s first to hit the No.1 position. Selling over 20 million copies worldwide, it re-introduced Aerosmith to a new generation of fans, thanks to hits like “Cryin’” and the Grammy-winning “Livin’ on the Edge” and “Crazy.”
In 1982, Vangelis’ “Chariots of Fire – Titles,” the theme to the film Chariots of Fire, topped the US singles chart. The now-classic instrumental track marked the Greek composer’s first and only No.1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2008, country artist Eddy Arnold died a week before his 90th birthday. A Nashville sound innovator of the 1950s, Arnold sold over 85 million records and placed nearly 150 songs on the Billboard country charts. Also known as “The Tennessee Plowboy,” he was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 2014, rock‘n’roll pioneer Chuck Berry was named one of the 2014 Polar Music Prize laureates. The Swedish international award recognizes “significant achievements in music and/or musical activity, or for achievements which are found to be of great potential importance for music or musical activity” and has been called the Sweden “Nobel Prize of Music.”
BORN ON MAY 8
1911: Robert Johnson
1940: Ricky Nelson
1943: Toni Tennille (Captain & Tennille)
1944: Bill Legend (T. Rex)
1951: Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire)
1953: Alex Van Halen (Van Halen)
1975: Enrique Iglesias
1977: Joe Bonamassa
