This Day in Music
On this day in music, March 3, 1986, Metallica released their masterpiece Master of Puppets. Widely considered to be the best metal album of all time, Master of Puppets marked the band’s third studio album and final record to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in an accident during the album’s promotional tour. Upon its release, the album was met with critical and commercial success, peaking at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 – thanks in part to the Top 40 title track. The album was eventually certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA and became the first metal LP to be preserved in the National Recording Registry in 2015.
In 1966, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay formed the pioneering band Buffalo Springfield, which blended folk and country flavors with psychedelic rock. Taking their name from a steamroller parked outside their Los Angeles home, they added Canadian musicians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, and Dewey Martin to the lineup. The influential band is best remembered for their third single, “For What It’s Worth,” a counterculture anthem that was a Top 10 US hit.
In 1965, guitarist Eric Clapton played his last show with The Yardbirds. Leaving to join John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, he recommended the band hire future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, who declined and suggested Jeff Beck, who played his first gig with the band two days after Clapton’s departure.
In 1972, Elton John released “Rocket Man,” co-written with lyricist Bernie Taupin, which became one of his best-loved songs. A taster of his album Honky Château, it rose to No.2 on the UK Singles Chart and No.6 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
In 2005, 50 Cent followed up his sextuple platinum debut, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, with The Massacre, which moved over 1.4 million copies within four days of its release and achieved quadruple platinum sales figures in two months. The album spawned five Top 5 US singles, the most successful of which was the chart-topping “Candy Shop.”
In 1973, British glam rockers Slade saw their tenth single “Cum On Feel The Noize” go straight to the top of the UK charts on its release, a feat that had not happened since The Beatles with “Get Back” in 1969.
In 2009, U2 marked the release of their twelfth album No Line On The Horizon by appearing for five consecutive nights on The Late Show With David Letterman. They were also honored by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who temporarily renamed part of 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan “U2 Way.”
BORN ON MARCH 3
1923: Doc Watson
1927: Junior Parker
1947: Jennifer Warnes
1948: Terence ‘Snowy’ White
1953: Robyn Hitchcock
1966: Tone-Loc
1977: Ronan Keating
1997: Camila Cabello
