On September 10, 1991, Nirvana’s breakthrough single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” was released in the US. But the song, which appeared on their sophomore album, Nevermind, was not an immediate hit. It wasn’t until its accompanying music video – in which a high school pep rally breaks out into a riot – began to pick up traction on MTV that the song rose up the charts. By the end of the year, it had become an international sensation, landing in the Top Ten on the singles charts in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and across Europe. Dubbed an “anthem for apathetic” Gen X kids by TIME Magazine, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” also propelled Nevermind to the top of the charts, marking the moment when alternative rock (and particularly grunge) entered the mainstream.
In 1988, Guns N’ Roses scored their first US No.1 with “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” The song came together in a surprising way, according to 2005 article in Q Magazine. During a jam session, drummer Steven Adler and Slash were noodling around, when the guitarist began to play a circus-style melody, trying to get Adler to crack a smile. Rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, however, saw the potential in the guitar line. Stradlin came up with some chords, Duff McKagan added a bassline, and Adler began playing a beat…The rest is history.
In 1974, The New York Dolls announced their split. While the group was only together for two years (during which they released two studio albums, 1973’s New York Dolls and 1974’s Too Much Too Soon) their influence would endure for far longer.
In 1964, Rod Stewart recorded his first single, a cover of Willie Dixon’s “Good Morning Little School Girl.” Future Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones played on the session.
BORN ON SEPTEMBER 10
1898: Waldo Semon (Inventor of vinyl)
1942: Danny Hutton (Three Dog Night)
1945: Jose Feliciano
1949: Barrie Barlow (Jethro Tull)
1950: Joe Perry (Aerosmith)
1957: Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama)
1980: Mikey Way (My Chemical Romance)
1984: Matthew Followill (Kings of Leon)
A busy summer of activities wrapped up for Litchfield Community Education by mid-August and now the fall activities are in full swing. Early Childhood classes are also underway.
Litchfield Community Education Director Grant Solem says you can still get registered for activities. He says Dragons Kids Club is full, but there may be openings some days.
Solem says youth recreation activities such as football, volleyball and gymnastics are underway and there are activities such as pickle ball available for adults. He says he’s working on some activities – utilizing the new Litchfield Area Recreation Center.
Solem says there is a bus trip scheduled for December 4th to see “Phantom of the Opera” at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Minneapolis. He says you can get more details on Litchfield Community Education activities by calling 693-2354 or on the Community Education link on the Litchfield School District website.
On September 9, 1956, Elvis Presley made his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Love Me Tender,” and “Ready Teddy” from the CBS TV Studios in Los Angeles. On the show, Presley, who was only 21 years old, was introduced by British actor Charles Laughton, who was playing host for Sullivan, as he was recovering from a car accident. With the performance of “Love Me Tender,” Variety reported that, “For the first time in the history of the record business, a single record has achieved one million sales before being released to the public.” With 60 million viewers – or 82.6 percent of TV viewers at the time – tuning in, the performance earned the show’s best ratings in two years and became the most-watched TV broadcast of the 1950s.
In 2007, Taylor Swift released “Our Song,” the third single from her self-titled debut. It became Swift’s first No.1 single on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, where it maintained the position for six consecutive weeks. The accomplishment also broke new records, making Swift the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a No.1 song on the chart. Additionally, “Our Song” crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100 – peaking at number 16 and becoming the third consecutive Top 40 single off Swift’s debut.
In 1995, Coolio scored his first US No.1 single with “Gangsta’s Paradise (Feat. L.V.).” The song, which earned a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance, sampled the chorus of the 1976 Stevie Wonder song, “Pastime Paradise,” and was featured in the 1995 movie Dangerous Minds.
In 2004, guitar maker and entrepreneur Ernie Ball died at the age of 74. In the late 50s, Ball opened America’s first guitar store in Tarzana, CA. He also developed guitar strings called Slinkys, specifically designed for the electric guitar. Eventually, he would grow his business into a global, multimillion-dollar enterprise.
In 1975, Paul McCartney and Wings kicked off their historic 13-month world tour – captured in the triple live album, Wings Over America. The run of dates also found McCartney playing his first US shows since The Beatles’ final tour in 1966.
In 1963, The Beatles scored their second No.1 hit in the UK with “She Loves You.” Concurrently, their debut album, Please Please Me, was also atop the UK album chart. “She Loves You” became The Beatles’ best-selling single in the UK, and was also named Britain’s best-selling single of 1963.
BORN ON SEPTEMBER 9
1941: Otis Redding
1946: Bruce Palmer (Buffalo Springfield)
1950: John McFee (The Doobie Brothers)
1952: Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)
1975: Michael Bublé
