This Week in Music History | August 10 – 16

August 13, 2020

It was a pivotal moment in popular music history as well as a defining event for the counterculture generation.
The festival was attended by over 400,000 people.
It featured Jimi Hendrix, Santana, The Who, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Band, and many more.
During the three days there were three deaths, two births, and four miscarriages.
Rolling Stone magazine listed it as #19 of the 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll.

They made prominent use of synthesizer on the album, particularly on “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Baba O’Riley”.
It’s been viewed by critics as the Who’s best record and one of the greatest rock albums of all time.
In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it 28th on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The album immediately put the band on the rock & roll map.
It contained Skynyrd classics like “Tuesday’s Gone”, “Simple Man”, and “Free Bird.”
“Free Bird” achieved the #3 spot on Guitar World’s list of 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.
It became Skynyrd’s signature (and longest) song, as well as their live performance finale.
The album was certified gold on December 18, 1974 and double platinum on July 21, 1987 by the RIAA.

He was found dead lying on the floor in his bathroom by his girlfriend Ginger Alden.
Elvis holds the record for the most entries on the US Hot 100 chart with 154.
He starred in 31 films.
Elvis became the first rock & roll artist to be honored by the US Postal Service with a stamp.
On the 20th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death over 30,000 fans descended on Memphis for a 10-minute mourning circuit circling his grave.

It was the last album released by the band while John Bonham was still alive.
The album title describes Zeppelin’s recent struggles with the taxation exile they incurred in the UK.
The exile resulted in the band being unable to tour on British soil for over two years.
The album went to #1 on Billboard’s chart in its second week and reportedly sold 1.7 million copies within days of its release.
It was credited with helping to revive the US record industry, which had begun to struggle.

It debuted at #1 in ten countries and spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200.
It was Metallica’s first album to top the album charts.
It featured hits like “Enter Sandman”, “The Unforgiven”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “Wherever I May Roam”, and “Sad But True”.
Metallica is one of the best-selling albums worldwide since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began.
The album was certified 16× platinum by the RIAA in 2012.
It’s sold over sixteen million copies in the United States.

She was known as ‘The Queen of Soul’ and one of the best-selling musical artists of all time.
She has sold more than 75 million records worldwide.
During her career, she scored over 15 Top 40 hits and won 18 Grammy Awards®.
She was known for hits like “Respect”, “I Say A Little Prayer”, and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”.
In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her #1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

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