This Week in Music History | August 3 - 9

This Week in Music History | August 3 – 9

August 3, 2020

It was the only album made under founding member Syd Barrett’s leadership.
The record has been recognized as one of the seminal psychedelic rock albums of the ‘60s.
It was recorded at the Abbey Road studios during the same time that The Beatles were recording Sgt. Pepper.
The band’s use of LSD played a major influence on the psychedelic sound of the album.

It was their first album to reach #1 in the US.
The album featured the title track and ‘Bad Moon Rising’, both of which were major hits in the US.
John Fogerty has stated many times that Green River is his favorite Creedence album.
In 2003, Green River was ranked #95 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The band featured Joan Jett, future Bangle Micki Steele, Sandy West and Lita Ford.
They became a sensation overseas, especially in Japan, thanks to the hit single “Cherry Bomb”.
Kristen Stewart played Joan Jett in the 2010 film about The Runaways, simply titled, The Runaways.
After they broke up, Joan Jett went on to become one of the most successful women in rock ‘n’ roll.

The album is considered one of the best Talking Heads releases.
It’s “an eclectic mix of disco rhythms, cinematic soundscapes, and conventional rock music elements.”
The album was featured in several publications’ lists of the best albums of all time.

The title refers to Rick Allen’s ‘84 car accident and the worldwide media coverage surrounding it.
It became their best selling album to date, selling over 20 million copies worldwide.
“Pour Some Sugar on Me” propelled the album to #1 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart.
“This record was not going to come out until it was an absolute, bonafide classic record.”

It was gangsta rap’s first platinum certification by the RIAA, selling over 1 million copies by July of ‘89.
The track “F–k tha Police” drew an FBI agent’s warning letter, which aided N.W.A’s notoriety.
The biopic film Straight Outta Compton reinvigorated album sales, which by year’s end reached 3x Platinum.
In 2016, it became the first rap album inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
“On Straight Outta Compton we were really trying to out-rap each other.”
“Competing with each other to be the best on the songs, that helped elevate the whole album.”
During the time of the album, the Chief of the LAPD had declared a war on gangs.
“When you’re a young black teenager that’s mistaken for a gang member, it’s not so good…”
“Because now you have police basically saying, ‘We’re at war with you’, and they showed it.”
“They were heavy-handed and pushed, pushed, pushed, and we had no defense.”
The only defense we had was a song.”
“I’m glad we did it because it’s now a part of history in a way.”

As one of its founders, Garcia performed with the Grateful Dead for their entire 30-year career (1965–1995).
Later in life, Garcia struggled with diabetes, obesity, smoking, and longstanding heroin and cocaine addictions.
Garcia was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead in 1994.
He was ranked 13th in Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.

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