This Day in Music: March 13th

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Born on this day:

1933, Mike Stoller, songwriter
1939, Neil Sedaka, singer, songwriter
1959, Ronnie Rogers, guitar, T’Pau
1960, Adam Clayton, bass, U2
1972, Common, rapper
1973, David Draiman, vocals, Disturbed

1964, Billboard reported that sales of Beatles singles currently accounted for 60 percent of the U.S. singles market and The Beatles’ album, Meet the Beatles, had reached a record 3.5 million copies sold.

1965, Eric Clapton quit The Yardbirds due to musical differences with the other band members. Clapton wanted to continue in a blues-type vein, while the rest of the band preferred the more commercial style of their first hit, “For Your Love.”

1971, Brewer and Shipley entered the U.S. singles chart with “One Toke Over the Line.” The song, which featured The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia on steel guitar, peaked at #10 despite being banned by radio stations for drug references. Brewer and Shipley maintained that the word “toke” meant token, as in ticket – hence the line “waitin’ downtown at the railway station, one toke over the line.”

1976, The Four Seasons started a three-week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “December 1963 (Oh What a Night),” the group’s fifth U.S. #1. It also was their only U.K. #1.

1985, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure received the best-selling A-side award at the 30th Ivor Novello Awards for “Do They Know it’s Christmas.”

1987, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1998, English reggae and ska artist Judge Dread (Alex Hughes) died after collapsing as he walked off stage in Canterbury, England. He achieved 10 U.K. hit singles during the ’70s and was the first white recording artist to have a reggae hit in Jamaica. Dread has the most banned radio songs of all time.

1999, Cher started a four-week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Believe,” making Cher, at 53, the oldest woman to top the Hot 100.

2006, The Sex Pistols refused to attend their own induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Blondie, Herb Alpert, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Miles Davis and Black Sabbath were also inducted. For more on this story, see This Day in Music Spotlight.

2007, Coffee house Starbucks announced the launch of its own music label, saying it would sign both established and new artists. The chain, which had 13,000 stores worldwide, had already released albums under its Hear Music brand, licensing songs from other companies. Starbucks bosses said the label would now become more independent and that music fit the firm’s identity.

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