Music History X 08.04.09: August 4 - 10

Posted by Jacob Leo on 08.04.2009

Come inside and see me discuss some of the biggest happening in history including The Beatles, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Cypress Hill, and Guns N' Roses among others. Come check it out!

Hello ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the newest edition of your favorite music history column, Music History X. Thank you for joining us and I know that you won't be disappointed with the column I have in store for you today. Before I get started though I want to reference my column last week. If you recall, I whored myself out for comments (which is something I'm not very proud of) and yet my strategy did not work. This week in order to get comments I'll try the reverse psychology approach then. I don't need your comments anyway. I'm warning you, don't leave any. I hate comments.

There that should work, and away we go…

August 4 - Fun with Charts

As much as I would love to talk about Prince hitting #1 with the album Purple Rain on this date in 1984, there is something else that I believe overshadows that accomplishment. In 1958 Billboard created a way to chart singles that is still around today, this chart being known as the ‘Hot 100 Singles Chart‘. Before the Hot 100, there were 3 main charts released weekly: 1) Best Sellers in Stores, 2) Most Played by Jockeys, and 3) Most Played in Jukeboxes. These 3 charts were always considered equal in importance as far as the success of a single is concerned, until 1955 when Billboard created the Top 100 chart which included all 3 charts in 1. Within two years, the prominence of the jukebox waned and the ‘Most Played in Jukeboxes' chart was discontinued. The following year, the ‘Most played by Jockeys' and ‘Top 100' charts were stopped after problems with the Top 100's point system arose. It was at this time that Billboard decided to make a new multi-genre chart that included all singles and when they fixed the point system (by making sales worth more then airplay) then they debuted the ‘Hot 100 Singles Chart'. It was quick to become the industry standard and the ‘Best Sellers in Stores' chart stopped within a year making the Hot 100 the only chart in town so-to-speak. Since its beginnings, the Hot 100 has seen the top singles put on an equal playing field and its top 10 slots have been highly coveted. Even though more charts have since arisen, the Hot 100 has stood its ground as the top one and therefore it takes precedent over Prince for today in music history.

The First #1 Single on the Hot 100



The Current #1 Single on the Hot 100


So its your call, was music better when the chart was born or today? Let me know.


August 5 - Bring on the Bad Boys of Boston

Alliteration for the win. August 5, 1972 marks the date that "America's Greatest Rock Band" was signed to their first record contract. Aerosmith was signed to CBS Records for $125,000 after CBS owner Clive Davis saw them play a live concert at Max's Kansas City Club in New York. One year after signing the deal, Aerosmith released their landmark self titled debut which included the hits "Dream On" and "Mama Kin" among others. The next two albums, Toys in the Attic and Rocks brought Aerosmith to great heights and to the top of the mountain as far as mainstream rocks acts were concerned. The band at this point started a fan club called the "Blue Army" that became the biggest fan club in the world in late ‘76. On a side note, I am card carrying member to this day.

Anyway, the band would fold under its own weight following their massive success and lead singer Steven Tyler would be nicknamed a "Toxic Twin" along with guitarist Joe Perry for all the heavy substance abuse that they partook in. This would lead to Perry and guitarist Brad Whitford leaving the band in 1979. The band lost fans and only released 1 album without them before inviting the two back in 1984 when a new record deal was struck with Geffen. At this point, it was still thought that their best days were behind them but then a resurgence came from an unexpected place in 1986 when Run DMC covered "Walk This Way" and introduced Aerosmith to a new audience. Soon after, Aerosmith completed their unlikely comeback and released two extremely successful albums in the late 80's while regaining their status as kings of rock.

Aerosmith has one of the most storied careers in music history and has been called the greatest American band of all times. Who do you think is the greatest American band of all time?




August 6 - Welcome to #1

Excuse me if I seem extremely excited for this one but August 6, 1988 marks the date that my personal favorite album of all time hit the #1 spot. This album would be none other the infamous debut of Guns N' Roses, Appetite for Destruction. It took 57 weeks for Appetite to hit #1 and by the time that it did, it has already sold over 5 million copies. The virtually perfect album spawned 3 top 10 hits with "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Welcome to the Jungle", and my personal favorite "Paradise City", but when hearing the entire album it is not hard to imagine any song off of it hitting the top 20. I am completely serious, there is not one bad song on this entire album! Not even one mediocre one either I believe. I am sure that all of you know by now most of the stories involving the album from the actual quotes in "Jungle" to the explicit sex in "Rocket Queen", so I am not going to bother with repeating them but I will tell you that every song on the album has a great story behind it and I heavily recommend reading up on them if you haven't already. Either way, GN'R's debut has since gone on to be the highest selling debut of all time with over 18 million sold in the US and UK alone and despite the great catalog that they boast outside of AFD, Appetite is still regarded as their best work. GN'R still plays more then half the record per concert to this day even!

Appetite shook the music world to its knees. It showcased a band that was from the streets and hard enough for the guys to like and yet had the soft side and looks that the girls loved. People may say that Nirvana killed hair metal, and they are partially right, but Guns N' Roses' debut did more damage then any other single album. Some may consider it hair metal, but GN'R took hard rock and the hair metal scene and put them together. What came out was heavier, dirtier and just plain better then what Poison and Warrant were putting out there and therefore GN'R became the new leaders of the rock world. They were the biggest band in the world thanks to AFD and it helped prepare the public for the grunge movement. AFD was one of the most important records of all time and on this date the public finally realized it.




August 7 - The Beginning of the Rap Wave

In 1993 rap was still far from the most popular form of music but thanks to the efforts of Cypress Hill on their album Black Sunday, rap was more accepted then every before. The album hit #1 on this date on the strength of hits "Insane In the Brain" and "Hits From the Bong", while having the highest selling week for a rap album that the world had ever seen up until that point. At the time, the thinking was that it was such a huge hit because "Insane" connected with the rock audiences too, and while that may have been the case at the time, Cypress Hill opened up doors left and right with this album. It was a breakthrough album and many rappers can thank Cypress Hill's Black Sunday for their career's today.



August 8 - An Iconic Photo is Taken

Remember how I said that Appetite for Destruction was my favorite album of all time? Well the universe has a tendency to even things out as now I have to talk about a band that I hate talking about. That band is the Beatles. I know, I will most likely get backlash for it but I am just not a fan. I believe that they are the single most overrated band in history by far but I cannot deny their impact on pop culture. One of the biggest influential moments can with the release of the Abbey Road album. It's cover art is legendary and recognizable anywhere and on this date in 1969 the famous picture was taken.



Honestly, I do not see what the big deal is with the picture. I hear people saying that Lennon was making a statement by being the only one with his left leg forward, but I call bullshit on all of that. They were an average band walking down the street as far as I am concerned. You may disagree, ok then, tell me your thoughts. What makes the Beatles so great? Please let me know. I will happily talk more about my feelings on the issue if anyone cares to have an intelligent conversation on the subject.

August 9 - Rock and Roll Aint Noise Pollution

Now on to another one of my favorite albums of all times, AC/DC's Back in Black. This was the date in 1980 when the impossible was accomplished from Angus Young and co when the comeback record hit #1 on the charts. AC/DC's original lead singer Bon Scott died in 1979 and the public immediately cast the up-and-coming band as going nowhere without Scott but in 1980 Brian Johnson joined the fold and the public couldn't have been more wrong. Johnson never changed the way that the band played as they continued to create straightforward rock and roll and their tribute record to Scott went on to become the second highest selling album of all times. It has gone 22x platinum in the US and UK and has sold over 49 million copies world wide! Much like AFD, Black carried hit after hit including the title track, "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Hells Bells", and "Shoot to Thrill". The album is still considered one of the best ever made and it holds a spot in my personal top 5 as well. AC/DC continued with Johnson on the mike to this day and are still touring today. Check ticketmaster.com for a date near you!




August 10 - Taste My Chocolate Salty Balls

Sorry for the title of this one but it made me laugh and laughter is a good thing when talking about tragedy. On this date just last year icon Isaac Hayes passed away at the age of 65. Hayes was big in the early 70s, even going so far as to win himself a Oscar for the theme from Shaft in'71, but became known in his later years as the voice of Chef from the hit TV show "South Park". Chef would constantly break out into song and Hayes introduced himself to a whole new generation through the popular cartoon. Hayes left the show after the conclusion of the ninth season as he had become offended with jokes about scientology that were broadcast on the show to a controversial response. He was called a hypocrite for allowing all other jokes to go through but then jumping off the ship when the creators hit his religion, but he was still respected for what he had brought to the business. Hayes was still popular following the "South Park" debacle as well up until his death one year ago today. RIP soul legend Isaac Hayes, you will be missed.






Thank you once again for reading my column and be sure to tell me your thoughts regarding what you read or if you would like to request for me to discuss something in the future. As always, I know leave you with my Youtube.com obsession of the week, and I think you will enjoy this week's if you love the show Scrubs as much as I do. Have fun.



With that I walk away…