This Day in Rock History: February 24
On Feb. 24, 1992, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Courtney Love of Hole were married. The ceremony took place at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, with an intimate group of friends and family. They were only married two years before Kurt died at the age of 27. This is just one thing that’s happened on this day in rock music history. There are other events that have left an impression on rock music and everyone who loves it on this day.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Rock music has had the following breakthrough hits and milestones on Feb. 24:
- 1965: The Beach Boys recorded “Help Me Rhonda,” a song they had previously recorded with the spelling “Ronda,” for their The Beach Boys Today album. The song peaked at No. 1 in May.
- 1976: Making history, The Eagles became the first band ever to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. To receive platinum status, the band sold over 1 million albums and 2 million singles from Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 album.
Cultural Milestones
With the following Feb. 24 cultural milestones, rock music took a new direction:
- 1998: Elton John was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He was given this honor in recognition of his contributions to the music industry and charitable services.
- 2006: Making waves in the industry, the Sex Pistols refused to attend the ceremony when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They claimed the induction was too mainstream and would contradict their musical roots.
Notable Recordings and Performances
The following recordings and performances are notable on Feb. 24:
- 1969: At the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Jimi Hendrix Experience played their final British concert. Some songs from the concert were included in the 1971 live release of the Experience album.
- 1975: Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin’s sixth studio album, was released in the U.S. as a double album. The collection made it to No. 1 in the U.K. and topped out at No. 3 in the U.S.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The rock music you love today might not be the same if it hadn’t been for the following industry changes and challenges:
- 1999: Lenny Kravitz took home his first Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for his song “Fly Away.” This was the first of four consecutive times Kravitz won the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance Grammy.
- 2008: A life-size bronze statue of Bon Scott, the former singer for AC/DC, was erected in Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour in Western Australia. Scott had lived in Fremantle since he was 10 years old, but his family had immigrated to Australia from Scotland when he was just six years old.
While you’re rocking out to your favorite tunes, you can reflect on these past Feb. 24 events in the rock music industry. Without these hits, milestones, recordings, and changes, rock music may not be the influential and inspiring genre it’s become.
