This Day in Rock History: February 19
Known as one of the greatest vocalists in hard rock, Bon Scott of AC/DC died at the age of 33 on Feb. 19, 1980. It was a great loss for…
Known as one of the greatest vocalists in hard rock, Bon Scott of AC/DC died at the age of 33 on Feb. 19, 1980. It was a great loss for the band and the rock music industry, but this isn't the only major event to impact rock music on this date in history. Read about the many breakthrough milestones that have occurred in rock music on Feb. 19.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These hits and milestones that happened in rock music on Feb. 19 altered the course of this popular music genre:
- 1972: Paul McCartney released "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," a song he had written days after the event of Bloody Sunday, in which 13 Irish protestors had been killed by British troops in Northern Ireland.
- 1972: Harry Nilsson's cover of Badfinger's "Without You" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, where it spent six consecutive weeks. Initially released by Badfinger in 1970, the song has been covered by over 180 artists since, with Harry Nilsson's version and Mariah Carey's 1994 version being the most successful.
- 1977: Bruce Springsteen wrote and performed "Blinded by the Light," but it didn't reach the top on the Billboard singles chart until Manfred Mann's Earth Band covered it.
Cultural Milestones
Without Feb. 19 cultural milestones, rock music wouldn't be what it is now:
- 1940: Singer, songwriter, and producer Smokey Robinson was born in Detroit, Michigan. He became the frontman of the Motown group the Miracles in 1955 and had a highly successful solo career afterwards, earning a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
- 1948: Toni Iommi, Black Sabbath guitarist and the "Godfather of Heavy Metal," was born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England. He lost the tips of two fingers on his fretting hand when working in a sheet metal factory as a teen and adapted by creating a heavier tone.
- 1974: The American Music Awards premiered in Hollywood, California. Dick Clark created the ceremony to compete with the GRAMMYs, allowing music fans to vote through public polls.
- 1995: Tommy Lee, drummer for Mötley Crüe, married Pamela Anderson, star of Baywatch, the TV show. They were married on the beach in Cancun, Mexico, with the bride wearing a white bikini.
Notable Recordings and Performances
You might remember some notable recordings and performances from Feb. 19 that helped shape rock music:
- 1965: The Beatles recorded the basic track of "You're Going to Lose That Girl" at their Abbey Road studio in two takes. This John Lennon song was later released on their Help! album, the soundtrack for their movie of the same name.
- 1985: Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones released his debut solo album called "She's the Boss," which caused tension in the band. His album made it to No. 13 in the U.S. and No. 6 in the U.K.
- 1992: Guns N' Roses played the first of three consecutive shows at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. Part of their Use Your Illusion tour, the show was attended by 55,000 fans and was later released as a concert video on cassette and DVD as Use Your Illusion World Tour - 1992 in Tokyo I & II.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Changes and challenges have always transformed rock music, including these Feb. 19 events:
- 1982: Ozzy Osbourne was arrested for urinating on a cenotaph honoring the defenders of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. He was wearing a dress when he was arrested.
- 2015: Starbucks announced that CDs would no longer be sold in their 21,000 retail stores after experiencing a 15% decline in sales in 2014.
Rock music has an expansive history, with many ups and downs over the years. Past Feb. 19 events have made rock music what it is today, and without them, this genre wouldn't be the same.
