This Day in History: 2024-05-03

MAY 3rd

Aerosmith’s fourth studio album, “Rocks,” is in stores. The set features “Back In The Saddle,” which is one of two Top 40 songs on the album (“Last Child” is the other). 1976

The album is one of the first to ship platinum and eventually reaches quadruple platinum.

Living Colour release their debut album “Vivid.”  Containing “Cult Of Personality,” the album sells over 2-million copies.  It peaks at #6 on the Billboard 200. 1988

“Operation: Mindcrime,” Queensryche’s third studio album, is released.  A concept album, the story follows Nikki, a recovering drug addict who is disillusioned with the corrupt society and reluctantly becomes involved with a revolutionary group.   1988

The album doesn’t go platinum until ’91, three years after its release.

Nine Inch Nails unleash “With Teeth,” the band’s fourth studio album. A N.I.N. tour headed by Trent Reznor, with vocalist Alessandro Cortini, guitarist Aaron North, A Perfect Circle/ex-Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordie White and drummer Jerome Dillon is already underway. “This is a new entity that feels very fresh and vital,” claims Reznor. 2005

“Hot Sauce Committee Part Two,” the eighth studio effort from the Beastie Boys, is out. The album makes its debut at #1 on Billboard’s Alternative Albums, Rock Albums and Hip-Hop Albums charts. It’s #2 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart (behind Adele’s “21”). 2011

Ghost takes the “Best Hard Rock/Metal” category for their “Impera” album at the Grammis awards (the Swedish Grammy equivalent).  2023

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Stevie Wonder, performing “Fingertips,” makes his national TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. 1964

Jimi Hendrix gets busted at the Toronto airport for possession of narcotics. He claims a fan gave him the drugs and that he had no idea what they were. 1969

Saliva vocalist, Josey Scott, is born in Memphis. 1971

Grand Funk Railroad, having been dismissed by the press as untalented riff mongers, holds a New York press conference. They invite 150 journalists. Six show up. It’s the first press conference in history that doesn’t run out of booze. 1971

With “Old Days” and “Harry Truman” “Chicago VIII” is #1 on the Billboard 200.  1975

Bob Seger’s “Against The Wind,” begins a six-week run at the top of the U.S. album chart. It’s Seger’s eleventh studio album but the fourth with the Silver Bullet Band. Containing the title track, “Fire Lake” and “You’ll Accompany Me” the record stays on the chart for 110-weeks. 1980

Robert Palmer’s “Addicted To Love” is the #1 pop song in the U.S.  1986

Poison’s sophomore album, “Open Up And Say… Ahh,” is released. It gets to #2 on the Billboard 200. 1988

Ten months after its release, the Wallflowers’ “Bringing Down The Horse” peaks at #4 on the U.S. album chart. 1997

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree runs as a Labour Party candidate in the Westminster area of London for a local council seat. “In my experience of living (in Westminster), it all looks lovely-there are hanging baskets everywhere-but you only need to scratch the surface and see that there’s a lot of deprivation and a lot of inequality around,” says Rowntree. He runs in a predominantly conservative district. He doesn’t get elected. 2007

The Adam Yauch Playground is dedicated. Formerly known as Palmetto Playground, the recreational area is near Yauch’s childhood home in Brooklyn Heights. Fellow Beastie Adam ‘Ad-Rock’ Horovitz attends. Yauch, aka MCA, died of cancer in ’12 at age 47. 2013

It’s the first Metallica Night at AT&T Park as the San Francisco Giants play the visiting L.A. Dodgers. Metallica performs the National Anthem and throws out the ceremonial first pitch. Ticket holders receive a limited-edition Metallica/Giants hat with a portion of the sales donated to charity. 2013

One day before Megadeth’s concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) voices its opposition to the concert because approval for the show was given without taking into consideration the negative effects on the audience.  2017

James Hetfield’s dramatic acting debut in “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile” is on Netflix.  The Metallica frontman  plays officer Bob Hayward, a no-nonsense Utah highway patrol veteran who was the first law enforcement officer to arrest serial killer Ted Bundy in 1975.  After playing himself in several projects this is the first time Hetfield is in a dramatic role taking on a different character.  2019

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces that Rage Against The Machine will be inducted into the Hall later in the year.  2023