March 29, 2024

This Day in History: 2024-08-31

AUGUST 31st

DS Brothers in Arms.jpgDire Straits begin an extended run (9 weeks) at the top of the Billboard 200 with “Brothers In Arms.”  The album contains “So Far Away,” “Walk Of Life” and “Money For Nothing” (with additional vocals by Sting).  1985

Papa Roach issues their third major-label effort, “Getting Away With Murder.”  Frontman Jacoby Shaddix says getting sober inspired him to write more upbeat songs. 2004

Though the album only gets to #17 on the Billboard 200 it goes platinum (one-million sales) in the U.S.

Canadian broadcasters reinstate Dire Straits ’85 hit, “Money For Nothing.” The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) pulled the song from national playlists in January, ’11, after a single listener complained about the use of the word ‘faggot’ on Newfoundland radio station. “It made us look silly in the eyes of the broadcast community around the world,” says broadcaster Alan Cross. 2011

Slipknot’s fifth studio album, “.5: The Gray Chapter,” is officially certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of more than 500,000 copies. 2016

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Guitarist/singer Bob Welch is born in L.A. He’s in Fleetwood Mac but leaves in the early-70s for a short-lived solo career producing a pair of hits, the ballad “Sentimental Lady” and the uptempo “Ebony Eyes.” 1945

Eclectic singer Van Morrison is born in Belfast. 1945

Guitarist Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions) is born. He hails from Hildesheim, Germany. 1948

Baltimore native, Regina Ann Schock, has a birthday. She’s better known as Gina Schock, drummer with the Go-Go’s. 1957

Following manager Brian Epstein’s death, The Beatles announce they will handle their own business affairs. But soon control devolves into a struggle between Allen Klein (representing John Lennon, George Harrison & Ringo Starr) and Lee and John Eastman (representing Paul McCartney). 1967

Bob Dylan makes his first major concert appearance, following his motorcycle accident three years earlier, at England’s Isle of Wight Pop Festival. 1969

George Harrison is found guilty of “subconsciously plagiarizing” the Chiffon’s ’60s hit “He`s So Fine” when he came up with “My Sweet Lord.” Harrison has to cough up $587,000. 1976

“Summer Of ’69” peaks at #5. The Bryan Adams song seems to reminisce about younger, carefree days in a Rock group and the inevitable changes that come with growing older but actually is about a certain sexual position. There’s no tongue-in-cheek here. 1985

Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Stevie Wonder sing “Amazing Grace” in Dallas at the memorial service for guitarist/singer Stevie Ray Vaughn, who was killed in a helicopter crash five days earlier. 1990

Metallica’s self-titled album (aka “Black Album”) is #1 on the Billboard 200.  The set features the track “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters” (see below).  1991

Lamb Of God’s fourth album, “Ashes Of The Wake,” drops. As for the album’s political bent, vocalist Randy Blyth says, “politicians were saying one thing, but it didn’t take a lot to see that what was really going on was something else entirely.” 2004

Blondie, Public Enemy and former Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, perform at a rally in New York to support a campaign to save CBGBs. “It’s such a legacy, it’s insane,” Rossdale says of legendary Punk club. CBGBs landlord says the lease has expired and will not be renewed. 2005

Imagine Dragons are the first band to earn three RIAA diamond song certifications (sales in excess of 10-million units). The songs are: “Radioactive” — (certified diamond on 7/6/15) plus “Believer” and “Demons” which are certified on this date. 2021

Avril Lavigne gets the 2,731st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an unveiling ceremony in Hollywood. Lavigne made her debut with the ’02 album “Let Go” featuring the singles “Complicated” and “Sk8r Boi.”  2022

Metallica‘s ballad “Nothing Else Matters” joins Spotify’s Billions Club. First launched in ‘20 the Billions Club includes all of the songs on Spotify that have surpassed a billion streams on the service.  2023