May 23rd

May 23rd

In a motel parking lot, various people dressed in clothing for different job roles with their eyes covered with a black bar. A black dog stands behind a veterinarian. The band's name (labeled as "AC/DC") is on the top in pink text with the album title placed in a white box with black text.1981 AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” peaks at #3 on the U.S. album chart.

The set was issued in the U.K. nearly five years earlier,

1986 Poison’s debut, “Look What The Cat Dragged In,” is released. 

Exactly one year later, the album peaks at #3 on the Billboard 200 and goes on to sell 3-million copies.

2021 From L.A. it’s the Billboard Music Awards

The winner for the Top Rock Album honor is…. “Tickets To My Downfall” (Machine Gun Kelly). Kelly also scores the Top Rock Artist honor. 

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

1970 Paul McCartney’s debut solo album, “McCartney,” begins a three-week run at #1 on the U.S. album chart. 

1971 Iron Butterfly disband one month after “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” falls off the Album Chart, following a 138-week run.

1975 Peter Gabriel performs his final show with Genesis before going solo. It’s in St. Etienne, France.

1979 KISS unfurl “Dynasty.” The album goes platinum.

1979 Tom Petty files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy during a financial battle with his record label, MCA. In the end, Petty gets Backstreet Records (controlled by MCA). This sort of stuff only makes sense to lawyers.

1994 Five-and-a-half years after its release, Melissa Etheridge’s self-titled debut album goes platinum (one million sales).

1998 After being replaced by “Most High” (Jimmy Page & Robert Plant) for two-weeks, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band returns to #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart.

2000 Oasis releases a statement saying that guitarist Noel Gallagher has left the band’s European tour following a row with his brother/bandmate Liam over the latter’s drinking. 

2000 Billy Corgan announces that the Smashing Pumpkins will officially break-up at the end of the year, explaining he and his bandmates were tired of “fighting the good fight against the Britney’s of the world.”  That would be pop maven Britney Spears. 

2002 U2 takes the Best Song award with “Walk On” at the 47th Ivor Novello Awards in London.

2010 Bret Michaels (Poison) wins Donald Trump’s reality show Celebrity Apprentice despite suffering a brain hemorrhage and a stroke, and the discovery of a hole in his heart. Michaels appears on the show’s season finale, against doctor’s orders. His $250,000 prize is donated to the American Diabetes Association.

2018 Metallica launch their first “day of service” inviting fans across the United States to volunteer at community food banks. It’s sponsored by the band’s All Within My Hands foundation, which aims to facilitate “volunteerism among the Metallica family.” Metallica practice what they preach. Drummer Lars Ulrich presents the SF-Marin Food Bank with a check for $5,000 and sorts fruit to be distributed to the needy.

2018 After a long day of volunteering there is a need for refreshment. Fortunately, Def Leppard Pale debuts. The beer was developed in association with Seattle’s Elysian Brewing Company.

2024 The Department of Justice files an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment accusing the concert and ticketing giant of exerting monopolistic power through its exclusive ticketing agreements, its promotions business and its ownership of many popular amphitheaters, among other claims. DOJ wants to split up Live Nation and Ticketmaster. 

2024 Guitarist Dave Navarro rejoins his Jane’s Addiction bandmates during their concert in London. The show marks the band’s first performance with its classic lineup in over 14 years.

2024 Bruce Springsteen receives the Ivors Academy fellowship in London. He is the first international songwriter to be inducted into the fellowship, which is the awards’ highest honor. Sir Paul McCartney hosts the induction ceremony joking that “unlike Bruce’s concerts” he would “keep this brief.”