This Day in History: 2024-02-15

FEBRUARY 15^th

“Meet The Beatles is #1 on the Billboard album chart.  The album with “I Want To Hold Your Hand” tops the chart for fifteen consecutive weeks.  Beatlemania is underway.  1964

The Beatles record “Ticket To Ride.”  When released the song goes to #1 in both the U.S. and U.K. 1965

“Heart Like A Wheel,” Linda Ronstadt’s fifth solo studio album, is #1 on the Billboard 200.  1975

KoЯn’s 14th album “Requiem” debuts at #14 on the Billboard 200. The set also tops the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart and is #2 on the Rock Albums survey. 2022

Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” video is the first ’90s Rock video to surpass 2-billion views on YouTube. 2023

The song/video from “Use Your Illusion I” reached the 1-billion views mark in July 2018.  The video was uploaded to YouTube in 2009.

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Jake E. Lee (Jakey Lou Williams) is born in Norfolk, VA.  The guitarist’s career ranges from backing Ozzy Osbourne to leading Red Dragon Cartel.  1957

After ceding the top spot on the Billboard Album Chart to Diana Ross & The Supremes/The Temptations for a week The Beatles “White Album” returns to #1 for a three-week stay.  1969

Sly & The Family Stone’s “Everyday People” is #1 on the pop chart. 1969

The Doors’ “Touch Me” peaks at #3 on the Billboard chart. It’s the band’s last Top 10 entry and though released well before the infamous Miami concert (March ‘69), the song is suggestively linked to that ‘over-exposed’ event. 1969

Ronstadt also sits at #1 on the pop chart with “You’re No Good.” 1975

Incubus vocalist Brandon Boyd is born in Van Nuys, CA. 1976

The gravesite of AC/DC singer Bon Scott in Fremantle, Australia, is classified as a historic site by the National Trust heritage organization. “(The grave) is the end of pilgrimage for many people around the world,” says Trust official Kim Haynes. 2006

L.A. Heavy Metal radio station KNAC, 105.5 FM, signs off the air (replaced by a Spanish language station).  Metallica’s James Hatfield and Lars Ulrich are there to play the last song, “Fade To Black,” which was one of the first songs broadcast when the station signed on twenty years earlier.  2006

Singer Chris Cornell leaves Audioslave, effectively ending the supergroup. The recent decision by other bandmembers to participate in a Rage Against The Machine (their former band) reunion tour is listed among the reasons. “Due to irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences, I am permanently leaving the band,” says Cornell, who first split from Audioslave before their debut album was recorded but decided to rejoin. 2007

Richard Moore, who is running for governor of North Carolina holds a press conference saying his ‘team’ made a mistake using The Eagles “Life In The Fast Lane” in campaign commercials without authorization. The song is pulled at the request of The Eagles’ management. Moore apologizes but Don Henley and his wife donate $4,000 apiece (the maximum allowable amount) to Moore’s rival, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue. 2008

Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil begins serving a two-week sentence following a Las Vegas DUI conviction – not his first.  2011

Paul McCartney appears during the three-hour-plus Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary special. He and Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkel) perform The Beatles’ “I’ve Just Seen A Face.” Later in the show, after being introduced by the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, McCartney does “Maybe I’m Amazed.” 2015

Alabama Shakes win four Grammys for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance (“Don’t Wanna Fight”) which they play during the ceremony, plus Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical) for “Sound & Color.” The Best Rock Album honor goes to Muse for “Drones.” Ghost get the Best Metal Performance statue.  The L.A. show also has musical tributes for the late Glenn Frey (The Eagles) and Lemmy Kilmister (Mötörhead). 2016

Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil raises a record $200,000 for the Keep Memory Alive charity while competing on The Celebrity Apprentice, NBC’s long-running business reality show. 2016

Marilyn Manson’s onstage meltdown at The Paramount in Huntington, NY, drives fans to vent on social media demanding a refund.  The concert is a make-up date for a show that was cancelled after Manson broke his right leg (also while onstage).  2018

Ten days after his State of the Union speech, President Donald Trump retweets a parody video, created by supporter CarpeDonktum, mocking Democrats who have sullen expressions during the speech, by playing R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts.” Bassist Mike Mills blasts CarpeDonktum and Trump and demands the clip be taken down due to copyright infringement. The video is removed but soon reappears with Country singer Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The USA” replacing “Everybody Hurts.”  2019