This Day in History: 2023-03-18

MARCH 18^th

Having landed at #1 just two and a half months earlier, Steppenwolf’s politically oriented “Monster” album goes gold. 1970

The Clash release their first single “White Riot.” 1977

Released nearly two years earlier, Soundgarden’s “Superunknown” is credited with selling over 5-million copies. 1996

Linkin Park’s “Lost” is #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.  The band’s ninth #1 on the survey – it’s first in eight and a half years – features vocals by the late Chester Bennington.  2023

The song is on the 20th anniversary reissue of “Meteora.”

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

B.J. Wilson enters the world.  A drummer of some repute with Procol Harum (“Whiter Shade Of Pale” and other hits), he is notable for turning down guitarist Jimmy Page’s offer to be the drummer for Led Zeppelin. John Bonham subsequently lands the gig. 1947

Cinderella guitarist Jeff LeBar has a birthday. 1953

Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr., guitarist for Alice In Chains, is born in Tacoma, Washington. 1966

Paul McCartney’s sentimental “Penny Lane” (The Beatles) tops the Billboard pop survey. 1967

Melody Maker announces the formation of Traffic (with Steve Winwood and Dave Mason). 1967

Neil Young’s “Heart Of Gold,” off his “Harvest” album, is the #1 song in the U.S. 1972

Ringo Starr (The Beatles) puts down the drumsticks to direct Marc Bolan (T-Rex) in the film “Born To Boogie.” 1972

Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Foreigner, Santana and Heart are among the performers at California Jam II at the Ontario Motor Speedway.  An estimated 350,000 fans attend the largest festival of the decade.  The original California Jam was four years earlier.  1978

U2 wins the Limerick Civic Week Pop Competition in Dublin. They get money and an audition for CBS Ireland. 1978

Adam Noah Levine enters the world. The L.A. native is the lead singer and guitarist for Maroon 5. 1979

Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary guitarist Randy Rhoades plays his last concert in Knoxville, TN. He dies the following day in a Florida plane crash. 1982

When the Irish Family Planning Association is found guilty of illegally selling condoms in Dublin, U2 steps in to pay the fine – about $900. 1991

Bruce Springsteen’s “Greatest Hits” is #1 on the Billboard 200.  1995

Punk, New Wave and good ol’ Rock N’ Roll are represented by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The Ramones, Talking Heads and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are welcomed to the Hall. 2002

Ozzy Osbourne’s late guitarist Randy Rhoads is inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk. Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne attend the ceremony. Rhoads died in a plane crash in the early ’80s while on tour with Ozzy. 2004

Courtney Love is arrested in New York and charged with reckless endangerment and third-degree assault after throwing a microphone stand at an East Village nightspot, striking a man in the head. This incident adds to Love`s legal troubles. 2004

30 Seconds To Mars’ “Up In The Air” debuts on the SpaceX cargo mission where it’s played by astronauts at the International Space Station. Meanwhile, back on earth, Houston mayor, Annise D. Parker, proclaims 30 Seconds To Mars Day. 2013

The Beastie Boys settle their lawsuit against toy maker GoldieBlox over the unauthorized use of “Girls.” The company created a parody of the ’87 track in an ad where three girls were seen singing the melody with altered lyrics. The Beastie Boys get a monetary settlement and a public apology from GoldieBlox. 2014

Blink 182 perform their first show without co-founding guitarist Tom DeLonge. In his place at the Roxy in West Hollywood is Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba. It’s the culmination of an acrimonious and public rift between DeLonge and his bandmates (drummer Travis Barker and bassist Mark Hoppus). 2015

Stone Sour confirm that guitarist Christan Martucci is the permanent replacement for Jim Root. Martucci had been Sour Sour’s touring guitarist. 2015

At The Drive-In guitarist Jim Ward parts ways with the band he co-founded just days before they head out on their world reunion tour. “As our ship prepares for voyage, we announce that Jim Ward will not be joining us on future journeys,” a band post reads. No explanation is given for Ward’s departure. 2016

The legendary Chuck Berry dies at his home in St. Louis at age 90.  Berry’s songwriting (“Roll Over Beethoven,” Johnny B. Goode,” etc.), singing (exuberant), guitar playing (the ‘Chuck Berry riff’) and showmanship (duck walking across the stage) left an indelible imprint on Rock n’ Roll.  2017

Just days after percussionist Chris Fehn files a lawsuit disputing Slipknot’s accounting and distribution of earnings the band announces Fehn’s departure.  “Chris knows why he is no longer a part of Slipknot,” reads a band statement.  “We are disappointed that he chose to point fingers and manufacture claims, rather than doing what was necessary to continue to be a part of Slipknot.”   2019

“Impera,” the fifth album from Ghost, is #1 in both Sweden (the band’s native country) and Germany.  2022

KISS bassist Gene Simmons makes a donation of a quarter of a million dollars to Mending Kids during the organization’s annual “Imagine Gala: The Gift Of The Future.” He also gives a signed version of his signature Axe Guitar, selling for $75,000.  Mending Kids provides life-changing surgical care to children.  2023