March 28, 2024

This Day in History: 2024-05-18

MAY 18th

R.E.M.’s seventh album, “Out Of Time” is #1 on the Billboard 200.  The album has the songs “Losing My Religion” and “Shiny Happy People.”  1991

The Black Keys roll out their sixth album, “Brothers.” 2010

Featuring the single “Tighten Up,” “Brothers” is the band’s commercial breakthrough, moving over 73,000 copies in the United States in its first week to land at #3 on the Billboard 200.

Vampire Weekend’s “Father Of The Bride” tops the Billboard 200 albums chart. The album moves 119,000 units and has 23-million song streams in its first week. 2019

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

The London born keyboardist Rick Wakeman has a birthday. Though often working solo it’s his stint with Yes that makes him famous. 1949

Helmet’s Page Hamilton enters the world. The Portland, OR, native studies Jazz guitar before turning to Metal. 1960

One-time Pulp guitarist, Russell Senior, is born in Sheffield, England. 1961

A Perfect Circle’s guitarist/singer, Billy Howerdel, has a birthday. 1970

Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” is #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  1985

Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) is arrested in L.A. after police stop him for driving without headlights and find cocaine and heroin in his car. He is released on $10,000 bail.  2003

It’s announced that Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is the British Broadcasting Corp.’s composer in residence. He is tasked with composing a new work that could include the BBC Concert Orchestra. 2004

Metallica is honored in Los Angeles at ASCAP’s (the performing rights organization) annual Pop Music Awards. The group receives the inaugural Creative Voice Award. 2004

Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles is shut down. No, it’s not to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Mt. St. Helens eruption but something just about as explosive. There’s a free outdoor show by Audioslave that airs later on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. However, some rowdy fans among the audience of 10,000 break through a barricade causing police to ask that the show be stopped. Audioslave play one more song “Cochise,” before packing it in. 2005

KoЯn’s Jonathan Davis tosses out the ceremonial first pitch before a Chicago Cubs-Washington Nationals game at Wrigley Field. Outside the park, Davis hands out thousands of $10 bills to fans to help promote specially priced $9.99 lawn seats on his band’s “Family Values Tour” with the Deftones, Stone Sour and Flyleaf. 2006

Alice In Chains officially kick off their reunion tour at the Roxy Theater in L.A.  2006

ZZ Top play a benefit for the victims of the Chilean earthquake at the Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile. It’s the first major concert in the country since the devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake in February (’10). “The whole world knows about the effects caused by the earthquake that happened in your beautiful country,” says frontman Billy Gibbons. 2010

Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) performs at the National Nurses United rally before a crowd of 5,000 protesters at Chicago’s Daley Plaza during a NATO convention. “They couldn’t shut us down because we stood up,” says Morello. “It was a few politicians, their skeevy lawyers and some trembling NATO generals who caved in.” 2012

Sammy Hagar donates $10,000 to the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish Food Bank in Atlantic City. “When I see children that aren’t eating, that’s when I get really touched, so my first goal is to help children as much as possible because they’re the future of this planet,” says Hagar, who contributes funds to food banks on every stop on Chickenfoot’s tour. 2012

A custom-built VOX guitar played by John Lennon and George Harrison during the recording of The Beatles “Magical Mystery Tour” sells at auction for $408,000. Harrison used the guitar to practice “I Am The Walrus” in ’67 and Lennon played it during a videotaping of “Hello, Goodbye” later that year. 2013

Coldplay have a special on NBC to promote “Ghost Stories,” their sixth studio album. It’s network TV’s lowest rated show in that timeslot. Ouch! 2014

Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell commits suicide following a concert in Detroit.  He was 52.  2017

Five Finger Death Punch release “And Justice For None.”  The album peaks at #4 on the Billboard 200 having moved 71,000 equivalent U.S. album units in its first week.  2018

At Julien’s Auctions in the Hard Rock Café Times Square a black, red and gold military style jacket worn by Michael Jackson to a private birthday party for President Nelson Mandela in ’96 goes for $76,000 while an acrylic and mohair cardigan worn by Kurt Cobain during his last Nirvana photoshoot sells for $75,000.  2019

KISS cancels the opening night of the European leg of their “End Of The Road” farewell tour in Plymouth, England (scheduled for June 5th), due to travel and equipment complications. The tour begins two days later in Birmingham.  2023