This Day in History: 2024-07-23

JULY 23rd

“Every Breath You Take.” “Synchronicity,” the fifth and final studio album by The Police, begins the first of two extended runs at #1 on the Billboard 200. The first go round lasts seven weeks. 1983

After 49 weeks on the U.S. chart, De Leppard’s “Hysteria” album finally is #1. It’s one of the longest climbs in chart history. However, their current single, “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” peaks at #2. 1988

Five Finger Death Punch’s “A Little Bit Off” is certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for accumulating sales of 500,000 certified units. The track appears on the band’s “F8” album.  2021

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Rock on. David Essex is born to do one thing. 1947

Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) guitarist Blair Thornton is born. 1950

Nick Menza is born in Munich, Germany. When Megadeth needs a drummer in ’89, Menza is asked by Dave Mustaine to join the band. He stays for 10 years. 1964

Saul Hudson is born in London. Because he “was always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another” a friend nicknamed him ‘Slash’. His family moved to L.A. where Slash joined Guns N’ Roses (and later founded Slash’s Snakepit and Velvet Revolver). 1965

Foreigner’s “Cold As Ice” comes out. 1977

After an eight-week run at the top of the Billboard 200 Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” gets displaced by “Barry Manilow Live,” for a week.  But it’s only a momentary setback with “Rumours” returning to #1 for another nineteen-weeks.  1977

Led Zeppelin manager, Peter Grant and drummer, John Bonham beat up a couple of promoter Bill Graham’s employees backstage at an Oakland concert. Just a little misunderstanding over payment. Grant and Bonham plead guilty and after an out of court settlement they cough up $2 million. 1977

Although his real name is Stephen, most know him as Stevo 32 or just Stevo. Sum 41 drummer Steve Jocz is born in Ajax, Ontario. 1981

Grateful Dead keyboardist Keith Godchaux dies in Marin County from injuries sustained in a car accident two days earlier. 1980

Billy Squire nails his first gold album with his second record “Don’t Say No.” 1981

Def Leppard’s “Hysteria” is #1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time starting a run of six non-consecutive weeks.  1988

Prior to a scheduled performance at the New Music Seminar in New York, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain ODs in a hotel bathroom. He’s rushed to a hospital and survives yet another close call. 1993

So good you could eat them alive. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and American Idol winner Carrie Underwood are selected as PETA’s 2005 World’s Sexiest Vegetarians. 2005

Weezer’s 11-week run with “Pork And Beans” at the top of Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks ends. Foo Fighters’ “Let It Die” takes over at #1. 2008

“Nightmare,” Avenged Sevenfold’s fifth studio effort, is out. It’s the band’s first album since the passing of drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan the previous December (Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy filled in). 2010

Pigeons are rats with wings – and they hate Rock. Kings Of Leon cut short their concert in St. Louis because they are tagged by pigeon droppings. “Jared [Followill] was hit several times during the first two songs,” says band manager Andy Mendelsohn in a statement. “It’s not only disgusting – it’s a toxic hazard. They really tried to hang in there.” The concert is rescheduled a couple of months later. 2010

Blink 182’s “California” is the #1 album in the U.S. It’s the group’s first album to feature guitarist Matt Skiba. 2016

The festival everyone would just a soon forget debuts on HBO. “Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, And Rage” tells how counterculture idealism of the original ‘69 concert devolved into riots, looting and sexual assaults leading to the infamous distinction of it being “the day the nineties died.”  2021

Aaron Lewis (Staind) vents while performing solo in Roanoke, VA.  The conservative musician tells the audience, “We have all lost our connection with the Constitution. Because if we knew the Constitution and the Bill Of Rights, we would know that it clearly states that it’s our responsibility as we the people to take back a country governed by tyrannical people.”  2022

Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) receives the key to the city in his family’s ancestral hometown of Pratiglione, Italy.  2023