This Day in History: 2023-09-03

SEPTEMBER 3rd

Heart’s blistering ‘Barracuda” peaks at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.  1977

“Powerslave,” the follow-up to “The Number Of The Beast,” is unleashed.  The Iron Maiden album, like its predecessor, goes platinum (one million sales).  1984

Judas Priest roll out their 12th album “Painkiller.” The set, which marks the debut of drummer the debut of drummer Scott Travis, enters the Billboard album chart at #26 on its way to moving more than 2-million units worldwide.  1990

Iron Maiden’s seventeenth studio album, “Senjutsu,” drops.  Maiden’s first full-length effort in nearly six years subsequently tops the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. 2021

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

The Beach Boys’ Al Jardine is born in Lima, OH. He’s the only original member who isn’t a cousin or a brother. 1942

One of Thin Lizzy’s founding members, guitarist Eric Bell, is born. 1947

Grand Funk Railroad’s drummer, Don Brewer, has a birthday. He sings the lead on the band’s major hit “We’re An American Band.” 1948

Never mind the bollocks – it’s Steve Jones’ birthday! The Sex Pistols’ guitarist is born in London. 1955

A sort of Psychedelic Folk song, “Sunshine Superman,” is #1. It’s the title track from Donovan’s third album. 1966

Sum 41 bassist Cone McCaslin (Jason Paul McCaslin) is born in North York, Ontario.  1980

The US Festival in San Bernadino, California draws 400,000. The three-day festival features, the Police, the Cars, Jackson Browne, David Edmunds, the Ramones, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and the Grateful Dead. This shindig is financed by Steve Wozniak of Apple Computer fame. 1982

John Mellencamp and Me’shell Ndegeocello’s remake of Van Morrison’s “Wild Night” gets up to #3 on the charts. 1994

More than 100 people are arrested early in the morning as fans leaving a Rage Against The Machine concert at Minneapolis Target Center stage an impromptu march to protest the Republican National Convention taking place in neighboring St. Paul. We have anti-war demonstrators vs. cops in riot gear – just like the ’60s.  2008

Noel Gallagher (Oasis) receives the Icon Award at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London. 2013

Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks is named the Prog God at the Progressive Music Awards in London. 2015

Walter Becker, Steely Dan guitarist and co-founder (with Donald Fagen), passes away.  2017

Virginia Tech’s use of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” as entrance music into Lane Stadium shows up on seismograph readings. 65,000 football fans shake the earth before the Hokies upset 17-10 victory over #10 North Carolina.  2021

Disturbed’s “Hey You” is #1 song on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Frontman David Draiman says the track is a “wake up call” for “people (who) have lost themselves in outrage addiction.”  2022

Foo Fighters play the first of a pair of tribute concerts honoring their late drummer Taylor Hawkins at London’s Wembley Stadium. Special guests include Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Liam Gallagher (Oasis), Josh Homme (QOTSA), Brian May (Queen) and Wolfgang Van Halen, among others.  2022

A “Houses Of The Holy” album sleeve signed by all four members of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham) sells for £15,000 ($18.000 U.S.) at auction in the U.K.   2023