This Day in Rock History: September 21
Sept. 21 was a significant date for many rock legends, including Jimi Hendrix, Dire Straits, and Nirvana. Continue reading to discover their career milestones and other major events that occurred…
Sept. 21 was a significant date for many rock legends, including Jimi Hendrix, Dire Straits, and Nirvana. Continue reading to discover their career milestones and other major events that occurred on this day in rock history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Many iconic names in rock experienced breakthrough moments and career milestones on this date. Here are a couple of essential ones:
- 1968: Jimi Hendrix released one of his most well-known songs, a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower." It appeared in numerous movies and commercials throughout the years and even inspired Dylan to perform the song in Jimi's style rather than the original.
- 1985: Dire Straits reached the No. 1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with their hit single, "Money For Nothing." It remained in the top spot for three weeks, helped by its revolutionary video, which was one of the first ever to include 3D computer-generated animation.
Cultural Milestones
Rock's culture is a huge part of 20th- and 21st-century popular culture. These are some of the memorable cultural milestones that occurred on Sept. 21:
- 1984: The first-ever commercial CD was pressed in the U.S. at the CBS/Sony Digital Audio Disc Corp. plant in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was a copy of Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. album, and it started a revolution in how people stored and listened to their music.
- 2011: Indie rockers R.E.M. announced on their official website that they were splitting up after 31 years together. They achieved fame in the '80s and '90s, thanks to hits such as "The One I Love," "Losing My Religion," and "Everybody Hurts."
Notable Recordings and Performances
Sept. 21 is also the anniversary of some legendary album releases. Here are two of them:
- 1979: Cheap Trick released their fourth and most successful album, Dream Police. It achieved Platinum certification and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
- 1991: Nirvana fully launched their third album, In Utero, in the U.S. in all formats, after limited vinyl and cassette releases a few days earlier. Although not quite as popular with critics and fans as its predecessor, Nevermind, the album solidified Nirvana's reputation as one of the most iconic names in the grunge genre.
From iconic songs to genre-defining album releases, Sept. 20 is a significant date for rock fans. Tune in tomorrow to find out what happened throughout the years on that day in rock history.
