This Day in Rock History: February 25

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1957: Buddy Holly and the Crickets rerecorded "That'll Be the Day" due to the poor quality of the original version. The song was included on their second and final album and became a chart-topping single.
• 1984: "Jump" by Van Halen reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for five weeks. This was the band's most successful single and later earned them a GRAMMY Award.
• 1989: "Belfast Child" by Simple Minds reached the top spot on the UK singles chart. Part of their eighth album, Street Fighting Years, the song was the band's first No. 1 single in the UK.

Cultural Milestones

• 1943: Vocalist and guitarist for The Beatles, George Harrison, was born in Liverpool, England. He was also a successful solo artist, with many No. 1 hits and albums.
• 1981: Pat Benatar won the GRAMMY for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Female for her 1980 Crimes of Passion album. She held the crown for four consecutive years.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1963: The Beatles released "Please Please Me" in the U.S. Originally, the song got very little attention, but a year later, when it was rereleased, it made it to No. 3 on the charts.
• 1964: The Beatles completed recording "Can't Buy Be Love," on George Harrison's 21st birthday. Song was a huge hit, reaching No. 1 on the singles charts in multiple countries, including the US, UK, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden.
• 1972: Playing for the first time ever in Auckland, New Zealand, Led Zeppelin drew the biggest concert crowd the island had ever experienced. It was reported that the band could be heard 5 miles from the venue.
• 1985: Tears for Fears released their second studio album, Songs from the Big Chair, via Phonogram Records and Mercury Records. It peaked at No. 1 in the US, mainly due to the success of songs like "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
• 1992: Pantera released their sixth studio album, Vulgar Display of Power, via Atco Records. It's their best-selling album to date, with over 2 million copies sold in the US alone.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1992: Jimi Hendrix was posthumously honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the GRAMMYs by the Recording Academy. Although he died at the young age of 27 in 1970, rock musicians are still inspired by his unique guitar style.
• 2004: After making $212 million during their 2003 Forty Licks tour, The Rolling Stones topped the U.S. list of richest musicians. They made an average of $11 per person from the three million fans who saw their shows during the tour.