This Day in Rock History: February 3
February 3 was a historical day for rock music. On this day in 1959, legends Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens all lost their lives in a tragic plane crash. The band was on their Winter Party Dance Tour in America when the accident occurred. Later, this day would become known as “The Day the Music Died.” Although it was an industry-altering event, rock music is far from dead. Let’s find out what breakthrough hits, milestones, cultural events, notable recordings, major performances, and changes and challenges have taken place on February 3.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These are some breakthrough hits and milestones in rock music that happened on Feb. 3:
- 1973: Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” hit No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart. It would stay in the position for three straight weeks and was his first song, but not his last, to make it to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart.
- 1986: Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits’ 10th studio album, hit No. 1 in the U.K. and stayed there for 10 weeks. It’s the seventh best-selling album in U.K. chart history, and it also had a nine-week run at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 in the U.S.
Cultural Milestones
Some cultural milestones that have left their mark on the rock music industry include:
- 1992: At Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Michael Jackson announced his Dangerous World Tour, letting his fans know that Pepsi would sponsor the tour. He used the tour to raise $100 million for his Heal the World Foundation.
- 2008: At the Super Bowl XLII halftime show, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed some of their most popular hits, including “I Won’t Back Down,” Freefallin’,” and “American Girl” in front of more than 71,000 people.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Are you familiar with any of these notable rock music recordings and performances from February 3rds of years past:
- 1968: At Abbey Road Studios in London, the Beatles recorded “Lady Madonna” before leaving on a trip to India to study Transcendental Meditation. They recorded the song in just three takes.
- 1979: “Y.M.C.A” by the Village People made it to the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for three weeks. It could never quite make it to No.1 in the U.S.
Industry Changes and Challenges
With each new day comes changes and challenges, and here are a few that left a lasting impression from this day in rock music history:
- 1990: Sinead O’Connor from Ireland, Kylie Minogue from Australia, and Techtronic from Belgium were the first three non-British and non-American artists to be featured at the top of the U.K. charts.
- 2003: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Phil Spector, who is a Grammy award-winning music producer, was arrested and charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. The police arrived at his Alhambra, California, mansion to find the actress dead with a single gunshot wound.
With these important hits, recordings, performances, cultural events, milestones, and challenges that happened on February 3, you can be sure this is a memorable day in rock music history. And this popular genre wouldn’t be what it is today without these moments, both good and bad.
