Historic events this week from Rush, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, U2, Tom Petty, Elton John, REO Speedwagon and The Beatles
NOVEMBER 16, 1977: THREE RUSH ALBUMS ARE CERTIFIED GOLD
Three Rush albums (2112, A Farewell to Kings and the live All the World’s a Stage) were all certified Gold on the same day, with over 500,000 copies sold.
2112 has since gone 3x Platinum in the US and 2x Platinum in Canada.
NOVEMBER 17, 1994: BOB DYLAN FILMS MTV UNPLUGGED
Bob Dylan‘s MTV Unplugged appearance occurred over two nights at Sony Music Studios in New York.
With a setlist dominated by classic tracks, the only new song in the set was “Dignity”.
“Dignity”, an outtake from Oh Mercy (1989), was released on Bob Dylan‘s Greatest Hits Volume 3 two days before the the Unplugged shows.
NOVEMBER 18, 1978: BILLY JOEL’S 52ND STREET IS #1
52nd Street contained two of Billy Joel‘s biggest singles: “My Life” (#3) and “Big Shot” (#14).
The album would spend the rest of 1978 (seven consecutive weeks) at #1 and would go on to sell 7 million copies in the US.
NOVEMBER 18, 1991: U2’S ACHTUNG BABY
U2‘s 1991 album, Achtung Baby, marked a radical reinvention for the band, trading their earnest stadium rock for a darker, more experimental sound influenced by electronic music and alternative rock. Driven by hit singles like “Mysterious Ways” and “One,” the record is often hailed as a creative peak that successfully repositioned the band for the decade to come.
NOVEMBER 19, 1994: DAVE GROHL PERFORMS WITH TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS ON SNL
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were without a drummer when they were booked for their 5th SNL appearance.
Heartbreakers drummer, Stan Lynch, had quit the band a month and a half earlier.
Tom Petty tapped (former) Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl for the gig, and offered him a permanent job afterwards.
After careful consideration, they both agreed Dave Grohl needed to focus his burgeoning talent on his own project, which would come to be known as Foo Fighters.
NOVEMBER 20, 2022: ELTON JOHN’S FINAL SOLO US CONCERT
On the brink of retiring from performing live, Elton John performed his final US concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
The 24-song set featured five tracks from his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, and included “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with a special appearance from Kiki Dee.
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which began in 2018 (with a 2 year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic), wrapped up July 8, 2023 in Sweden.
NOVEMBER 21, 1980: REO SPEEDWAGON’S HI INFIDELITY
REO Speedwagon‘s 9th album featured their first Top 10 songs, with “Keep on Loving You” topping the charts, and “Take It on the Run” peaking at #5.
Hi Infidelity would go on to spend 15 non-consecutive weeks at #1 in 1982.
It’s REO‘s only #1 album, and is far and away their biggest selling album, with over 10 million sold in the US alone.
NOVEMBER 22, 1968: THE BEATLES’ “WHITE ALBUM”
The Beatles‘ self-titled epic, simply known as “the white album”, contains 30 songs in all. Only 16 feature all four Beatles.
Featuring “Back in the USSR”, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”, and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, The Beatles became the group’s 12th US #1 album.
“The white album” remains The Beatles‘ biggest selling album in the US with 24 million in sales.
