Historic events this week from Neil Young, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan and more
FEBRUARY 1, 1972: NEIL YOUNG’S HARVEST
Moving away from his grittier sound, Neil Young retreated to his ranch to craft a masterpiece of warm, pedal-steel-drenched country rock. Harvest became a career-defining success, blending the commercial charm of “Heart of Gold” with the raw, haunting vulnerability of “The Needle and the Damage Done.”
FEBRUARY 1, 1973: ALICE COOPER RELEASES BILLION DOLLAR BABIES
Welcome to My Nightmare may be Alice Cooper‘s biggest album, but Billion Dollar Babies has the distinction of being his only US #1 album.
The Platinum selling album features the popular radio hit “No More Mr. Nice Guy.”
FEBRUARY 1, 1989: THE REPLACEMENTS’ DON’T TELL A SOUL
After years of self-sabotage on a major label, The Replacements finally swapped their jagged edges for production aimed at mainstream airplay. Don’t Tell a Soul successfully bridged the gap between their chaotic roots and the mainstream, yielding the hit “I’ll Be You” while cementing Paul Westerberg’s status as a songwriting heavyweight.
FEBRUARY 3, 1997: DAVID BOWIE’S EARTHLING
David Bowie embraced the 90s underground by fusing industrial rock with the frenetic breakbeats of drum and bass on his 1997 album Earthling. This creative evolution was fueled by his collaboration and tour with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, proving that Bowie could masterfully reinvent his sound for the digital age.
FEBRUARY 3, 1998: YIELD BY PEARL JAM
Following the divisive No Code, Pearl Jam stepped back from the brink of internal collapse by embracing a more collaborative, democratic songwriting process that moved away from the tension of their previous years. Yield signaled a creative rebirth for the band, pairing anthemic rockers like “Given to Fly” with a newfound sense of sonic openness and stability.
FEBRUARY 4, 1977: FLEETWOOD MAC UNLEASHES RUMOURS
With over 40 million sold, Fleetwood Mac‘s Rumours is the #5 best-selling studio album of all time, and spent 31 non-consecutive weeks at #1, less than a year after its release. All four singles from the album (“Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun”) went Top 10 in the US, with “Dreams” going to #1.
FEBRUARY 4, 2007: PRINCE’S HALFTIME SHOW
Prince performed one of the greatest and most memorable halftime shows in history.
The setlist included Purple Rain classics “Let’s Go Crazy”, “Baby I’m a Star” & “Purple Rain,” as well as Queen‘s “We Will Rock You”, CCR‘s “Proud Mary”, Foo Fighters‘ “Best of You” and Bob Dylan‘s “All Along the Watchtower.”
FEBRUARY 6, 1987: LIGHT OF DAY STARRING JOAN JETT AND MICHAEL J. FOX
Joan Jett made her acting debut in 1987’s Light of Day, starring alongside Michael J. Fox.
The title song was written by Bruce Springsteen and performed by Jett & Fox’s The Barbusters band. The song peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April ’87.
“Light of Day” remains a staple of Joan Jett‘s live set. Jett & Fox reunited at a Parkinson’s benefit in November 2018.
FEBRUARY 7, 1976: BOB DYLAN’S DESIRE LP IS #1
Bob Dylan‘s 17th studio album was his third to go to #1 in the US, after Planet Waves and Blood on the Tracks.
The album contained the protest song, “Hurricane”, about the wrongful conviction of boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter.
At 5-straight weeks, Desire spent more time at #1 than any other Bob Dylan album.
