Rock History (JUN 15-21)

Historic events this week from Santana, David Bowie, The Police, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Foreigner, The Beatles and John Mellencamp

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JUNE 15, 1999: SANTANA RELEASES SUPERNATURAL

Supernatural was a big hit for Santana thanks to a lineup of star guest vocalists and the massive single, “Smooth.”

Supernatural‘s two #1 singles, “Smooth” & “Maria Maria” spent a combined 22 weeks at the top.

The album won nine Grammys and became the band’s first chart-topping album in 28 years.


JUNE 16, 1972: THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS

With nearly 8 million sold worldwide, David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars remains his second best-selling album behind 1983’s Let’s Dance.

In 2017, the Library of Congress deemed the album “culturally, historically, or artistically significant.”


JUNE 17, 1983: THE POLICE’S SYNCHRONICITY

Synchronicity was The Police’s final and biggest studio album.

The album contained the hits “King of Pain”, “Wrapped Around Your Finger” and “Every Breath You Take”.

“Every Breath You Take” would spend eight-straight weeks at #1, and was the best-selling single of 1983.


JUNE 18, 1982: FLEETWOOD MAC RELEASE MIRAGE

Fleetwood Mac’s Buckingham-Nicks era continued its winning streak with the 2x-Platinum Mirage.

The album became the band’s third US #1 album after 1975’s Fleetwood Mac and 1977’s Rumours.

Mirage features Stevie Nicks’ Top 5, Gold-selling single, “Gypsy.”


JUNE 20, 1975: NEIL YOUNG’S TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT

Neil Young’s sixth album, Tonight’s the Night, is a dark album about loss and grief.

Young’s guitarist, Danny Whitten, and roadie Bruce Berry both died of overdoses within several months of one another.

Early releases of the deeply cathartic album contained liner notes from Neil Young: “I’m sorry. You don’t know these people. This means nothing to you.”


JUNE 20, 1978: FOREIGNER’S DOUBLE VISION

Foreigner followed up their multi-Platinum self-titled debut with Double Vision.

Containing the hits “Hot Blooded”, “Double Vision” and “Blue Morning, Blue Day”, Double Vision remains the band’s biggest album with sales of over 7 million in the US.


JUNE 21, 1966: THE BEATLES RECORD ‘SHE SAID, SHE SAID’ WITHOUT PAUL McCARTNEY

The Beatles’ “She Said, She Said” was inspired by Peter Fonda’s LSD-fueled “I know what it’s like to be dead,” during a trip where John Lennon and George Harrison felt alienated from Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney.

Ringo later tried LSD with them, but Paul refused and ultimately didn’t perform on the song after an arrangement dispute.


JUNE 21, 1994: JOHN MELLENCAMP’S DANCE NAKED

John Mellencamp swiftly recorded 1994’s Dance Naked as a stripped-down defiance against his label’s commercial demands.

Despite its quick creation, the album became a #13 hit, propelled by the Platinum-certified duet with Meshell Ndegeocello on Van Morrison’s “Wild Night.”

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