On This Day in Music History - 4/21/2025
- Thump Music
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
1939: Billie Holiday recorded "Strange Fruit," a powerful protest song against racial violence. Its haunting lyrics and delivery made it a cultural milestone, highlighting systemic racism and becoming a landmark in African American music history.
1960: The U.S. government cracked down on "payola," the practice of record companies paying DJs to play songs. Dick Clark testified before Congress, admitting he accepted money and gifts for airplay, estimating 27% of his playlist was influenced. Clark’s career thrived, but Alan Freed, another prominent DJ, refused to admit involvement, leading to his career’s decline. This event exposed corruption in the music industry and influenced radio regulations.
1969: Janis Joplin performed her first and only headline solo concert in the UK at London’s Royal Albert Hall, a pivotal moment in her career showcasing her raw vocal power and blues-rock influence.
1973: Alice Cooper’s sixth studio album, Billion Dollar Babies, topped the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and also reached number one in the UK and Finland, cementing their glam-rock legacy. On the same day, Dawn & Tony Orlando’s "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" began a four-week run at number one in both the UK and U.S., becoming a pop culture staple.
1978: Sandy Denny, lead singer of the folk band Fairport Convention, died at age 31 from alcohol abuse, marking a loss for the British folk scene.
1979: Amii Stewart’s cover of Eddie Floyd’s 1966 hit "Knock on Wood" reached number one in the U.S., bringing disco-infused energy to the charts. Also, the Broadway musical Evita by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice opened at the Broadway Theatre in New York City, becoming a cultural phenomenon.
1984: Phil Collins achieved his first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number one as a solo artist with "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)," a ballad that became a defining hit of the 1980s.
1990: Paul McCartney set a world record for the largest concert attendance by a single artist, performing for 184,000 people at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Fleetwood Mac’s album Behind the Mask hit number one in the UK, and Sinead O’Connor’s "Nothing Compares 2 U" topped the U.S. Singles chart for four weeks, becoming an iconic emotional anthem.
1998: Faith Hill released her album Faith, which included her first pop crossover hit, "This Kiss," marking her transition from country to mainstream stardom.
2000: Neal Matthews Jr., a vocalist with Elvis Presley’s backing group The Jordanaires, died of a heart attack at age 70, marking the loss of a key figure in rock and roll history.
2003: Nina Simone, the legendary singer, songwriter, and pianist known for songs like "I Loves You, Porgy" and "I Put a Spell on You," died at age 70 after a battle with breast cancer. Her work spanned jazz, blues, and civil rights activism, leaving a profound legacy.
2007: Timbaland’s "Give It to Me," featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, hit number one in the U.S. and UK, showcasing the dominance of pop-hip-hop collaborations. Australian guitarist Lobby Loyd died at 65 from lung cancer, and soul singer Al Wilson passed at 68 from kidney failure.
2012: Keith Urban became the first Australian and the first artist born outside North America to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, a significant honor in country music. Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded topped the U.S. Billboard 200, solidifying her rap dominance.
2013: Christina Amphlett, frontwoman of The Divinyls, died at 53 after a battle with breast cancer, leaving behind hits like "I Touch Myself."
2016: Prince, the revolutionary musician who blended funk, rock, pop, and R&B, died at age 57 from an accidental fentanyl overdose. His death shocked the world, ending a career that included iconic works like Purple Rain and a genre-defying influence.
Notable Birthdays:
1907: Wade Mainer, a pioneering old-time and bluegrass musician, was born.
1919: Don Cornell, a traditional pop singer, was born.
1922: Mundell Lowe, jazz guitarist and composer for Starsky and Hutch, was born.
1924: Clara Mae Ward, gospel singer and leader of The Famous Ward Singers, was born.
1931: Carl Belew, country singer known for "Am I That Easy to Forget," was born.
1932: Slide Hampton, jazz trombonist, was born.
1938: Ernie Maresca, singer and songwriter, was born.
1947: Iggy Pop, punk rock icon and frontman of The Stooges, was born.
1951: Nicole Barclay of the band Fanny, was born.
1958: Mike Barson of Madness, was born.
1959: Robert Smith, frontman of The Cure, was born.
1959: Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, was born.
1960: John Maher of Buzzcocks, was born.
1963: Johnny McElhone of Altered Images and Texas, was born.
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