Historic events this week from Pink Floyd, Hüsker Dü, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Bob Dylan, Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Young and Van Halen
JANUARY 19, 1980: THE WALL BEGINS 15-WEEEK RUN AT #1
Pink Floyd followed up two 5-song LPs in a row with a 26-song rock opera. The Wall went to #1 in the US and remained there for 15 consecutive weeks.
The massively successful album has sold over 30,000,000 copies worldwide.
JANUARY 19, 1987: WAREHOUSE: SONGS AND STORIES
Hüsker Dü delivered a sprawling double-album masterpiece that brilliantly fused blistering hardcore energy with sophisticated pop melodies. Warehouse: Songs and Stories, their final studio album, solidified the trio’s massive influence on alternative rock by showcasing the legendary, competing songwriting strengths of Bob Mould and Grant Hart.
JANUARY 20, 1970: JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO SHAVE THEIR HEADS FOR CHARITY
John Lennon & Yoko Ono shaved their heads while on holiday in Denmark. They traded the hair for a pair of Muhammad Ali‘s boxing shorts. Ali’s shorts were then sold to raise money for John & Yoko’s peace campaign.
JANUARY 20, 1975: BOB DYLAN’S BLOOD ON THE TRACKS
Bob Dylan‘s Blood on the Tracks is a masterpiece that details immense pain and personal turmoil. Recorded towards the end of his second marriage, Blood on the Tracks is widely believed to be an autobiographical album. Bob Dylan refutes this, stating he doesn’t write “confessional songs.”
JANUARY 20, 1985: OZZY BITES THE HEAD OFF OF A BAT
During an Ozzy Osbourne show in Des Moines, a fan threw a bat onto the stage. Reports differ as to whether it was dead or unconscious. What is known, is Ozzy bit its head off, believing it was made of rubber.
Immediately, something felt wrong. My mouth was instantly full of this warm, gloopy liquid. I could feel it staining my teeth and running down my chin. Then the head in my mouth twitched. – Ozzy
JANUARY 22, 1972: NEIL YOUNG’S DEBUT SOLO ALBUM
Between Buffalo Springfield‘s final album and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s classic Déjà Vu, Neil Young released his self-titled debut as a solo artist. Despite being plagued with production issues, it resembled Bob Dylan‘s Highway 61 Revisited and Young’s work with Buffalo Springfield.
JANUARY 24, 1995: VAN HALEN RELEASES BALANCE
Van Halen‘s Balance was their fourth with singer Sammy Hagar. The final Van Halen studio album to feature Hagar on vocals, was also their fourth straight US #1 album.
The 3x Platinum album featured three Top 10 singles, and earned the band their fourth Grammy nomination for “The Seventh Seal.”
