This Day in Rock History: July 26
July 26 is an important day in rock history, featuring notable events from bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Clash, and Led Zeppelin. From bands who released albums that…
July 26 is an important day in rock history, featuring notable events from bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Clash, and Led Zeppelin. From bands who released albums that made it onto the U.S. charts to one group who performed their final U.S. concert, here's a look at some of the industry's notable moments.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Many legendary rock bands hit important milestones on this date. These include:
- 1968: The Jackson 5, who went on to become Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, signed the standard Motown contract. This would launch them into worldwide stardom.
- 1973: ZZ Top released their third studio album, Tres Hombres, featuring the song "La Grange." It was a turning point in the band's history, as "La Grange" arguably became their biggest ever hit.
- 1975: One of These Nights, the Eagles' fourth studio album, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It spent five weeks on the chart.
- 1979: British punk rock band The Clash released their self-titled album in the U.S. two years after its original U.K. release. It featured a different track listing than the U.K. version and included new tracks.
- 1980: The Rolling Stones' album, Emotional Rescue, made it into the top 10 of the Billboard 200. Though the album only spent one week on the charts, its title track ultimately spent 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
Cultural Milestones
Little did the world know that this day in rock history would see the birth of two key members of wildly influential and popular rock 'n' roll bands:
- 1943: Mick Jagger, co-founder and lead singer of The Rolling Stones, was born. He became one of the band's lead songwriters, alongside guitarist Keith Richards.
- 1949: Roger Taylor, Queen's drummer, was born. He went on to write some of the band's biggest hits, including "A Kind of Magic" and "Radio Ga Ga."
Industry Changes and Challenges
Unfortunately, not all events that happened on July 26 were positive:
- 1977: Led Zeppelin abandoned their U.S. tour with 10 remaining dates after frontman Robert Plant's 5-year-old son died suddenly of a stomach virus. To this day, the group hasn't performed again on American soil.
- 2013: JJ Cale, guitarist, singer, and songwriter, died from a heart attack at age 74. Many iconic musicians, such as Cale's friend Eric Clapton, Santana, and John Mayer, have covered a variety of his songs, including "After Midnight" and "Call Me the Breeze," to name a few.
From famous birthdays to tragic events that shook the rock world, these July 26 events are a few of the pivotal moments from this day in rock history. Come back tomorrow to read more about the events that mark rock's tumultuous history.
