This Day in Rock History: April 18

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1987: Aretha Franklin set a new record for the longest interval between two No. 1 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart by the same artist, when her duet with George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” went to the top of the chart. Her previous No. 1 was "Respect," which reached the top spot 19 years and 10 months before, in June 1967.
• 1992: Def Leppard topped the US Billboard 200 albums chart with their fifth studio album, Adrenalize, which stayed there for five weeks. The album had reached the top spot on the UK albums chart the week before, giving the British rockers the rare distinction of having a No. 1 album on both sides of the Atlantic at the same time.
• 1994: With the release of their eighth album, Let Love In, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds earned mainstream acclaim. It featured the songs “Do You Love Me (Part I)” and “Red Right Hand.”

Cultural Milestones

• 1974: Creed and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti was born in Orlando, Florida. He founded Creed in 1994 with frontman Scott Stapp and enjoyed huge mainstream success, and then formed Alter Bridge in 2004 after Creed became inactive.
• 1975: Alice Cooper gave TV audiences an insight into his recording process when his first special, Welcome to My Nightmare: The Making of a Record Album, aired.
• 1987: The heavy metal music program Headbangers Ball premiered on MTV.
• 2015: Newly eligible pop-punk band Green Day was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
• 2020: The track “Zombie” by The Cranberries became the first song by an Irish act to achieve more than 1 billion YouTube views.
• 2023: Eddie Van Halen's famous Fender “Frankenstrat” guitar sold for $3.9 million at a Sotheby's auction.
• 2024: Longtime Allman Brothers Band member Dickey Betts passed away at age 80 in Osprey, Florida. He co-founded the band back in 1969 and was a constant member until 2000, while also being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an Allman Brothers Band member in 1995.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1975: John Lennon released his seminal cover of Ben E. King's classic, “Stand By Me.”
• 1980: Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott launched his debut solo album, Solo in Soho.
• 1986: British blues-rock singer Joe Cocker published his 10th album, Cocker, which featured his iconic cover of Randy Newman's “You Can Leave Your Hat On” from the film 9 ½ Weeks.
• 1988: Polydor Records celebrated the career of Eric Clapton with the release of the Crossroads box set. It contained music from his solo career and bands, including the Yardbirds, Cream, and Derek and the Dominos.
• 2000: Creed released “With Arms Wide Open,” which was their first and only No. 1 single.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2014: After a lengthy legal dispute, Prince regained ownership of his catalog and returned to Warner Bros. Records, which had licensing rights to his classic albums.
• 2020: As the live music scene ground to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the One World: Together at Home concert saw stars such as Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, and Elton John streaming performances from their homes.