This Week In Rock-n-Roll History:
In 1988, the California Raisins made their Billboards Hot 100 debut with I Heard It Through The Grapevine. The song would go on to reach #84 before dropping off the charts; however, this was only the beginning of one of the most enduring advertising and marketing campaigns. Many of the items created for the advertising campaign and the associated merchandise are on display at the Smithsonian Institute.
Also this week in RnR history:
In '85, Julian Lennon debuted his debut song, Too Late For Goodbyes on Billboards Hot 100.
In '82, 867-5309/Jenny by Tommy Tutone also made it's debut.
John Lennon had the number one hit with (Just Like) Starting Over in '81.
In '78, Van Halen made their debut on Billboards Hot 100 with a remake of the Kink's 1969 You Really Got Me. Eddie Van Halen remembered hearing it for the first time on the radio at 2:00 in the morning and woke his parents up screaming, "We're on the radio! We're on the radio!"
Ringo Starr had the number one hit this week in '74 with You're 16. Harry Nilsson sang backup and Paul McCartney made the kazoo sound (the album credits McCartney with a solo sax; however, he played a homemade kazoo on Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band track Lovely Rita. Judge for yourselves).
In '73, David Bowie's Space Oddity made its debut on Billboards Hot 100.
Number one this week in rock-n-roll history in 1971, Don McLean's American Pie. The phrase, "the day the music died" refers to the February 3, 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and JP "The Bopper" Richardson.
