Whether you’re a longtime lover of rock ‘n’ roll, or you’re just getting into the genre, learning more about its history can help you understand the shifts the industry has gone through over the years. May 2 has been a big day for music, with hit songs topping the charts, bands putting on unforgettable concerts, and popular records being released.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These big hits and band milestones on May 2 left an impression on the rock genre:
- 1964: Within two weeks of its release, The Beatles’s Second Album hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, replacing their Meet The Beatles! album. This was the first time an artist replaced their own No.1 hit album with another on the U.S. album charts.
- 1970: Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky.” reached No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart. It was the musician’s only hit song and held the top spot for two weeks.
Cultural Milestones
The culture of rock was forever changed when these May 2 events occurred:
- 1972: In late April, Mike Apple, manager for Bruce Springsteen, secured the musician a May 2 meeting with record producer John Hammond. This led to an audition with Columbia Records executives, who signed Springsteen to a deal the following month.
- 1980: When South African school children actively resisting apartheid education adopted Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” lyrics “We don’t need no education,” the government banned the song. The attempt at censorship helped fuel the song’s popularity with protestors.
- 2024: The Official U.K. Charts Company announced that Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors was the best-selling album of the 21st century, from records released between 1970 and 1999. Worldwide, the album has sold more than 40 million copies, and it’s spent more than 1,000 weeks on the Official Albums Chart since its release.
Notable Recordings and Performances
You may be familiar with these May 2 recordings and performances from rock legends and iconic community members:
- 1977: Eric Clapton recorded his popular love ballad “Wonderful Tonight,” one of several songs written for Patti Boyd. Although the song peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard chart, it’s Clapton’s most-downloaded song on modern streaming platforms.
- 1979: At the Rainbow Theater in London, England, The Who played their first show after losing Keith Moon to an accidental drug overdose. Kenney Jones replaced Moon for the performance and stayed with the band until 1988.
- 2005: Former Cream bandmates Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce reunited, playing the first of a four-night gig at the Royal Albert Hall in London. This was only the second time the band had played together since disbanding 37 years earlier.
