Dec. 21 has given us some unforgettable moments in rock history. Bruce Springsteen took the crown from Michael Jackson, Van Halen dropped their biggest hit, and Janis Joplin made her solo debut. Here’s a look at some key events from this day.
In 1968, Glen Campbell’s eleventh album, *Wichita Lineman*, hit number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. The title track became a classic, known as one of the most iconic country-rock songs ever.
Fast forward to 1985, when Bruce Springsteen’s *Born in the U.S.A.* album broke records by spending more weeks in the Billboard 200 Top 10 than Michael Jackson’s *Thriller*. It became the second-longest running album in the Top 10, with 84 weeks, just behind *The Sound of Music*.
On the cultural side, Frank Zappa was born in 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland. A self-taught guitarist, he mixed rock, jazz, and pop, earning a posthumous spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Sadly, blues legend Albert King passed away in 1992 in Memphis, Tennessee. He is remembered as one of the greatest blues guitarists and part of “The Three Kings of the Blues.”
Dec. 21 also marks some iconic performances. In 1968, Janis Joplin had her first solo show at a Stax/Volt Records Christmas concert in Memphis after leaving Big Brother & the Holding Company. Then in 1983, Van Halen released “Jump” from their *1984* album, which became their most successful single, going Platinum in both the U.S. and the U.K.
From *Wichita Lineman* to “Jump,” Dec. 21 has seen some major rock moments. Check back tomorrow for more rock history!
