You never know when you might witness music history. On July 5, 1975, Pink Floyd first played Wish You Were Here at the Knebworth Festival. The album went on to be certified Gold in both the U.S. and the U.K.
Breakthrough hits and milestones on July 5
1954: In Memphis, Elvis Presley recorded his first professional song. It didn’t top the Top 100, but it hit No. 1 in sales and is now in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame.
1986: Janet Jackson’s third album, Control, reached No. 1. It spawned five Top 5 singles and cemented her pop status.
1993: U2 released Zooropa, their eighth studio album, with guest vocals by Johnny Cash. The album topped both the U.K. and U.S. charts and won the 1994 GRAMMY for Best Alternative Music Album.
1994: Hootie & the Blowfish dropped Cracked Rear View. It debuted at No. 127 on the Billboard 200, climbed to No. 1, and stayed there eight weeks. Four singles hit the Hot 100 Top 40.
2019: Ed Sheeran released a single from No.6 Collaborations Project that featured Bruno Mars and Chris Stapleton. The track reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
Cultural moments from July 5
1982: Dave Haywood was born in Augusta, Georgia. He’s one-third of Lady A, who have multiple Top 40 hits and six GRAMMYs.
1986: Adam Young of Owl City was born in Steele County, Minnesota. His group’s biggest hit topped charts in both the U.K. and U.S.
1997: The first Lilith Fair show launched. The all-female tour featured Fiona Apple, Paula Cole, Sheryl Crow, and the Indigo Girls and grossed about $16 million.
2003: Lollapalooza returned after six years with Jane’s Addiction headlining. It later grew into the major festival it is today.
2023: Adele called out bad audience behavior after several artists had objects thrown at them. She spoke plainly in support of safer shows.
