From hit songs and memorable performances to band milestones and significant cultural events, April 22 has played its part in shaping the rock music industry. Discover some of the most interesting facts from this day in history below.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Your favorite rock songs may have been influenced by these hits and milestones from April 22:
- 1966: The Troggs released “Wild Thing,” which would hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by July of the same year. This was the band’s only No. 1 hit song.
- 1989: Madonna’s Like a Prayer album hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard albums chart on the same day the title track reached No. 1 on the singles chart. The album stayed in the top spot for six straight weeks, while the single was No. 1 for three consecutive weeks.
Cultural Milestones
It’s amazing how much television has impacted the rock industry, and these April 22 moments in history are just a couple examples:
- 1978: John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd debuted as the Blues Brothers on Saturday Night Live, with Steve Martin as host. This appearance helped the Blues Brothers act rise to fame, and the duo performed on the show several times.
Notable Recordings and Performances
The 1970s was an important time for rock music, and these April 22 recordings and performances are historic:
- 1972: In just its second week of release, Deep Purple’s Machine Head album hit No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, where it stayed for three weeks. In the U.S., the album peaked in the No. 7 spot on Billboard in 1973.
- 1978: During his Bat Out of Hell tour, Meat Loaf jumped off the stage in Ottawa, Ontario, breaking his leg bad enough to require surgery. He had to finish the tour by performing in a wheelchair.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The rock industry survived the following April 22 occurrences:
- 1981: Eric Clapton was involved in a car accident and had to be hospitalized in Seattle, Washington. This came just two days after the artist was released from the hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was treated for bleeding ulcers.
- 2010: Lead singer of Poison, Bret Michaels, suffered a brain hemorrhage that put him in the hospital in critical condition. He later sued CBS and the Tony Awards, claiming the hemorrhage was due to a 2009 incident in which a set piece fell and knocked him down while he was exiting the stage.
No matter what you’re rocking out to today, you can be sure these events, songs, performances, and changes in the industry have left their mark. Crank up your tunes, and keep coming back here for your daily dose of rock history.
