Rock music has always stood out while influencing other genres and artists. Its rich history is filled with stories of change, new beginnings, and rebellion. A great way to dive into rock ‘n’ roll history is by exploring what happened on this day in music. Here’s a look at May 10 in rock music.
1986: “Rock Me Amadeus” by Austrian singer Falco hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts, making him the first artist to top the chart with a song in German. He was also the first Austrian artist to have a hit single in the U.S. and the U.K.
2003: Madonna’s album *American Life* debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and topped the charts in the U.K. However, despite strong first-week sales, the album’s overall performance fell short of her previous work.
On the cultural side, May 10 has seen significant events in rock history. 1946: David Mason, co-founder of Traffic, was born in Worcester, England. He wrote and sang on the band’s hits “Hole in My Shoe” and “Feelin’ Alright?” and collaborated with legends like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.
1960: Bono was born in Dublin, Ireland. He co-founded U2 in the late 1970s and has sold around 170 million records worldwide.
1970: David Bowie received the Special Award for Originality at the Ivor Novello Awards for his song “Space Oddity.”
1986: In Santa Barbara, Tommy Lee, drummer for Mötley Crüe, married actress Heather Locklear in front of 500 guests.
Notable recordings from May 10 include 1963, when The Rolling Stones recorded their debut single, a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Come On.” In 1969, The Turtles performed at the White House for Tricia Nixon, where band member Mark Volman had a few mishaps on stage. 1974 saw Bill Wyman release the first solo album by a Rolling Stone.
