May 3 has welcomed music icons such as James Brown, Bruce Hall, and Sterling Campbell into the world. This day has also included hit songs, cultural milestones, and memorable concerts that live on in the rock ‘n’ roll music of today. Fans can keep rockin’ with these facts from this day in rock music history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Some people may not be familiar with these May 3 moments that influenced the rock industry:
- 1975: Chicago VIII, the seventh studio album from Chicago, made it to the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 chart. The album stayed on top for two weeks, which was the shortest chart stay of the group’s albums in the position.
- 1986: Thanks in part to its iconic music video, “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It remained on top for a week and was Palmer’s only hit to make it on the chart.
Cultural Milestones
These events on May 3 shifted the rock genre, guiding it to become the music fans love now:
- 2006: Bob Dylan’s radio show, Theme Time Radio Hour, aired for the first time on a streaming radio service. The influential show was a mix of music tracks and commentary about different topics and the lyrics of songs he played.
- 2010: “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas reached 5,561,000 downloads, making it the best-selling digital song of all time. The song also spent 14 weeks at the top of the Billboard chart, which made it the longest chart-topping song of 2009.
Notable Recordings and Performances
These are a few rock recordings and performances from May 3 that impacted the rock scene:
- 1964: Making their U.S. television debut, Gerry and The Pacemakers performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. The group sang their most beloved songs, “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying” and “I’m The One.”
- 1976: Paul McCartney performed for the first time in nearly 10 years when his band Wings kicked off their Wings Over America tour. They played at the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas, in front of more than 10,000 people.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Without these May 3 struggles, these incredible rock sounds might not exist today:
- 1969: At the Toronto International Airport in Canada, Jimi Hendrix was arrested by customs agents who charged him with possession of narcotics after finding the drugs in his luggage. He was later acquitted when it couldn’t be proved he knew the narcotics were there.
- 1972: While performing with his band Stone the Crows in Wales, guitarist Les Harvey was electrocuted in front of a live audience. The musician had been touching his guitar strings when he placed his hand on a microphone that wasn’t earthed.
Rock history from May 3 has affected the entire genre. These hits, milestones, challenges, and more are just a small part of what’s made rock ‘n’ roll what it is today.
