On this day in rock history, Gladys Knight & The Pips hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Midnight Train to Georgia.” Also, Texas blues guitarist Johnny Winter released his album Second Winter. Let’s take a look at some key events that happened on October 27 over the years.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
1973: Gladys Knight & The Pips, who are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Midnight Train to Georgia.” The song knocked “Angie” by The Rolling Stones off the top spot. It later won a GRAMMY for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus in 1974.
2002: Foo Fighters reached No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart with their fourth studio album, One by One. The album featured hits like “All My Life” and “Times Like These” and went Platinum in both the U.K. and the U.S.
Cultural Milestones
1951: K.K. Downing, co-founder of Judas Priest, was born in West Bromwich, England. His guitar work has influenced many heavy metal bands.
1975: Bruce Springsteen appeared on the covers of both Newsweek and Time magazines, becoming the first rock artist to do so thanks to his album Born to Run.
1967: Scott Weiland was born in San Jose, California. He was the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots and later found success with Velvet Revolver.
2013: Lou Reed passed away at 71. He was the frontman of The Velvet Underground and had a successful solo career.
Notable Recordings
1969: Johnny Winter released his second album, Second Winter, a standout in blues music.
1972: Stevie Wonder dropped his 15th album, Talking Book, which includes the hit “Superstition.”
October 27 has been a big day for rock music fans. Check back tomorrow for more stories from rock history!
