Sept. 18 is a significant day in rock history. It marks the loss of one of the greatest guitarists, Jimi Hendrix, but it also features some exciting milestones.
1971: The Who reached the top of the U.K. album charts with their iconic album Who’s Next. It only spent one week at No. 1, making it their only U.K. No. 1 album.
1983: KISS made a bold move by appearing in public without their famous makeup for the first time. This was during the promotion of their album Lick It Up on MTV. This moment kicked off a “no-makeup era” that lasted about ten years.
On this day, we also remember some key figures in rock culture.
1951: Dee Dee Ramone, the founder and bassist of the Ramones, was born in Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia. He co-founded the band in 1974, and they toured for 22 years, ending with their farewell show in Los Angeles in 1996.
1970: Jimi Hendrix passed away in London at just 27 years old due to an overdose of sleeping pills. He is often hailed as rock’s greatest guitarist and has influenced countless artists.
Sept. 18 is also the anniversary of some memorable albums.
1971: Black Sabbath released their second studio album, Paranoid. This album is a heavy metal classic, featuring hits like “Iron Man” and “War Pigs.”
1978: All four members of KISS—Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss—released solo albums on the same day. While they all went Platinum, this strategy hurt overall sales as fans typically bought just one album.
From the loss of Jimi Hendrix to the release of Paranoid, Sept. 18 is a day filled with important moments in rock history.
