Historic events this week from The Doors, Elton John, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin and Van Halen
JANUARY 4, 1967: THE DOOR’S SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM
The Doors‘ classic debut album remains their biggest seller with 4 million copies sold in the US alone. The album peaked at #2 on the charts thanks to #1 single “Light My Fire” and “Break on Through (To the Other Side).”
JANUARY 4, 1975: ELTON JOHN’S “LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS” IS #1
Elton John‘s cover of the Beatles‘ psychedelic classic, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” became his fourth US #1. Featuring John Lennon on guitar and backing vocals, the single spent 2 weeks at #1 and sold over 1,000,000 copies.
JANUARY 5, 1975: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’S GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J.
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., Bruce Springsteen‘s debut studio album, went on to sell over 2,000,000 copies in the US and featured notable originals “Blinded by the Light,” “Spirits in the Night” and “For You.”
JANUARY 7, 1980: LED ZEPPELIN’S IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR CERTIFIED PLATINUM
Led Zeppelin’s In Through the Out Door was a late‑career pivot that leaned heavily on synth‑driven experimentation. It captured the band pushing forward creatively even as they navigated major personal upheaval, and featured the popular songs “Fool in the Rain” and “All My Love.”
JANUARY 8, 2013: DAVID BOWIE’S “WHERE ARE WE NOW?”
David Bowie’s “Where Are We Now?,” his first new music since 2004, was a surprise release that ended the longest silence of his career and stunned fans and critics alike. The song was the lead single from David Bowie‘s critically-acclaimed penultimate album, The Next Day.
JANUARY 8, 2016: DAVID BOWIE RELEASES BLACKSTAR
David Bowie‘s final album, Blackstar, was released on his 69th birthday.
With nearly 2 million copies sold worldwide, it’s his biggest selling album since 1983’s Let’s Dance.
Blackstar is David Bowie‘s only US #1 studio album.
JANUARY 9, 1984: 1984 BY VAN HALEN
1984, Van Halen‘s final album with David Lee Roth before the Sammy Hagar-era, has sold over 10 million copies in the US.
The classic album features the big singles “I’ll Wait”, “Panama”, “Hot for Teacher” and their massive #1 single, “Jump.”
JANUARY 10, 2016: DAVID BOWIE DIES
Two days after his birthday, and the release of final album Blackstar, David Bowie died from liver cancer in New York City. Diagnosed 18 months prior, he never disclosed it to the public. He was 69.
