We’re traveling all the way back to 1997 today on Throwback Thursday! Hold on to your hats!
January 9th – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert (the day after his birthday) at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, with the opening act Placebo. Proceeds from the concert went to the Save the Children fund.
January 20th – Daft Punk’s debut album Homework is released.
http://youtu.be/s9MszVE7aR4
February 10th – Blur release their self-titled album, with a shift in sound from Britpop to a more lo-fi sound, to a critical and commercial success.
February 13 – The Spice Girls knock Toni Braxton’s Unbreak My Heart off the top spot in the US singles chart. They are the first female British group to have a US number one with their debut single.
March 3rd – U2 release the opinion-dividing Pop album. Along with the Oasis album Be Here Now, it becomes a major release that fails to sell to industry expectations, particularly in the US, despite many strong initial reviews.
March 9 – The Notorious B.I.G. is shot dead while sitting in the passenger seat of a car after a Soul Train Awards party in the USA.
http://youtu.be/-C5imFBdgAQ
March 18 – Aerosmith releases Nine Lives, their 12th studio album.
http://youtu.be/AtYiUJdXkRU
April 14th – Depeche Mode come back with their 9th album Ultra.
http://youtu.be/zlBD_ygtUpo
April 15th – Hanson releases MMMBop, one of the most successful debut singles of all time, reaching number one in 27 countries.
May 20th – Michael Jackson releases Blood on the Dance Floor: History in the Mix which became the best seller remix album with 15 million copies sold.
June 16th – Radiohead release OK Computer to huge critical acclaim.
http://youtu.be/Oyixl_MqlDc
August 21st – Oasis’ third album, Be Here Now, is released. It becomes the fastest selling music album of all time, moving 695,761 copies in the first week in the UK.
September 6th – Elton John performs Candle in the Wind at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales; John Tavener’s Song for Athene is performed at the same ceremony, with soprano Lynne Dawson singing the solo part.
http://youtu.be/A8gO0Z818j4
October 7th – Everclear release their multi-platinum third album So Much for the Afterglow, containing Father of Mine and I Will Buy You a New Life.
October 15th – Michael Jackson ends the History World Tour, which included an attendance record of 4,500,000 fans.
November 4th – Shania Twain releases her album Come on Over which goes on to sell over 34 million copies worldwide and later became the biggest selling album in country music history and the biggest selling album by a female music artist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLPb1uQ29eU&feature=share&list=PLAA1B97DD7A808870
November 22nd – INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence is found dead of hanging in a Sydney, Australia hotel room. He was 37.