On This Day in Music History – March 1

On this day in 1968, Johnny Cash recorded At Folsom Prison, a live album that became one of his most famous works. In 1973, Pink Floyd released The Dark Side of the Moon in the U.S., one of the best-selling albums of all time. Nirvana performed their last concert in 1994, just a month before Kurt Cobain’s passing. In 1969, Jim Morrison of The Doors was arrested during a live performance in Miami.

March 1 is also the birthday of many famous musicians. Justin Bieber, born in 1994, became a global pop star as a teenager. Roger Daltrey of The Who, Kesha, and Frederic Chopin were also born on this day.

This date also saw chart-topping hits like Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1984) and Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall (Part II) (1980). Legendary songs like The Beatles’  Want to Hold Your Hand and The Jackson 5’s I Want You Back also reached No. 1 on this day. Learn more about the music history of February 28

Major Events in Music History (March 1)

1. Johnny Cash Records At Folsom Prison (1968) – Johnny Cash performed and recorded a live album at Folsom Prison. It became one of his most famous albums.
2. Pink Floyd Releases Dark Side of the Moon in the U.S. (1973) – Pink Floyd released The Dark Side of the Moon in the U.S. It became one of the best-selling albums of all time.
3. Nirvana Performs Their Last Concert (1994) – Nirvana played their final concert in Munich, Germany. A month later, Kurt Cobain passed away.
4. Jim Morrison Gets Arrested in Miami (1969) – The Doors’ frontman Jim Morrison was arrested for allegedly exposing himself on stage during a concert.
5. Patti Smith Releases Frederick (1980) – Punk rock icon Patti Smith released the song “Frederick,” inspired by her husband Fred “Sonic” Smith.
6. Cyndi Lauper Hits No. 1 with Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1984) – Cyndi Lauper’s hit song reached No. 1, making her a pop superstar.
7. The Rolling Stones Sign a $70 Million Deal (1991) – The Rolling Stones signed a record-breaking contract with Virgin Records, the biggest deal in music history at the time.
8. Buddy Holly & The Crickets Begin Their UK Tour (1958) – Buddy Holly and The Crickets started their first and only tour in the United Kingdom, influencing future British rock stars.
9. Mr. Mister’s Kyrie Hits No. 1 (1986) – The band Mr. Mister topped the Billboard charts with their hit song Kyrie.
10. Bruce Springsteen Wins an Oscar (1995) – Bruce Springsteen won an Academy Award for Streets of Philadelphia, written for the movie Philadelphia.
11. The Beatles Start Recording Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (1967) – The Beatles began recording one of their most famous songs for the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
12. The Eagles Release Best of My Love (1975) – The Eagles had their first No. 1 song with Best of My Love.
13. Kelly Clarkson Wins a Grammy (2005) – Kelly Clarkson won her first Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for Since U Been Gone.
14. The Chiffons Release He’s So Fine (1963) – The Chiffons released their hit song, which later became famous due to a copyright lawsuit involving George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord.
15. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band Hits No. 1 (1977) – Their song Blinded by the Light, originally written by Bruce Springsteen, reached the top of the charts.
16. The Spice Girls Make History (1997) – The Spice Girls became the first group since The Beatles to have four No. 1 hits in a row in the UK.
17. The Everly Brothers Record Bye Bye Love (1957) – The Everly Brothers recorded Bye Bye Love, which became one of their biggest hits.
18. Lady Gaga Breaks a Digital Record (2010) – Lady Gaga became the first artist to have over 1 billion views on YouTube.
19. Elvis Presley Tops the Charts with Surrender (1961) – Elvis Presley’s song Surrender reached No. 1 in the U.S. and became one of his biggest hits.
20. R.E.M. Releases Stand (1989) – The band R.E.M. released Stand, which became one of their most well-known songs.

Notable Birthdays in Music (March 1)

1. Justin Bieber (1994) – Canadian pop singer who became famous as a teenager with hits like Baby and Sorry.
2. Roger Daltrey (1944) – Lead singer of The Who, known for songs like Baba O’Riley and My Generation.
3. Kesha (1987) – American singer-songwriter famous for hits like Tik Tok and Praying.
4. Glenn Miller (1904) – Famous jazz musician and bandleader known for In the Mood and Moonlight Serenade.
5. Harry Belafonte (1927) – American singer and activist, known for Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).
6. Jensen Ackles (1978) – Actor and musician, part of the band Radio Company.
7. Mike d’Abo (1944) – Lead singer of Manfred Mann, famous for The Mighty Quinn.
8. Deke Richards (1944) – Songwriter and producer for Motown, worked with The Jackson 5.
9. Ralph Ellison (1913) – Though best known as a writer, he was a skilled musician and loved jazz.
10. Dirk Benedict (1945) – Actor and musician, played the harmonica and loved jazz music.
11. Benny Powell (1930) – Jazz trombonist, played with Count Basie’s Orchestra.
12. Burning Spear (1945) – Jamaican reggae singer, known for Marcus Garvey and Columbus.
13. Frederic Chopin (1810) – Famous Polish composer and pianist known for beautiful piano music.
14. David Naughton (1951) – Singer and actor, known for the disco hit Makin’ It.
15. Nik Kershaw (1958) – British pop singer famous for Wouldn’t It Be Good.
16. Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952) – Japanese composer and musician, known for film scores like The Last Emperor.
17. Jerry Fisher (1942) – Lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears.
18. Alan Thicke (1947) – Actor and songwriter, wrote theme songs for TV shows like Diff’rent Strokes.
19. Tim Daly (1956) – Actor and musician, known for his passion for music.
20. John Carroll Lynch (1963) – Actor with a deep love for music, known for his musical roles.

Music Legends We Lost (March 1)

1. Glenn Miller (1944) – Famous jazz musician and bandleader known for In the Mood. He disappeared during World War II.
2. Frankie Lymon (1968) – Lead singer of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, known for Why Do Fools Fall in Love. He died at age 25.
3. Jackie Wilson (1984) – Soul singer known for Lonely Teardrops and Higher and Higher. He passed away after years in a coma.
4. Dusty Springfield (1999) – British singer famous for Son of a Preacher Man. She died of breast cancer.
5. Johnny Cash’s Wife, June Carter Cash (2003) – Country singer, songwriter, and wife of Johnny Cash.
6. Hank Ballard (2003) – R&B singer and songwriter who wrote The Twist, later made famous by Chubby Checker.
7. Chris Curtis (2005) – Drummer for The Searchers, a popular British Invasion band.
8. Alex Chilton (2010) – Singer for Big Star and The Box Tops, known for The Letter.
9. Eddie “Guitar Slim” Jones (1959) – Blues guitarist famous for The Things That I Used to Do.
10. David Ackles (1999) – Singer-songwriter known for storytelling songs and deep lyrics.
11. Bon Scott (1980) – Lead singer of AC/DC, known for Highway to Hell. He died of alcohol poisoning.
12. Paul Baloff (2002) – Lead singer of the thrash metal band Exodus.
13. Freddie King (1976) – Blues guitarist known for Going Down and Hide Away.
14. Howard Tate (2011) – Soul singer known for Get It While You Can, later covered by Janis Joplin.
15. Jewel Akens (2013) – Singer of the 1960s hit The Birds and the Bees.
16. Mike Porcaro (2015) – Bassist for the rock band Toto, famous for Africa and Rosanna.
17. Dal Richards (2015) – Canadian jazz musician and bandleader.
18. Sonny James (2016) – Country singer known as “The Southern Gentleman,” with hits like Young Love.
19. Wayne Crawford (2016) – Music producer and songwriter known for his work in the 1980s.
20. Ian McLagan (2014) – Keyboardist for The Small Faces and The Faces, played with Rod Stewart.

Notable Albums Released (March 1)

1. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) – One of the greatest rock albums ever, featuring songs like Time and Money.
2. Justin Bieber – My World 2.0 (2010) – The album that made Justin Bieber a global star, featuring Baby.
3. Harry Belafonte – Calypso (1956) – The first album to sell over a million copies, featuring Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).
4. Johnny Cash – Hello, I’m Johnny Cash (1970) – A country classic featuring If I Were a Carpenter.
5. The Who – A Quick One (1966) – Early album by The Who, including Boris the Spider.
6. Patti Smith – Wave (1979) – Includes Frederick and Dancing Barefoot.
7. Cyndi Lauper – A Night to Remember (1989) – Features I Drove All Night.
8. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters – Greatest Jukebox Hits (1993) – Compilation of their biggest hits, including The Twist.
9. Eagles – On the Border (1974) – Album with Already Gone and Best of My Love.
10. R.E.M. – Out of Time (1991) – Features Losing My Religion, one of their biggest hits.
11. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Watch (1978) – Includes Davy’s on the Road Again.
12. Freddie King – Texas Cannonball (1972) – Blues album with Ain’t No Sunshine.
13. Elvis Presley – Elvis is Back! (1960) – First album after his military service, featuring Fever.
14. AC/DC – Stiff Upper Lip (2000) – Hard rock album with Stiff Upper Lip.
15. Bon Scott (with AC/DC) – High Voltage (1975) – Features T.N.T. and It’s a Long Way to the Top.
16. Big Star – Radio City (1974) – Power pop classic with September Gurls.
17. Toto – The Seventh One (1988) – Features Stop Loving You and Pamela.
18. Wayne Shorter – Speak No Evil (1966) – One of the best jazz albums ever recorded.
19. Sonny James – Young Love (1957) – Country album featuring Young Love.
20. Alex Chilton – Like Flies on Sherbert (1979) – Solo album from the Big Star frontman.

Chart-Topping Hits (March 1)

1. Pink Floyd – Another Brick in the Wall (Part II) (1980) – Reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of their most famous songs.
2. Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1984) – Hit No. 1 in multiple countries and became an anthem for women.
3. The Beatles – I Want to Hold Your Hand (1964) – Topped the Billboard Hot 100, helping start the British Invasion.
4. Justin Bieber – Love Yourself (2016) – Reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of his biggest songs.
5. Eagles – Best of My Love (1975) – Became the Eagles’ first No. 1 song in the U.S.
6. Kesha – Tik Tok (2010) – Spent weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Kesha a pop superstar.
7. AC/DC – Back in Black (1980) – Became one of the best-selling rock songs ever, even though it didn’t hit No. 1.
8. Elvis Presley – Surrender (1961) – Reached No. 1 in the U.S. and several other countries.
9. R.E.M. – Losing My Religion (1991) – Became their biggest hit and topped the alternative charts.
10. The Rolling Stones – Honky Tonk Women (1969) – Reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
11. The Everly Brothers – Bye Bye Love (1957) – Hit No. 1 and became one of their signature songs.
12. Bon Scott (with AC/DC) – Highway to Hell (1979) – Became a rock anthem and a fan favorite.
13. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Blinded by the Light (1977) – Hit No. 1 in the U.S., originally written by Bruce Springsteen.
14. The Spice Girls – Wannabe (1997) – Reached No. 1 in multiple countries and launched their global success.
15. Bruce Springsteen – Streets of Philadelphia (1994) – Won an Oscar and topped charts worldwide.
16. Buddy Holly – That’ll Be the Day (1957) – Reached No. 1 and influenced generations of rock musicians.
17. Freddie King – Going Down (1971) – Became a blues-rock classic.
18. Toto – Africa (1983) – Topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most streamed songs in recent years.
19. Johnny Cash – A Boy Named Sue (1969) – Became a No. 1 country hit and one of his most famous songs.
20. The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back (1970) – Hit No. 1 and introduced Michael Jackson to the world.