JULY 7, 1971: TWO-LANE BLACKTOP IS RELEASED
James Taylor & Beach Boy Dennis Wilson made their acting debut in the drag racing classic, Two-Lane Blacktop.
Taylor was cast as “The Driver” based on how he looked on a billboard.
Wilson was cast as the “The Mechanic” based on the director’s perception that he’d “lived the role” and “grew up with cars.”
In 2012, the Library of Congress and National Film Registry deemed the film “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
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JULY 7, 1977: STYX RELEASE GRAND ILLUSION
Styx released their 7th album on 7-7-77.
Featuring “Come Sail Away”, “The Grand Illusion” and “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)”, The Grand Illusion was Styx’s first of 4 consecutive triple Platinum albums.
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JULY 7, 1986: DAVID LEE ROTH’S DEBUT SOLO LP
Four months after Van Halen released 5150, their first with Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth released his debut solo LP, Eat ‘Em and Smile.
Eat ‘Em and Smile went Platinum and peaked at #4.
Trying to appeal to the Spanish-speaking market, the album was also released as Sonrisa Salvaje, with Diamond Dave re-recording his vocals in Spanish.
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JULY 9, 1983: THE POLICE’S “EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE” IS #1
The Police had their only #1 single in the US with the release of “Every Breath You Take”.
The best-selling single of 1983 would spend 8 straight weeks at #1.
The single helped their final album, Synchronicity, sell over 8 million copies in the US
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JULY 10, 2021: CCR’S ONLY #1 BILLBOARD HIT
Fifty years after its release as a single, Creedence Clearwater Revival have their first US #1 hit.
In July 2021, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” topped Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart, giving CCR their first ever Billboard #1.
The song’s resurgence is credited to John Fogerty’s presence on social media platform TikTok.
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JULY 11, 1975: FLEETWOOD MAC’S SELF-TITLED 10TH ALBUM
Fleetwood Mac’s first album with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks was a big one.
Loaded with great songs like “Monday Morning”, “Landslide” and “Rhiannon”, the album sold 500,000 copies within five months of its release.
It remains their second biggest album, behind Rumours, with 7 million sold in the US.
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JULY 13, 1973: QUEEN’S DEBUT LP
It’s been 50 years since the release of Queen’s self-titled debut album.
The album sold 500,000 copies in the US and contains the single “Keep Yourself Alive”.
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JULY 13, 1985: LIVE AID
Taking place simultaneously in London & Philadelphia, the benefit concert for Ethiopian famine relief featured major artists such as Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, U2, David Bowie, and so many more.
Featuring Phil Collins on drums, Led Zeppelin reunited for the first time since John Bonham’s death.
Queen’s 21-minute set remains one of the most memorable performances in rock history.
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