THIS WEEK IN ROCK

February 9, 2020

#OnThisDay February 3, 1992
Pearl Jam play their first-ever UK gig when they take to the stage in front of 300 people at The Esplanade Club in Southend, Essex. Let us know if you were there or any of the dates on that first UK tour.

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#OnThisDay February 4, 1984
Eurythmics top the album charts for the first time with their third album, ‘Touch’. Featuring the singles ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’, ‘Right By Your Side’ and ‘Who’s That Girl’, it was also the second album released by the duo in 1983, the other being ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’

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#OnThisDay February 5, 1971
Black Sabbath inadvertently lay down the foundations for doom metal, stoner rock and sludge metal when they begin work on what becomes their third album, ‘Master Of Reality’.

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#OnThisDay February 6, 1966: Many happy returns to pop icon Rick Astley!

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#OnThisDay February 7, 1973
Iggy & The Stooges release the seminal proto-punk album, ‘Raw Power’. Mixed by David Bowie, it’s come to be recognised as one of the most influential rock albums of all time. Did you know that prior to his re-joining the band in 2009, guitarist James Williamson had been Sony’s Vice-President of Technical Standards?

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#OnThisDay February 8, 1986
Billy Ocean begins a four-week residency at the top of the UK charts with the utterly brilliant ‘When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going’. The single was used as the theme song for the adventure movie ‘The Jewel Of The Nile’, which explains the guest appearances of the film’s stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito in the promo video.

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#OnThisDay February 9, 1998
Finlay Quaye scoops the gong for Best Male Solo at the Brit Awards. Did you know that his debut album, ‘Maverick A Strike’, went gold within three weeks of its release?

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#billy-ocean #black-sabbath #eurythmics #finlay-quaye #iggy-and-the-stooges #pearl-jam #rick-astley #this-week-in-rock

Spotlight On: Iconic 80s Music Videos!

When MTV launched in 1981, it paved the way for a decade of some of the most audacious, cinematic and iconic music videos, where the budgets were almost as big as the hair. We turn our spotlight on a few of our favourites…

Five Songs You Need to Know from Billy Ocean’s ‘Suddenly’ album

The fifth album by British singer and songwriter Billy Ocean, Suddenly was his breakthrough record both at home and in the US. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, we’re looking back at some of the album’s biggest and most enduring hits.

Billy Ocean – Suddenly 40th Anniversary Vinyl

We’re excited to announce that Billy will celebrate the 40th anniversary of his landmark album ‘Suddenly’ by releasing a new ocean blue vinyl edition on September 13th – almost 40 years to the day from its original release!

Spotlight in Stereo – Halloween Special!

It’s the spookiest day of the year, a celebration of all things creepy and freaky. Whether you think it’s a load of hocus pocus or a night of lost souls, there’s plenty of fun to be had. If you’re getting dressed up, carving a jack-o-lantern or prepping popcorn for a scary movie marathon, let our office playlist dare to scare!

Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin

Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)

Billy Ocean

The ultimate Billy Ocean playlist celebrating 45 years of Billy! Including your favourite hits Love Really Hurts Without You, Red Light Spells Danger, When the Going Gets Tough, Caribbean Queen, Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car and more!

40 Years of Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’

It has been 40 years since Eurythmics released their ICONIC second album, ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’. Featuring a series of hit singles, the album marked the arrival of Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox back onto the international music scene.

Celebrate 30 years of Pearl Jam’s ‘Ten’

Celebrate 30 years of Pearl Jam’s iconic debut album ‘Ten’.

This Week on the UK Official Charts: 2 August

Take a look back over the years to see which songs were in the Top 10 on the Official UK Chart this week…