This Day in Rock History: March 14
On March 14, 1983, in Sayreville, New Jersey, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Tico Torres, and Alec John Such formed their band, Bon Jovi. The group has had several band members come and go since its inception, but in 2018, Bon Jovi was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Are you interested in learning more about what happened in rock music on March 14? Continue reading to get the scoop on fascinating rock music facts.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Notable breakthrough hits and milestones in rock from March 14 include:
- 1987: Huey Lewis and the News reached the top spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with their song “Jacob’s Ladder.” This was the band’s third and final No. 1 hit, and it stayed on the top of the chart for one week.
- 2006: Rolling Stone magazine announced that U2 was the highest-paid band in 2005, with earnings of $154.2 million. U2 has sold a whopping 150-170 million records, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time.
Cultural Milestones
If these cultural milestones hadn’t shaken things up in rock music, you might not be jamming to your favorite tunes today:
- 1965: Making her American television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, Petula Clark performed “Downtown” and “I Know a Place.” She had to sing without rehearsing because her flight arrived late, leaving her no time to practice.
- 2016: To gain complete control of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Sony paid Michael Jackson’s estate $750 million. The 50/50 partnership between Sony and Jackson started in 1995, but Jackson had purchased ATV in 1985.
Notable Recordings and Performances
You may be familiar with these notable March 14 recordings and performances that left their mark on rock music:
- 1982: Metallica performed live for the first time at Radio City in Anaheim, California. The heavy metal band played for an audience of around 200 people and opened with “Hit The Lights.”
- 1995: The Goo Goo Dolls released their fifth studio album, A Boy Named Goo. The album contained the band’s first hit song, “Name.”
Industry Changes and Challenges
Changes and challenges in the rock music industry from March 14 include:
- 1958: The Recording Industry Association of America awarded its first Gold record to Perry Como for his million-selling single “Catch a Falling Star.”
- 1981: After coming off the stage and collapsing in Madison, Wisconsin, Eric Clapton was taken to United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. He had bleeding ulcers that kept him hospitalized for a month and caused the cancellation of 51 tour dates.
Without these historic breakthrough hits, cultural milestones, notable recordings, performances, and industry-changing events and challenges on March 14, the rock music genre wouldn’t be what it is today.