This Day in Rock History: March 22
March 22 is a big day for many iconic rock groups and their fanbases. It’s when Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd experienced significant milestones, The Eagles shifted toward their now-iconic…
March 22 is a big day for many iconic rock groups and their fanbases. It's when Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd experienced significant milestones, The Eagles shifted toward their now-iconic rock sound, and The Police signed their first big record deal. You can read about these and much more on today's rundown of important events that happened on this day in rock history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These are the day's most consequential milestones and breakthrough moments:
- 1975: Led Zeppelin's sixth studio album, Physical Graffiti, went to No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, where it spent six consecutive weeks. It was a huge commercial success, going Platinum before even being released, and later certified 16x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over 8 million copies in the US as a double album.
- 1978: The Police signed their first major recording contract with A&M Records. Later that year, they released their debut album, Outlandos d'Amour, which featured some of their most popular songs, including "Roxanne," "Can't Stand Losing You," and "So Lonely."
- 1980: Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and stayed there for four weeks. It was the band's only U.S. No. 1 single and topped charts in many other countries, selling over 4 million copies in the process.
- 1986: Heart got their first US No. 1 hit when "These Dreams" made it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Part of their 1985 self-titled album, the song held the top spot for a single week.
Notable Recordings and Performances
March 22 is also the anniversary of some iconic album releases. A few of them are:
- 1965: The Temptations released their second studio album, The Temptations Sing Smokey, via Motown subsidiary Gordy Records. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson, the album included the No. 1 hit "My Girl."
- 1965: That same day, Bob Dylan released his fifth studio album, Bringing It All Back Home, through Columbia Records. It was his first to feature electric instruments, a move that divided audiences and caused major controversy among folk fans.
- 1975: The Eagles released their third studio album, On the Border, via Asylum Records. It was the first to feature guitarist Don Felder and was a huge change in style for the band, as it shifted toward a more traditional rock sound compared to the country-rock feel of their first two albums.
With huge names like Bob Dylan, Heart, and The Eagles experiencing major career moments on this day, it's fair to say that March 22 is an important day in the rock calendar. Come back tomorrow to see what happened on that day in rock history.
