Today in Tunes
On this day in music

December 17

10 moments from 1894 to 2010: 4 things that happened, 4 birthdays and 2 farewells.

Tune of the day
Life on Mars?
David Bowie
Why today: 1971 · David Bowie releases Hunky Dory in the UK
Play on Spotify

What happened on December 17

  1. 196957 yrs ago
    HappenedPop

    Tiny Tim marries Miss Vicki live on The Tonight Show

    NBC reckoned 30 to 35 million people tuned in. The singer was best known for his 1968 cover of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips".

    Play on Spotify Source: Tiny Tim (musician) - Wikipedia
  2. 197155 yrs ago
    HappenedRock

    David Bowie releases Hunky Dory in the UK

    It came out on RCA. "Changes" followed as a single in January 1972, and "Life on Mars?" got its own single release in 1973 and climbed to No. 3 in Britain.

    Play on Spotify Source: Hunky Dory - Wikipedia
  3. 199135 yrs ago
    HappenedHip-hop

    A US court rules against Biz Markie over an uncleared sample

    He had used Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)" on I Need a Haircut. From then on samples had to be cleared and paid for, so most producers cut back to one or two per track.

    Play on Spotify Source: Grand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records Inc. - Wikipedia
  4. 199432 yrs ago
    HappenedReggae

    Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes the Hotstepper" hits No. 1

    The Jamaican dancehall artist's track, featured on the soundtrack of the film Prêt-à-Porter, spent two weeks on top of the Hot 100.

    Play on Spotify Source: Here Comes the Hotstepper - Wikipedia
  5. 1894132 yrs ago
    BornClassical

    Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler is born

    He took over the Boston Pops in 1930 and led it for close to 50 years. Under him, the orchestra reportedly recorded more than any other orchestra anywhere.

    Play on Spotify Source: Arthur Fiedler - Wikipedia
  6. 193987 yrs ago
    BornR&B / Soul

    Temptations falsetto Eddie Kendricks is born

    His high voice led the Temptations on "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)". Going solo, he topped the pop chart in 1973 with "Keep On Truckin'".

    Play on Spotify Source: Eddie Kendricks - Wikipedia
  7. 194977 yrs ago
    BornRock

    Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers is born

    Free's "All Right Now", which he co-wrote with bassist Andy Fraser, was a worldwide radio hit in 1970. He later started Bad Company with Mick Ralphs.

    Play on Spotify Source: Paul Rodgers - Wikipedia
  8. 196759 yrs ago
    BornElectronic

    Italian DJ Gigi D'Agostino is born in Turin

    His 1999 single "Bla Bla Bla" was a big European hit, and "L'Amour toujours" earned him another platinum disc in Italy.

    Play on Spotify Source: Gigi D'Agostino - Wikipedia
  9. 199927 yrs ago
    DiedJazz & Blues

    Saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. dies at 56

    He collapsed in a CBS green room after playing four songs for a TV show. His "Just the Two of Us" with Bill Withers, from Winelight, reached No. 2 in 1981.

    Play on Spotify Source: Grover Washington Jr. - Wikipedia
  10. 201016 yrs ago
    DiedRock

    Captain Beefheart dies at 69

    Don Van Vliet died of complications from multiple sclerosis. He quit music in 1982 to paint, and his 1969 double album Trout Mask Replica came to be hailed as his masterpiece.

    Play on Spotify Source: Captain Beefheart - Wikipedia