10 ready-to-read segments for January 19, lead story first. Free to use on air; a quick credit to Today in Tunes is appreciated.
On this day in 1980, 46 years ago: Michael Jackson's "Rock with You" reaches No. 1. Written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones for Off the Wall, the silky dance track held the top of the Hot 100 for four weeks. Here's Michael Jackson with “Rock with You.”
On this day in 1853, 173 years ago: Verdi's Il trovatore premieres in Rome. First staged at Rome's Teatro Apollo, the opera quickly conquered stages everywhere. Its Anvil Chorus has become one of the most recognizable tunes in classical music.
On this day in 1959, 67 years ago: The Platters top the Hot 100 with "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." The vocal group's ballad held No. 1 for three weeks. It was their first time on top of the Hot 100, though they had already reached No. 1 on Billboard's earlier pop charts.
On this day in 2019, 7 years ago: "Sunflower" climbs to No. 1. Post Malone and Swae Lee's song from the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack topped the Hot 100 and later became the first song certified double diamond in the US.
On this day in 1943, 83 years ago: Janis Joplin is born in Port Arthur, Texas. Her raw, blazing voice powered "Piece of My Heart" and "Ball and Chain." Her cover of "Me and Bobby McGee" went to No. 1 months after her death.
On this day in 1946, 80 years ago: Dolly Parton is born in Tennessee. The fourth of twelve children, born in a one-room cabin by the Little Pigeon River, she grew up to write "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You" and "9 to 5."
On this day in 1955, 71 years ago: Conductor Simon Rattle is born in Liverpool. Rattle led the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 1980 to 1998, then the Berlin Philharmonic from 2002 to 2018 and later the London Symphony Orchestra.
On this day in 1982, 44 years ago: Brazilian singer Elis Regina dies at 36. She broke through by winning a 1965 song festival with "Arrastão" and went on to record Tom Jobim's "Águas de Março" and Belchior's "Como Nossos Pais."
On this day in 1998, 28 years ago: Rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins dies at 65. Perkins wrote "Blue Suede Shoes" and cut it at Sun Studio in December 1955. No Sun artist had ever sold a million copies of a record before it.
On this day in 2012, 14 years ago: Reggae producer Winston Riley dies in Kingston. Riley produced "Double Barrel," one of reggae's first international hits, and the "Stalag" rhythm, often called the most sampled reggae track ever.
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