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This Week In Music – January 9

This Week In Music – January 9

Teresa Bigioli

January 9, 2023

January 9, 1976: Bohemian Rhapsody

On January 9, 1976, the most iconic song from one of the most iconic rock bands made sure to reach the top of multiple charts, including in the UK. Revived with the 2018 homonymous film, in which Rami Malek plays frontman Freddy Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody is not only one of the most recognizable and well-known singles, but it is in all respects also the portrait of an era and of a genre.

The single sold more than a million copies by the end of the month. Moreover, after Mercury’s death in 1991, the single returned to its No.1 position again for five weeks. This made it he UK’s third best selling single of all time, with its 2.63 million copies sold. OnlyElton John’s “Candle In The Wind ’97/Something About The Way You Look Tonight” – with 4.94 million. copies, and Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” stand ahead of Queen’s hit.

January 10, 2016: The Last Day Of David Bowie

Nirvana, Queen, David Bowie and Led Zeppelin: a jump back in time for the second week of January in our This Week In Music. — David Bowie 1997
by Kymi

On January 10 of 7 years ago the world lost one of its biggest music artists and icons. David Robert Jones, famously known as David Bowie, passed away at the age of 69. Only two days after his birthday and after the release of his twenty-fifth and final studio album Blackstar, the artist died of cancer.

Bowie was one of the most versatile artist in music. Able to play over 12 instruments, sing and give the best performances on stage, Bowie was a 360-degree artist. Under his own and his alter ego Ziggy Star’s name, Bowie released 27 studio albums, 17 live and four soundtracks.

Bulwark and one of the first representatives of the LGBT community, David Bowie was a unique and hard to reach phenomenon of talent and passion.

1/11/92: Nirvana At Saturday Night Live

On January 11 of 1992, the rising grunge band Nirvana appeared on NBC-TV’s Saturday Night Live. The trio shocked the public with their – to date – most famous hit, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” They also performed a less known single, “Territorial Pissings,” extract of the band’s second release, Nevermind. On the same day, the album reached the No.1 on the US album chart.

Considering the power of 1993 “MTV Unplugged in New York” concert, it is not surprising that the performance is not the band’s most recognizable. However, it surely was the one that led the band to be the rebellious icons they were and still are.

1/12/69

In 1969, January 12 was the day when Led Zeppelin released their debut album in the UK. The self-titled album was recorded in only 36 hours of studio time at a cost of just £1,782. The band is indeed famous for their rough and “imperfect” music, which comes out as authentic and soulful. However, it still became the perfect start for Led Zeppelin’s unstoppable success. Still today, many recognize Led Zeppelin is one of the band’s best album release. And it shows: the album spent 71 weeks in the UK, even reaching the top ten in multiple charts.

The album includes some of Led Zeppelin’s biggest hits, including Good Times, Bad Times,” “Communication Breakdown” and “Dazed and Confused.”