This Week In Music History Jan 27-Feb 9

The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com.

Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history!

JAN 30: Sadly, Marianne Faithfull passed away today at age 78. The English singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned over six decades rose to fame in the 1960s with the hit As Tears Go By, written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Andrew Loog Oldham. Known for her relationship with Jagger and her involvement in London’s rock scene, Faithfull became a symbol of the era’s wild excess. However, personal struggles, including drug addiction and homelessness, nearly ended her career. She made a remarkable comeback with Broken English (1979), an album that showcased her husky, world-weary voice and established her as a formidable artist in her own right. Over the years, she continued to release critically acclaimed music, blending rock, jazz, and avant-garde influences. Her life, marked by resilience and reinvention, made her one of rock’s most enduring and enigmatic figures. RIP

Photo: A. Vente https://wiki.beeldengeluid.nl/.../Afbeeldingen_in_de...
[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en]]

JAN 31: Happy birthday to John Lydon, also known as Johnny Rotten, born today in 1956! The English singer, songwriter, and cultural icon is best known as the frontman of the Sex Pistols and later, Public Image Ltd (PiL). As the snarling, rebellious voice of the Sex Pistols, Lydon helped ignite the punk movement in the late 1970s with incendiary anthems like Anarchy in the U.K. and God Save the Queen, challenging the British establishment and redefining rock music. After the Pistols disbanded in 1978, he formed PiL, blending post-punk, experimental rock, and dub influences on groundbreaking albums like Metal Box (1979). Lydon’s career has been marked by his outspoken personality, anti-establishment views, and willingness to evolve artistically. Whether through music, books, or television, he remains a provocative and uncompromising figure in popular culture, embodying the rebellious spirit of punk while refusing to be confined by it.

FEB 7: Today in 1964: On February 7, 1964, The Beatles arrived in America for the first time, landing at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. Greeted by over 3,000 screaming fans, their arrival marked the beginning of the British Invasion. Just two days later, they made their historic debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, drawing a record-breaking 73 million viewers. Their visit sparked Beatlemania across the U.S., leading to sold-out concerts, chart-topping hits, and a cultural revolution. The Beatles’ 1964 arrival forever changed the landscape of rock music and solidified their status as global superstars.