This Day in Music
A classic debut album, remembering a legend, and Elvis heads out on tour, on this day in music.
Tracy Chapman
1988: “Tracy Chapman,” the debut album from American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman is released. A fabulous collection of contemporary folk-rock and roots-rock songs, the album was a huge commercial and critical success.
It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart, No. 1 on the Canada RPM Albums list, and No. 1 in six other countries. The first single, “Fast Car,” went to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 in Canada, No. 1 in Ireland, and was a Top-10 single in 12 other countries.
AllMusic rated it 5-Stars, The Rolling Stone Album Guide rated it 5-Stars, Village Voice graded it B+, and Pitchfork ranked it 9.4/10. At the 1989 awards, the LP won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album, while Tracy herself won two more Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She and the album earned four additional nominations.
It has since become a legacy recording, placing No. 256 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (c) 2020, No. 49 on Slant Magazine's Best Albums of the 1980's, and a 2023 cover version of “Fast Car” by country artist Luke Combs reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Black Tie White Noise
1993: Legendary English singer, songwriter, musician, producer, and actor, David Bowie, releases his 18th studio album, “Black Tie White Noise.” The title track, “Black Tie White Noise,” was inspired by the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
The first album recorded following his Tin Machine project, and the first following his wedding with Somali-American model Iman, its themes are those of racial harmony and his marriage.
The record was produced by David and his “Let's Dance” collaborator Nile Rogers, and features well-known and talented musicians Mick Ronson, ex- of The Spiders from Mars and session musician who worked with Bowie, Lou Reed, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, and John Mellencamp, and jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie (no relation), who co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago and is the inspiration for the track, “Looking for Lester.”
The LP received tepid reviews upon its release, and even worse retrospective reviews, but the critics are simply wrong on this one. It is an excellent album and ranks among the best by Bowie. Knowing better than critics, the record-buying public enjoyed “Black Tie White Noise,” sending it to No. 1 in the U.K., No. 13 in Canada, and earning it Gold certification in the U.K., Canada, and Japan.
Memorial
1994: American singer, songwriter, musician, and co-founder of the 1990's grunge band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, is found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Seattle home. He was only 27 years old. Leaving behind a great body of work produced in a very short time, he is fondly remembered to this day.
The Daily Elvis
1972: Elvis begins a 15-date U.S. tour, starting at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, NY.
Pictured: Tracy Chapman in 1988.
