Music History

The compilation album “Songbird”, containing live recordings and rehearsal recordings by the late Eva Cassidy, reached number one on the UK chart.

Warren Zevon released his final studio album “The Wind”. Shortly before recording began, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer, and guests on the album included Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Jackson Browne. Zevon died just two weeks after its release.

Donovan released his first new album in eight years, „Beat Cafe“. The first 1,000 CDs were signed and numbered. The album received positive reviews but did not reach the Billboard 200.

Ashlee Simpson had the album “Autobiography” at No. 1.

Maroon 5 reached No. 1 on the UK chart with their debut studio album “Songs About Jane”. Over the years, the album also reached No. 1 in France, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

Björk released the album “Medúlla”, which was composed almost entirely of human voices.

Ray Charles' album "Genius Loves Company" was released posthumously by Concord Records. It was the last album Charles recorded and completed before his death in June 2004. It featured recordings with guest musicians including Natalie Cole, Elton John, James Taylor, Norah Jones, B. B. King, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and won eight Grammy Awards in 2005, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.

Staind reached No. 1 on the US album chart with their fifth studio album “Chapter V”. It was their third album to reach the top of the chart.

Journey released the album "Generations", one of the albums commemorated as part of the musical anniversaries for August 29.

Eric Clapton released the album “Back Home”, his first album of original material since the 2001 album “Reptile”. Guests on the album included his former Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood and Billy Preston. Clapton also included “Love Comes to Everyone” by his late friend George Harrison.

Kanye West released his second studio album “Late Registration”.

At the age of 17, Rihanna released her debut album “Music Of The Sun”. Its first single was the successful song “Pon De Replay”, which drew on her Bajan heritage and used Caribbean rhythms.

Christina Aguilera released her first album after a four-year break, “Back To Basics”. The album reached No. 1 on the chart and was her first album to top the chart since her 1999 debut.

She released her debut album Memories Are Made of This, featuring songs associated with her father Dean Martin as well as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. The album was produced by her husband John Griffeth and spent 40 weeks in the iTunes Top 10 during 2006 and 2007.

The 22nd edition of the US Now! series, “Now That’s What I Call Music! 7”, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The compilation album was released by Sony BMG and contained songs by various artists, including Rihanna, Sean Paul, Nickelback, Keith Urban and Beyoncé.

Christina Aguilera scored her first No. 1 album in the UK with her fifth studio album “Back to Basics”.

With their fourth studio album “Eyes Open”, Snow Patrol reached number one on the UK album chart. With more than 1.5 million copies sold, it was, according to the source, the best-selling album of the year in the United Kingdom.

The soundtrack to the film High School Musical 2 was released and reached number one on the US chart in its first week, selling approximately 615,000 copies. By the end of 2007, it became the second-best-selling album of the year, with nearly 3 million copies sold. Only Josh Groban's Christmas album Noël sold more.

At the age of 31, he released his debut album I'll Stay Me. Before that, he had found success as a songwriter in Nashville, writing songs including “Good Directions” for Billy Currington and “My Honky Tonk History” for Travis Tritt.

The soundtrack to the film “High School Musical 2” began a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200. It also reached No. 1 in Canada and on the compilation charts in Italy and the United Kingdom.

ABBA reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with the second remastered edition of the compilation album “Gold: Greatest Hits.”

Noah and the Whale released their debut album Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down on Mercury/Vertigo. Laura Marling, who was a member of the band at the time of recording, also sings on the album, as does Emmy the Great.

The Jonas Brothers released the album “A Little Bit Longer,” which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart.

Lady Gaga, a 22-year-old singer who had spent two years performing on the New York club scene, released her debut album “The Fame”. The album presented fame primarily as a matter of attitude. Thanks to the hits “Just Dance” and “Poker Face”, she became known around the world, not just in her own imagination.

The cast of the film “Mamma Mia!” reached number one on the US Billboard 200 with the “Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack”, which included performances by Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried and Colin Firth, among others.

Irish pop-rock trio The Script reached number one on the UK album chart with their debut album “The Script”, just one week after its release.

Alternative rock band The Verve released their fourth and final studio album “Forth”, their first album since 1997's “Urban Hymns”. It reached number one in the UK and number 23 in the US.

Christian rock band Skillet released their seventh studio album “Awake”. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, tying Underoath's “Define The Great Line” and Casting Crowns' “The Altar and the Door” as the highest-charting Christian rock albums. It included the hits “Hero” and “Monster” as well as “Awake and Alive”, the band's first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100.

Arcade Fire released the album “The Suburbs.” It was released in the United Kingdom on August 2, while its release in the United States and Canada followed on August 3.

Iron Maiden released the studio album The Final Frontier, which debuted at No. 1 on the UK album chart and became their fourth UK chart-topping album.

Alternative rock group Arcade Fire reached No. 1 in the US with their third studio album “The Suburbs”. The album also reached No. 1 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Portugal and the UK.

Eminem reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with his seventh studio album “Recovery”. The album was nominated for three Grammy Awards and reached No. 1 in seventeen countries.

Katy Perry released her third studio album „Teenage Dream“ on Capitol Records, her second album for a major label. The album reached No. 1 in the U.S. and several other countries and later sold more than 12 million copies. Its first five singles, beginning with „California Gurls“, all reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.

Eminem returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with his seventh studio album “Recovery”, which spent two weeks at the top. The album was an international success and reached No. 1 on the charts in ten countries that year.

Iron Maiden reached No. 1 on the UK chart with their fifteenth studio album “The Final Frontier”. The album was a major international success and topped the charts in 28 countries worldwide.

Papa Roach released their first live album, "Time for Annihilation". In addition to nine live tracks, it contained five new studio recordings and reached No. 23 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Sly Stone released his first album since 1982. I'm Back! Family & Friends contained three new songs and a dozen new versions of his older hits.

Jay-Z and Kanye West's collaborative album “Watch the Throne” reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200. It also reached the top in Norway, Canada, Switzerland, Australia and the UK.

Electronic trio Nero reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with their album “Welcome Reality”.

Roadrunner Records released Lynyrd Skynyrd's fourteenth studio album “Last of a Dyin' Breed” in the US. Guitarist John Lowery, better known by his stage name John 5, contributed to several songs. The album reached No. 14 on the Billboard 200, No. 3 on the Top Rock Albums chart and No. 83 in the UK.

Selena Gomez reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with her debut solo studio album “Stars Dance”. The album also reached No. 1 in Canada, China, Mexico, Norway and Taiwan.

Luke Bryan released the album Crash My Party, which was later named Billboard Album of the Year for 2014.

The band Alabama reunited to mark the 40th anniversary of their founding for the album “Alabama & Friends”, a tribute album featuring some of their biggest hits performed by contemporary country artists such as Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and Jason Aldean.

5 Seconds of Summer reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with their debut studio album, “5 Seconds of Summer.” The album was an international hit and reached No. 1 in fourteen countries.

The soundtrack to the superhero film “Guardians of the Galaxy”, assembled from prominent hits of the 1970s, reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and remained there for two weeks. It featured songs by various artists, including Blue Swede, David Bowie, The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye and The Runaways.

The album Step Back was released less than two months after Johnny Winter’s death at the age of 70. The project features a number of guest musicians, including Eric Clapton, Joe Perry of Aerosmith and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Winter received his only Grammy Award for the album, winning in the Best Blues Album category.

She released her solo album Midnight, marking the end of her group Grace Potter And The Nocturnals. Her current and future husbands played on the album: Matt Burr, whom she married in 2013, and Eric Valentine, whom she married in 2017.

Her fifth studio album “Woman” reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and became her second album to reach the top spot.