The Daily Dose/July 9, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
ONE, TWO, THREE O’CLOCK, FOUR O’CLOCK ROCK: History is dotted with events over the centuries whose significance separates everything preceding from everything following. Today is the 69th anniversary of one of those dates.
Sit On It, Potsie: It was on July 9, 1955, that the Rock Era in American popular music began when Rock Around the Clock went to #1 on Billboard’s Best Sellers in Stores chart, its first of eight consecutive weeks at the top.
For The Record: The Rock Era in England began later in the year when the song went to #1 in Great Britain. It spent five weeks at the top and was their #1 selling single of the decade.
Dry, Technical Matter: Rock Around the Clock would fall off and then reappear on Billboard pop charts several more times, spending 42 weeks on either the Best Sellers chart or the Hot 100, then a record but now a mark of no particular statistical significance.
Lights…Camera…Action: The song was featured in the movie The Blackboard Jungle, which was based on a book by Evan Hunter whose pen name – Ed McBain – some might remember. It also featured the film debut of several prominent actors, including one Jameel Farah, who later changed his name to Jamie Farr.
I Like Ike: America was still pretty laid-back then, so it wasn’t as if Haley started a trend. The usual ballads and big band songs followed Rock Around the Clock at #1, and Elvis had the next rock and roll #1, Heartbreak Hotel, the following April.
The Bottom Line: Rock Around the Clock provides a line of demarcation separating everything that came before from everything that followed like few other events. The birth of Christ, the invention of gunpowder, and man’s first landing on the moon come immediately to mind. The future, as it tends to do, will produce more landmark events, of course, but Rock Around the Clock will remain on the list for a long time to come, even if – when – we discover alien life somewhere.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow – impetuously and, perhaps, prematurely – starts looking at cats. Today’s Diary.
A 5-year-old named Bandit and another named Cuddles looked promising, but it’s probably to soon…
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 2011 – South Sudan gains its independence from Sudan. Independence followed a civil war that ended in 2005 and several years of autonomy within Sudan. A civil war began later in the year that lasted until 2020 and in 2017 a famine affected almost 5 million people. Today South Sudan is the second-least developed country behind Somalia and remains the most recently created sovereign state on the planet.
In 2006 – Italy wins the World Cup, defeating France 5-3 on penalty kicks at Olympic Stadium in Berlin. It was the fourth and most recent title for Italy and was the first of two runner-up finishes for France to go along with two titles. France’s Zinedine Zidane was ejected in extra time for head butting an opponent, the fourth of five World Cup Finals exp[ulsions. The game was tied 1-1 after both regulation and extra time
In 1977 – Alan O’Day is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the only week with Undercover Angel. It was the first chart single for O’Day and only later #73 hit prevented him from being one of the few artist whose only Hot 100 hit went to #1. The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #43 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 9th-biggest song of the year. It was the second #1 song written by O’Day, who earlier Helen Reddy’s 1974 hit Angie Baby.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
…we have to forget our theories and feel the fact…submersion in the flow of nature is all-important. Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol I: Our Oriental Heritage
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Good Times by Chic was Billboard’s #1 soul song in 1979. It spent six consecutive weeks at #1.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What is the oldest country in Africa, dated from the acquisition of sovereignty? – Answer next time!
