Which do you consider the blackest day in rock and roll?

[Steve M.]

Originally Posted by Steve M.

Here's a handful of events that could easily be among the blackest days in rock. Except that all of them are from one year - 1970!

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young fly apart (July 22)
The Beatles break up (April 10)
Emerson, Lake and Palmer get together (whenever)
Jimi Hendrix's death (September 18)
Janis Joplin's death (October 4)
Queen Latifah's birth (March 18)
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" begins a month-long stay atop the singles chart (January 3)

the announcement of no more Isle of Wight festivals in the UK (August 31)
Dylan releases Self -Portrait (circa June 15)
a festival in Germany that went bad -one of Hendrix's last gigs (September 5, I think)

Update: Dylan released Self-Portrait on June 8, 1970, not June 15, and the German festival was on September 5.

[stevea]

Feb. 3, 1959: Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, Big Bopper die in plane crash

Oct. 20, 1977: Three Lynyrd Skynyrd members die in air crash

March 19, 1982: Randy Rhoads of Ozzy Osbourne dies in air crash

Aug. 27, 1990: Stevie Ray Vaughan dies in air crash

For the relatively small number of plane crashes that occur, it amazes me the number of famous people who have died in that manner. In music, that would include Rick Nelson.

[opus]

Originally Posted by stevea

For the relatively small number of plane crashes that occur, it amazes me the number of famous people who have died in that manner. In music, that would include Rick Nelson.

Famous people (athletes, musicians, etc.) would tend to fly more than the average person, increasing the odds.

And they would get all the attention. If Bill the insurance broker from Pittsburgh goes down in a small plane crash I doubt you’re gonna hear about it.

[AMackII]

John Lennon got shot (12/8/1980)
Freddie Mercury passes (11/24/1991)

[Dude111]

Thank you Stevie for your updates

Alot of black days

[ThisLittlePiggy]

Dec. 8, 1980: John Lennon gunned down

April 4, 1994: Kurt Cobain takes his own life

Nov. 29, 2001: George Harrison dies

Sept. 12, 2003: Johnny Cash dies

[ThisLittlePiggy]

Other:

Karen Carpenter died on February 4, 1983, at the age of 32 from heart failure, which was related to her struggle with anorexia nervosa.

[ThisLittlePiggy]

Another:

John Denver died in a plane crash on October 12, 1997, at the age of 53 while piloting an experimental aircraft near Monterey Bay, California.

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by ThisLittlePiggy

Karen Carpenter died on February 4, 1983, at the age of 32 from heart failure, which was related to her struggle with anorexia nervosa.

Thats aweful she died so young

[stevea]

I should look this up to get my facts straight, but didn't Eric Clapton lose his son, resulting in Tears in Heaven? Quite a few years ago, IIRC.

Also, hardly qualifies as a dark day - but wasn't Mariah Carey involved in some lip-syncing accusation at New Years in NYC a few years back?

[Dude111]

Yes he wrote tears in heaven after his son died..... Very sad indeed

I dunno about Maria buddy..

[Steve M.]

More dark days in rock and roll since 2005:

2011: WRXP-FM in New York City, a rock station run by Matt Pinfield that attempted to be the sort of Sirius XM channel that The Spectrum is, went off the air for three years. Why? Perhaps you weren't paying attention: It was a rock station in New York City!

2015: Beck makes his acceptance speech for his Album of the Year Grammy for his Morning Phase album when Kanye West walks past him on stage to protest his win over Beyoncé who is showing enthusiastic approval from her seat in the audience

2016: The days that David Bowie, Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Prince, Lonnie Mack, Paul Kantner, and Signe Anderson all die in one freaking year

2017: 3 Doors Down make a very bad career move by accepting a January 20 gig in Washington

2020: COVID cancels concerts for at least two years

2021: The Cardi B - Megan the Horse Face pole dance without the pole at the Grammys

2024: Someone realizes that the last great rock album is at least twenty years old.

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by Steve M.

2011: WRXP-FM in New York City, a rock station run by Matt Pinfield that attempted to be the sort of Sirius XM channel that The Spectrum is, went off the air for three years. Why? Perhaps you weren't paying attention: It was a rock station in New York City!

But that doesnt explain it went off air Stevie..Do you know why??

[Steve M.]

Originally Posted by Dude111

But that doesnt explain it went off air Stevie..Do you know why??

Because the media company that owned the station looked at the demographics, decided that fewer people in the Greater New York metropolitan area were listening to rock, and these that were were getting their rock music from sources other than terrestrial radio, like Internet radio and Sirius XM. What about the rock fans who had access to neither? Didn't they matter? No, they didn't.

It got replaced by a gossipy news station that didn't last long. Now that frequency is a simulcast of an AM sports station.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by Steve M.

Because the media company that owned the station looked at the demographics, decided that fewer people in the Greater New York metropolitan area were listening to rock, and these that were were getting their rock music from sources other than terrestrial radio, like Internet radio and Sirius XM. What about the rock fans who had access to neither? Didn't they matter? No, they didn't.

It got replaced by a gossipy news station that didn't last long. Now that frequency is a simulcast of an AM sports station.

This simulcast stuff really gets on my nerves. I think Radio One has at least three sports stations in this market (two on FM, one which was on AM but moved to the band that's not dying, FM) and one news/talk radio that's been on the air for years, WIBC. And they simulcast certain sports events on all of these. WHY? To hear the announcer's voice in quad?