Classic Crackers

Summer Of 1976 – August 14th – NICK LOWE First Artist On STIFF RECORDS Today 50 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Every day of this summer we go back to the same summer day somewhere in history

14 August 2026

Funded by a £400 loan, the single So It Goes by
singer-songwriter legend NICK LOWE (aged 77 now)
became the first record released on te iconic British
label Stiff Records.

The label’s marketing and advertising was often provocative and witty billing itself as
“The World’s Most Flexible Record Label”. Other slogans were “We came. We saw. We left”,
and “If It Ain’t Stiff, It Ain’t Worth a Fuck“.

It was many artists’ first label: The Damned, Lene Lovich,
Wreckless Eric, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, and Devo.

PETER GABRIEL Topped The US Charts With Steamrolling Single ‘SLEDGEHAMMER’ Today 40 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Top singles from the past

27 July 2026

Today, 40 years ago, on 27 July 1986, PETER GABRIEL topped
the US Singles Chart with steamrolling stomper SLEDGEHAMMER.

It was the lead single of his 5th LP So that also went to #1 in the US.

The track was accompanied by a spectacular video clip, which used
groundbreaking claymation, pixelation, and stop-motion animation
techniques to bring the song’s imagery to life.

Watch out, here comes a locomotive.

Instagram
All Albums

THE SUPREMES Released Their No. 1 Hit Single ‘YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE’ Today 60 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Top singles from the past

25 July 2026

60s soul sheros THE SUPREMES released their huge hit
YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE (almost 600 million streams
on Spotify) on 25 July 1966, today 60 years ago.

The song, written by legendary Motown producers
Holland–Dozier–Holland hit the top spot in both
the UK and the US.

Spotify
Discography

MANIC STREET PREACHERS – Welsh Heroes Released Single ‘EVERYTHING MUST GO’ Today 30 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Top singles from the past

22 July 2026

Welsh heroes MANIC STREET PREACHERS released the title track of their
4th longplayer EVERYTHING MUST GO on 22 July 1996, today 30 years ago.

It was the first album without guitarist/lyricist Richey Edwards,
who disappeared mysteriously in February the year before.


Manics on the cover of NME in 1994 – Richey at the bottom

The song is cited by bassist Nick Wire as a message to the fans, saying the music had changed after the loss of Richey, but the band is still the same. Ushering in a new era
for the band, Wire‘s lyric asks fans to forgive them for changing.

The song peaked at #5 in the UK.

“And I just hope that you can forgive us
But everything must go
And if you need an explanation
Then everything must go”

Spotify
Instagram
All Albums

ELVIS PRESLEY Released Hit Single ‘DON’T BE CRUEL’ Today 70 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Top singles from the past

ELVIS PRESLEY released his hit single DON’T BE CRUEL (more than
221 million streams on Spotify) today 70 years ago, on 13 July 1956.

Must be the first time we have a 70-year-old song here on TUTV.

It was written by Otis Blackwell who was more than happy to give up 50% of the royalties and a co-writing credit to Presley to ensure that the “hottest new singer around covered it”. But unfortunately, he had already sold the song for only $25 ($289 in 2024), as he later stated in an interview.

Discography

Summer Of 1981 – July 8 – R.E.M. Released Brilliant Debut Single ‘RADIO FREE EUROPE’ Today 45 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Every day of this summer we go back to the same summer day somewhere in history

8 July 2026

R.E.M. (1980–2011, 15 albums) released superb debut single
RADIO FREE EUROPE, today 45 years ago, on 8 July 1981.

It peaked at #25 in the US.

In 1983, the band re-recorded the song
for their debut album Murmur.

“We’re calling out in transit
Calling out in transit
Radio Free Europe”

Discography

MUSE Released Fierce Hit Single ‘BLACK MASSIVE HOLE’ Today 30 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Top singles from the past

19 June 2026

British rock champs MUSE released their hit single SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE
(more than 978 million streams on Spotify) today 30 years ago, on 19 June 1996.

The song was the lead single of their 4th album Black Holes And Revelations,
written by frontman Matt Bellamy. He said he was influenced by several Belgian
bands, specifically, Millionaire, dEUS, Evil Superstars and Soulwax. Bellamy said that
“these groups were the first to mix R&B rhythms with alternative guitar.

It peaked at #4 on the UK Singles Chart, the highest
singles chart position at that point in time in their
home country.

Instagram – All Albums

BLONDIE – Their Debut Single ‘X OFFENDER’ Came Out 50 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Top singles from the past

18 June 2026

Fab pop prodigies BLONDIE released their debut single
X OFFENDER this week 50 years ago.

It wasn’t a commercial success but the start of a top-ranking career.

The song was written by bassist Gary Valentine and Debbie Harry.
The original title was Sex Offender, but the band’s label Private Stock
was scared that they would get in trouble with it.

Valentine originally wrote the song about an 18-year-old boy being arrested
for having sex with his younger girlfriend. Harry changed the lyrics so that the
song was about a prostitute being attracted to the police officer that had
arrested her.

“Public defender
You had to admit
You wanted the love
Of a sex offender”

It appeared on
their debut LP.

Instagram – All Albums

THE CREATION – English Beat Band Released Jangly Debut Single ‘MAKING TIME’ Today 60 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

17 June 2026

English beat group THE CREATION released their jangly debut
single MAKING TIME on 17 June 1966, today 60 years ago.

It was one of the first songs on which
the guitar was played with a bow.

The lyrics portray the experience of working in a clock factory
while co-workers listen to their favourites on the radio.

Their biographer Sean Egan defined their style as
“a unique hybrid of pop, rock, psychedelia and the
avant garde.”

To my ears, it sounds like a song that easily could
have been on The Who’s debut LP ‘My Generation’.

It was covered several times over the years and was
used for commercials and TV series in this century.

Short Bio – Discography