February 22, In Music History

February 22, 2023 22

2012 – Five months after debuting the song in her native Canada, Carly Rae Jepsen releases the single “Call Me Maybe” in America. With help from a video of Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and other tween celebs lip-syncing to the song, it rises up the charts and becomes a worldwide hit. In the US, it is the song of the summer, topping the Hot 100 on June 23 and staying until August.

2001 – British newspaper Sunday Mirror reports that The Beatles, who have been broken up for 31 years, are nevertheless the top grossing recording group of the year 2000.

1987 – Andy Warhol, Pop artist , former manager of The Velvet Underground and designer for The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers album cover, dies of a cardiac arrhythmia following gallbladder surgery.

Warhol in 1973, photographed by Jack Mitchell

1985 – Carl Perkins plays a nightclub bouncer in the John Landis-directed film Into The Night. It is Perkins’ only film role as an actor.

1980 – In Fort Worth, Texas, Rick James launches his first headlining tour, with Prince as opening act. Both released their debut albums in 1978, but James is the more popular artist at this point.

1977 – The Eagles released “Hotel California,” the iconic title track from their fifth studio album. Described by the band as their “interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles,” the six-and-a-half-minute-long song was written by Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey. After entering the Billboard Hot 100 on February 26, the single became their fourth to reach No.1 on that chart. “Hotel California” later earned them a Grammy for Record of the Year, while the song endures as the band’s signature hit.