Ongoing History Daily: Famous firsts in music, part 2

December 10, 2024 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

Last time, we looked at the first time something happened in the world of music. Here are a few more.

Which album was the first to carry a parental advisory sticker? It was Ice-T’s 1987 album, Rhyme Pays.

When was the first radio broadcast that featured music and voice? It was an experimental broadcast by Canadian Reginald Fessenden on Christmas Eve 1906 when he surprised wireless operators at sea—guys who had only ever heard Morse code through their headphones—with a Bible passage and a rendition of O Holy Night that he played on a violin.

One more. What was the first album to sell a million copies in a year? That was Calypso by Harry Belafonte in 1965.

More next time.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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