On this day in music history…
In 1980, John Lennon and Yoko Ono released Double Fantasy — Lennon’s final album to be released in his lifetime. Two weeks later, it debuted at number 25 on the chart. Lennon was shot and killed the following week, and Double Fantasy topped the chart shortly thereafter.
In 1997, a new rendition of the Lou Reed song “Perfect Day” was released, featuring an all-star lineup of musicians. The BBC had originally used the song in a promotional video, and upon receiving a large number of inquiries from viewers about whether the song would be released, the BBC decided to put it out as a single. All of the proceeds went to BBC Children in Need. Artists on the single included Bono, David Bowie, Suzanne Vega, Elton John, Emmylou Harris, Tammy Wynette, Dr. John, Robert Cray, Tom Jones, and Lou Reed himself. The song raised over $2.6 million that year.
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