On this day in music history…
In 1971, Elton John released his fourth studio album, Madman Across the Water. Since John’s debut album had only been released in the U.K., Madman Across the Water was only his third release in the U.S. Nevertheless, it was his third top 10 album in a row in the States. It didn’t fare as well in John’s native U.K., where it charted at number 41.
In 1996, Johnny Cash released his Unchained album. Produced by Rick Rubin, the album featured 14 songs: three originals written by Cash and 11 covers of songs recorded by a variety of other artists, including Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage”, and covers of songs by artists ranging from Dean Martin and The Carter Sisters, to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Roy Clark. Unchained won Cash the Grammy Award for Best Country Album in 1998.
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