Friday the 13th Has Been Pretty Lucky for Rock Bands

Friday the 13th this year is before Valentine's Day. But in Rock History, the day has been pretty lucky for bands over the years.

On Friday, February 13, 1970, Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut album in the UK, widely regarded as the birth of heavy metal, fittingly released on a Friday the 13th. 

Considered the first true heavy metal album. Recorded in just one or two days, the album features a dark, blues-based sound, characterized by Tony Iommi's sludgy riffs, Ozzy Osbourne's vocals, Geezer Butler's bass, and Bill Ward's drums. 

 Led Zeppelin had to scrap their concert in Singapore. Officials wouldn’t let them off the plane because their hair was too long.

In February 1972, Led Zeppelin was refused entry into Singapore due to strict government regulations against long hair on men, a symbol of Western drug culture and rebellion.

Officials at the airport did not allow the band to leave their plane, forcing them to cancel the concert and fly back to London. 

The incident was part of Singapore's "Operation Snip Snip" in the 1970s, which targeted men with hair below the collar or covering the ears.

With Phil Collins as lead vocalist, Genesis released A Trick of the Tail.

Dire Straits began recording their self-titled debut album. Recording Dire Straits' self-titled debut album in February 1978 at Basing Street Studios, London, was a focused, low-budget $17,000 affair that captured a tight, pub-rock sound. The sessions featured Mark Knopfler’s distinctive finger-picking Stratocasters and National steel guitars, resulting in an earthy, blues-rock atmosphere over three weeks. 

Phil Collins released his debut solo album, Face Value. Known as the famous drum fill of all time. It was an intense, emotional, and spontaneous process born out of personal heartbreak. Collins spent months in the studio, often working 12-hour days (11 a.m. to 11 p.m.) to process his divorce.

The headstone of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant was stolen. The marble slab was stolen from the grave of Lynyrd Skynyrd's singer Ronnie Van Zant. Police found it two weeks later in a dried-up riverbed

 The Black Crowes released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. 

The Black Crowes’ debut album, Shake Your Money Maker (1990), was a raw, hungry, and relatively sober experience. Due to a lack of funds and inexperience, the band recorded in Atlanta and Los Angeles while sharing equipment and living off leftovers, resulting in a high-energy, classic rock sound.