Aretha Franklin - Aretha

Today (October 25th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Aretha, the twenty-eighth studio album from the “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin. This 1980 release spent thirty weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 32. It also reached number 6 on the US Billboard R&B chart and won her a Grammy award for Best Female R&B Vocal.

The Jacksons - Triumph (35th anniversary)

Today (September 26th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Triumph, the thirteenth studio album from the Jacksons. This 1980 record made it to number 10 on Billboard Album chart(with a twenty-nine week total time on that chart) and number 1 on the US R&B album charts; in the UK it went to number 13. World-wide it sold 1.9 million copies and generated five singles.

For more on this album, click here.

For more on this talented family of brothers as a group, click here.

Zebra - No Tellin' Lies

Zebra is a hard rock band that formed in the mid-70’s in New Orleans, Louisiana. The group consisted of Randy Jackson (guitar and lead vocals), Felix Hanemann (bass, keyboards and vocals) and Guy Gelso (drums and vocals). After a number of years doing covers, the band was signed to Atlantic Records. This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of No Tellin’ Lies, their second studio album. It spent eleven weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 84.

Michael Jackson - Off The Wall (35th anniversary)

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Sunday.

Today (August 10th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Off The Wall, the smash hit album by Michael Jackson. This Grammy winning release spent a total of one hundred and seventy weeks on the US Billboard Album chart and peaked at the number 3 spot.

For my full review, please click here.

The Jacksons - Victory

Today (July 2nd) is the thirtieth anniversary of Victory, the fourteenth album by the Jacksons. It is the first and only album to include all six Jackson brothers (Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Michael, and Randy) together as an official group. It debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard Album chart, and remained on the charts for a total of thirty weeks. It also charted at number 10 in Canada, number 9 in Australia, and number 3 in the UK and on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Jermaine Jackson - Jermaine Jackson/Dynamite

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Jermaine Jackson, the tenth self-titled solo album from the R&B singer. In the international markets, it was released under the title of Dynamite. The album went to number 57 in the UK, number 38 in New Zealand, number 27 in Sweden and number 21 in the Netherlands. Here in the US, it spent forty-nine weeks on the Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 19, and also went to number 13 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Blue Öyster Cult - The Revölution By Night

Hailing from Long Island, New York, Blue Öyster Cult had a strong run during the 1970’s. By 1983, though, the albums were more spaced out with the sound of the band changing for the times. This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of The Revölution By Night, their ninth studio album. It charted at number 95 in the UK and number 93 on the US Billboard Album chart back in 1983.

Stacy Lattisaw - Sixteen

This week (July 9th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Sixteen, the fifth studio album from R&B singer Stacy Lattisaw. It charted at number 160 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 26 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

The Jacksons - Triumph

On September 26th of 1980, the five brothers Jackson (Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Randy and Michael) released their thirteenth studio album Triumph. The record made it into the top ten on the Billboard Album chart (at number 10) and number 1 on the US R&B album charts; in the UK it went to number 13. World-wide it sold 1.9 million copies and generated five singles.

Michael Jackson - Off The Wall

1979 - the end of a decade and the year I transitioned from Junior High School to High School. It was a time to start being more mature, more serious about my future - the last years of youth before approaching manhood.

It is only fitting, in a way, that Michael Jackson's Off The Wall came out that year. This album - which appears on "the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list and on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All-Time (it came it at #68) - was a coming of age album, if you will, for an artist who grew up in the public spotlight as I was going from a kid to a teenager. While not his first solo record (it was actually his fourth), it still was a big statement. This was his first huge, multi-platinum seller as an artist separate from the Jackson 5.