Electric Light Orchestra inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2017

One of my favorite bands Electric Light Orchestra was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame April 7, 2017, including members Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, Richard Tandy, and Roy Wood.  

Happy birthday, ELO co-founder Roy Wood!

Roy Wood, born November 8, 1946 in Birmingham, England, co-founded Electric Light Orchestra with Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy and Bev Bevan.  

Wood has been involved in a number of other groups, after leaving ELO in 1972, but was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 as part of ELO.

Electric Light Orchestra releases "Discovery" 1979

Electric Light Orchestra's eighth studio album Discovery, released May 31, 1979, was their biggest selling album, riding on the success of five singles from the album.  Don't Bring Me Down was the third single released and the biggest seller of all the singles.

ELO dedicated Don't Bring Me Down to NASA's Skylab space station which burned up as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere July 11, 1979.

Styx releases "Kilroy Was Here" 1983

Styx released their eleventh studio album, Kilroy Was Here, February 22, 1983.  The concept album, which is based on a dystopian future where rock music is outlawed, was in part a mocking reponse to fundamentalist Christian groups, who managed to persuade the Arkansas State Senate to pass a bill requiring that all albums containing "back-masking" be labeled.  Styx was among other groups such as the Beatles, ELO, Pink Floyd and Queen.

According to wikipedia.com, the fifth track Heavy Metal Poisoning, contains the two mottoes found on the U.S. one-dollar bill back masked.

This is the last album of original material to be released by the "classic" lineup of Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, James Young, and twins John and Chuck Panozzo. 

The biggest hit from teh album was Mr. Roboto, which reach #3 on the Billboard charts.

Happy birthday, Jeff Lynne!

Jeff Lynne, born December 30, 1947 in Birmingham, England, is the mind behind super-group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).  He formed the band in 1970 and enjoyed great success until 1986 when they disbanded for the first time.

He then performed with The Traveling Wilburys with Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty.  Lynne produced the album The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 which received a Grammy award in 1989 for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. 

He produced Tom Petty's album Full Moon Fever, which includes the singles Won't Back Down and Runnin' Down a Dream.  He produced Agnetha Faltskog's single One Way Love, which appeared on her second post-ABBA album.

He released an album of all new ELO music Alone in the Universe, November 13, 2015.

Electric Light Orchestra releases "Face the Music" 1975

Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) released their 5th studio album, Face the Music, September 1975.  The top singles from the album Evil Woman and Strange Magic were their biggest hits up to that time.

It reached Number 8 on Billboard 200 and was certified gold in the U.S.

"Xanadu" soundtrack released 1980

The dorky movie Xanadu was released the same month as its soundtrack in August 1980.  The movie didn't fare well, but the soundtrack went double-platinum in both U.S and Canada.  It was a collaboration between Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton-John, released on MCA and Jet labels.

I like Olivia but I much prefer ELO's contributions to the album.

Skylab crashes to Earth 1979

July 11, 1979, Skylab returned to Earth in a display not quite what NASA had expected, but spectacular anyway, if you were up after midnight in Australia.  Despite being damaged when launched, Skylab was a successful mission for NASA.  It hosted three crews, each of three men, over the course of its life, logging 700 hours observing the sun.

The last mission was in 1974 and Skylab's orbit started deteriorating sooner that NASA had expected, due to increased sunspot activity.

I was on a tractor in the middle of a field in western Oklahoma when it came down and I kept looking to the skies to see it fall.  Unfortunately for me, it entered the atmosphere on the other side of the world.  Oh, well.

Electric Light Orchestra dedicated their song, "Don't Bring Me Down", released just a few weeks before to Skylab.

Electric Light Orchestra releases "Discovery" 1979

Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) released their 8th studio album, "Discovery" or "Disco Very" as it has been nicknamed, June 8, 1979.  It also became one of their most successful albums as well.  The single "Don't Bring Me Down" is their highest charting single in the U.S.


Get ready for some 70's glam!