Writer of Pop Culture

Cool and refreshing news about pop culture and entertainment.

This Day in Pop Culture for January 21

“Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack reaches #1, the first American novel gets published and John McEnroe becomes the first player to get expelled from one particular tournament.

January 21, 2020

2–3 minutes

1978: America Catches Bee Gee’s ‘Saturday Night Fever’

John Travolta’s disco film, Saturday Night Fever was released in theaters on December 16, 1977. The soundtrack featuring the music of the Bee Gees was release a month earlier. By this day in 1978, the album went to the #1 spot on the music charts and stayed there for an incredible 24 weeks. Many agree that it was a turning point for the Bee Gees’ career. Some say that the Bee Gees created the disco craze while others say that the trend was already in a downward turn and that the band and movie only helped to extend it.

Seven songs including “How Deep is Your Love”, “Stayin’ Alive”, “Night Fever” and “If I Can’t Have You” all became number one hits. However, while the band is synonymous with the movie, the group didn’t even get involved with Saturday Night Fever until postproduction. The film’s producer, Robert Stigwood commissioned the Bee Gees to create the music which they did over one weekend! Travolta says that he was actually dancing to the music of Stevie Wonder and Boz Scaggs long before “Stayin’ Alive” was written.

The band’s album won five Grammy Awards including Album of the Year. In 2020, it was calculated that the Saturday Night Fever album has been the fourth highest-selling album worldwide. (Image: RSO Records)

1789: The First American Novel

William Hill Brown’s The Power of Sympathy: or, The Triumph of Nature was published in Boston on this day, however, people did actually know that until 1894 as it was first published anonymously. The book is considered by many to be the very first American novel. At nine shillings a copy, the novel did not sell well.

The story was told through a series of letters sent back and forth between the main characters. The tragic love story is said to have ties to politics and written as an allegory.

1990: What a Poor Sport

Former tennis player John McEnroe is about as famous for his temper tantrums as his tennis playing. On this day, he became the first player to get expelled from the Australian Open.

It was his fourth match against Mikael Pernfors from Sweden when McEnroe got ejected for swearing at the umpire, supervisor and referee; intimidating a lineswoman and smashing a racket. The new Code of Conduct, which he was not aware of, was enacted just before the tournament stating that a third violation would lead to an immediate disqualification. He was fined $6,500 for the incidents as well.

(Image: Wimbledon 2014 – Brian Minkoff-London Pixels/Wikimedia)