401: Cat Stevens releases Tea For The Tillerman
The release of Tea For the Tillerman, in 1970, (one of two of his two albums that achieved Triple Platinum in the U.S.) resulted in his international breakthrough. The album was a top-10 Billboard hit and reached Gold record status within six months of release in the United States and in Britain. Combining Stevens’ new folk style with accessible lyrics that spoke of everyday situations and problems, mixed with some spiritual imagery, Tea for the Tillerman features the top-20 single “Wild World”, “Hard-Headed Woman”, and “Father and Son”, a unique, double-voiced autobiographical song. Rolling Stone magazine listed the album at no. 206 of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and in 2006, the album was included in the book “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.” At the height of his fame in 1977, Stevens converted to Islam, and the next year adopted the name of Yusuf Islam and left his music career, devoting himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. In 2006 he returned to music, with his first album of new songs in 28 years, titled “An Other Cup.” Cat Stevens has sold 60 million albums since the 1960s.