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On this day in 1977, Elvis Costello released his debut album, My Aim is True. The record was a surprise success, with audiences finally appreciating the rock artist's unique sound after three singles that failed to chart.
The album was recorded over several sessions between 1976 and 1977, with the assistance of California-based rock band Clover. My Aim is True received widespread attention for its new rock aesthetics, which drew inspiration from countless different genres from new wave to rock-and-roll.
Costello's album was preceded by three lead singles. The first, "Less Than Zero", made very little impact on the charts or the radio due to Costello's lack of fame and popularity at the time. He was simply viewed as an aspiring rock-and-roller, which is a reputation that unfortunately didn't attract a huge audience.
The second and third singles, "Alison" and "(The Angels Wanna Hear My) Red Shoes", didn't do anything to dissolve this reputation. The songs were both heavily influenced by the rockabilly sounds of the '40s and '50s, drawing inspiration from artists like Elvis Presley—from whom Costello had taken his name.
It seemed like Costello's debut album was destined to be a failure, with none of the singles landing on the charts and barely getting a minute of radio play. When the album was released, critics were widely impressed by Costello's musical creativity and ambitious songwriting, but it still wasn't reaching a mass audience.
Just a few weeks before the album's release, Costello formed a new band called the Attractions, who joined him on tour in the United Kingdom. This was the breakthrough moment for Costello, who had finally found a group of musicians that fully understood his sound and knew how to bring it to life. Shortly after the formation of the Attractions and their hugely successful live shows, My Aim is True began to climb the charts.
The record reached No. 14 in Costello's home country, and later made its way across the Atlantic to reach No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. The American version of the album was released by Columbia Records with an additional track, "Watching the Detectives", which had been a massive hit in the United Kingdom. This was the moment Costello's career truly began, and it was all down to a simple change of personnel.
