A collection of
Joe Jackson firsts
This page was last updated 2 June 2025. To send additions/corrections go to the contact page.
Dates and facts which are not quite certain are given in italics.
| ca. 1965 | First instrument played | violin | at age 11 |
| ca. 1968/69 | First LP Joe bought | Beethoven's Eroica Symphony | |
| ?? | First concert Joe attended | Hallé Orchestra at the Guildhall in Portsmouth, playing Beethoven's Seventh Symphony | |
| 24 June 1971 | First rock concert Joe attended | Curved Air at Portsmouth Guildhall | |
| ?? | First song Joe sang in public | 'When I'm 64' by the Beatles | with The Misty Set |
| early Aug. 1977 | First concert as 'Joe Jackson Band' | Portsmouth, Cumberland Tavern | |
| 28 Sep. 1978 | First tour started | Cleethorpes, Winter Garden | UK tour as support for The Pleasers |
| 31 Oct. 1978 | First single released | 'Is She Really Going Out With Him?' with 'You Got The Fever' as the B-side | on A&M in the UK |
| 16 Nov. 1978 | First interview with Joe Jackson published | Hot Press (Ireland), issue 16-30 Nov. 1978 | |
| 6 Jan 1979 | First magazine with Joe Jackson on the cover | Sounds (UK), issue 6 Jan. 1979 | |
| 10 Feb. 1979 | First TV appearance | The Old Grey Whistle Test (BBC2, UK) | Joe and band performed 'Sunday Papers' and 'Fools In Love' |
| 17 March 1979 | First chart entry | 'Sunday Papers' in the 'Record Business' UK Top 100 singles chart | see this page for details |
| 8 April 1979 | First concert in the US | New York, NY, Mudd Club | |
| 13 April 1979 | First concert broadcast live on the radio | Poughkeepsie, NY, Good Times Café, broadcast live on WPDH-FM | radio/TV simulcast |
| 29 Sep. 1979 | First concert broadcast live on TV | New York, NY, Palladium, broadcast live on WNEW-TV | radio/TV simulcast |
| ca. Dec. 1979 | First live tracks | 'Throw It Away' and 'Come On' (on the Propaganda LP) | |
| 27 Nov. 1982 | First (and so far only) concert in the Caribbean | Montego Bay, Jamaica | during the Jamaica World Music Festival |
| 8 April 1983 | First concert in Japan | Tokyo, Nakano Sun Plaza | |
| Sep. 1983 | First film soundtrack | Mike's Murder soundtrack LP | |
| Sep. 1983 | First instrumental tracks | The three tracks on side two of the Mike's Murder soundtrack LP | |
| 6 Jan. 2001 | First concert in the former Eastern Bloc | Leipzig, Gewandhaus | on the Night And Day II Tour |