This Day in Top 40 History: May 12

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1998: Lenny Kravitz put out his fifth studio effort, 5. It reached No. 28 and No. 18 in the U.S. and the U.K., respectively. The most notable single from this project was “Fly Away,” which topped the U.K. Singles Chart and climbed to No. 12 on Billboard's Hot 100. 
• 2007: Maroon 5's single “Makes Me Wonder” made history on the Billboard Hot 100 chart when it jumped to No. 1 from No. 64, setting the record for the most significant jump to No. 1 at 63 places.
• 2017: Kendrick Lamar's fourth studio album, DAMN., reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album later won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, making it the first non-jazz or classical work to receive this honor.
• 2017: Paramore issued their fifth studio LP, After Laughter. It landed at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and delivered a number of standout tracks, including “Rose-Coloured Boy,” “Hard Times,” “26,” and “Fake Happy.”
• 2017: Harry Styles released his first studio album called Harry Styles. The new LP debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, a considerable achievement in Styles' solo career.

Cultural Milestones

• 1928: Burt Bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He was known for placing songs such as “All Kinds of People” and “I'll Never Fall In Love Again” in the Top 20 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. In addition, Bacharach worked with a long list of Top 40 artists, including The Carpenters, Christopher Cross, Herb Alpert, and Aretha Franklin.
• 1971: With about 200 guests in attendance and Keith Richards as the best man, Mick Jagger and a pregnant Bianca Pérez-Mora Macías tied the knot in France. Like most celebrity marriages, however, theirs didn't last. The “Angie” singer and Bianca, who share one daughter, Jade, finalized their divorce in 1979.  
• 1981: Rami Malek was born in Torrance, California. In the music world, he is known for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Freddie Mercury in the 2018 Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody. His performance earned him multiple accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2019. This made Malek the first actor of Egyptian heritage to bag an Oscar.
• 2010: Lady Gaga appeared on Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list for the first time. This recognition contributed to an already established recognition of her as more than a pop icon, but as a cultural phenomenon, impacting the expressions of fashion, activism, and digital art.
• 2023: Scottish band The View apologized to its fans. A few days earlier, lead singer Kyle Falconer punched bassist Kieren Webster at The Deaf Institute in Manchester, UK, abruptly ending the show. The clash was all over social media, and the band expressed regret for what it described as a “brotherly bust-up that went too far.”

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1965: The Rolling Stones walked into Hollywood's RCA Studios to record “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.” Released in June of the same year, this song held the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 for four weeks. Additionally, the hit made it to No. 2 on Rolling Stone's 2004 list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” losing the top spot to “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan. 
• 2010: With a 22-song setlist featuring “If I Ain't Got You,” “No One,” and “Fallin',” Alicia Keys took her The Freedom Tour to the O2 World in Hamburg, Germany. This trek, which saw the New York native visit North America, Europe, and Africa, supported her 2009 album, The Element of Freedom. The record peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2022: Morgan Wallen brought his The Dangerous Tour to Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. He was joined by special guests HARDY and Larry Fleet.
• 2023: KCON, the Korean pop culture convention and music festival, held its event at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. The lineup included popular K-pop acts such as The Boyz, Yena, NiziU, STAYC, Just B, INI, and 8Turn.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2001: Perry Como died at 88 in Palm Beach County, Florida. He started out as a barber. However, a career switch in the 1930s saw the Perry Como Show host score over 40 Top 40 hits on various Billboard charts. These include “Stop! And Think It Over” and “It's Impossible,” which hit No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. 
• 2021: Synchtank held its Data, Rights & Royalties Music Industry Summit. The event addressed the persistent problems of poor data management and a lack of standardization within the music business. Barriers to improving data hygiene were discussed, and viable solutions and new initiatives were proposed.
• 2025: The Music Business Association launched its annual Music Biz Conference, held for the first time in Atlanta, with over 2,200 music professionals from around the globe. Through bringing together music industry professionals and generating industry-defining conversation and connectivity, its aim was to build the future of the music business.
• 2025: The Foo Fighters, whose list of chart-toppers features “Walk” and “Wheels,” fired Josh Freese after a two-year stint as their drummer. Reese shared the news on social media on May 16, stating that he was surprised but not resentful because he's played with many bands. Speaking of which, Freese has collaborated with Paramore, Guns N' Roses, and more.