This Day in Top 40 History: June 2

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1973: Paul McCartney and Wings achieved a rare feat by holding the No. 1 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts. "My Love" topped the Billboard Hot 100, while Red Rose Speedway topped the Billboard 200.
• 1978: Bruce Springsteen issued his fourth studio LP, Darkness on the Edge of Town. The album enjoyed a 97-week stay on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 5. Hits from this record included “Badlands” and “Prove It All Night,” which stalled at No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100. 
• 1986: Queen dropped their twelfth studio album, A Kind of Magic. The record missed the Top 40 on the U.S. Billboard 200 by six slots. In the U.K., however, it soared to No. 1 and spent 63 weeks on the charts. U.K. Top 40 singles included “One Vision” and “Friends Will Be Friends.” 
• 2017: Dua Lipa's self-titled debut record came out, featuring guest vocals from Miguel. The project peaked at No. 27 in the U.S., but was even more successful in the U.K., where it reached No. 3 and spent an impressive 444 weeks in the charts. From that album came “New Rules,” which landed at No. 1 and No. 6 in the U.K. and the U.S., respectively.

Cultural Milestones

• 2016: The limited edition vinyl of David Bowie's ChangesOneBowie entered the U.K.'s Official Vinyl Albums Chart. This event underscored the resurgence of vinyl records, with sales up 32% to $416 million in 2016, which, at the time, was the highest level since 1988.
• 2020: Following the death of George Floyd and the protests that called out racial injustice, the music industry observed "Blackout Tuesday." Major labels and artists paused their operations to reflect on ways to support the Black community and address systemic inequalities.
• 2022: After appearing in an Apple AirPods spatial audio campaign, Harry Styles announced he would donate his appearance fee to the International Rescue Committee.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1966: Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" reached No. 1 on the U.K.'s Official Singles Chart. The song became one of Sinatra's most enduring hits. 
• 1972: Pink Floyd released their album Obscured by Clouds in the U.K., which was recorded in two sessions. The album is the soundtrack for the French film La Vallée and showcases an evolution in the band's sound. 
• 1990: Tina Turner's Foreign Affair: The Farewell Tour stopped at Neckarstadion in Stuttgart, Germany. The Tennessee native's setlist featured over 15 songs, including “Private Dancer,” “What You Get Is What You See,” and “Ask Me How I Feel.” This trek promoted Turner's seventh studio LP, Foreign Affair, which peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard 200. 
• 1996: Alice Cooper performed at Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo club in Mexico. The performance was recorded and later released as a live album.
• 2002: Britney Spears performed “Oops!... I Did It Again,” “I'm a Slave 4 U,” and “...Baby One More Time,” at the Compaq Center, in San Jose, California. This concert was part of the Dream Within a Dream Tour, which Spears launched to support her 2001 chart-topping album, Britney. 
• 2010: Lady Gaga's The Monster Ball Tour visited Manchester, England, and saw her perform at the Manchester Evening News Arena. “Dance In The Dark,” “Brown Eyes,” “Alejandro,” and “Paparazzi” were among the hits on this show's setlist. Note that this trek supported Gaga's 2009 EP, The Fame Monster, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2023: Bob Dylan released Shadow Kingdom and Tanya Tucker released Sweet Western Sound.

Industry Changes and Challenges 

• 1970: B-Real was born Louis Mario Freese in South Gate, California. He was a member of The Bloods, a street gang based in Los Angeles. After being shot in 1987 and injuring his lung, he left the gang to pursue music. Eventually, he became the frontman of Cypress Hill, whose 1993 record Black Sunday flew to the top of the Billboard 200. 
• 2005: The Russian police detained Franz Ferdinand's lead singer, Alex Kapranos, suspecting he was a spy. At the time, the “Take Me Out” singer was traveling under the name “Huntley,” his mother's maiden name, which he shared with a former MI6 agent. Thankfully, Kapranos was released later when the officials confirmed he was not a British spy. 
• 2011: P!NK and her husband, Carey Hart, welcomed their only daughter and first child, Willow Sage Hart, in Los Angeles, California. According to sources, Willow inspired P!NK's “Just Like Fire.” Willow is into music as well and has already released a duet with her mother, “Cover Me in Sunshine.”