This Day in Top 40 History: June 20

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1975: Tonight's the Night, Neil Young's sixth studio album and one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, debuted. While Young recorded the album in 1973, its release was delayed for two years.
• 1978: Foreigner released their sophomore album, Double Vision. While it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, it stalled at No. 32 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart. The record also spawned three Top 20 singles on Billboard's Hot 100, which were the title track, “Hot Blooded,” and “Blue Morning, Blue Day.”
• 1988: Bobby Brown issued his sophomore album, Don't Be Cruel. It would dominate the Billboard 200 for six weeks and spend up to 97 weeks on the chart. Additionally, it delivered “My Prerogative,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100. More Top 10 hits from this set were “Every Little Step,” “Roni,” and the title track. 
• 1989: Faith No More launched their third studio effort, The Real Thing. It climbed to No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and produced one Top 10 hit on the Hot 100, “Epic.” A few tracks from this project were also well received, including “From Out of Nowhere” and “Edge of the World.”
• 1992: "I'll Be There" was a No. 1 hit for the Jackson 5 before Mariah Carey's cover made it to the top spot on the Billboard 100. She performed the song as a duet with Trey Lorenz on her MTV Unplugged special in March of 1992.

Cultural Milestones

• 1936: Billy Guy was born Frank Phillips Jr., in Itasca, Texas. As a founding member of the Coasters, he contributed to the group's biggest Top 40 hits. Some of these were “Yakety Yak,” which ruled the Billboard R&B chart for seven weeks, “Poison Ivy,” "Along Came Jones,” and “Charlie Brown.”
• 1945: Anne Murray was born in Springhill, Canada. Her notable accomplishments in music include winning four GRAMMYs and scoring more than five Top 40 records, such as Let's Keep It That Way and I'll Always Love You, in the U.S. Murray also has over 10 Top 40 hits on the Hot 100, including the chart-topping “You Needed Me.”
• 1954: Michael Anthony was born in Chicago, Illinois. He is best known as a former member of Van Halen, contributing to hits such as “Jump,” “Why Can't This Be Love,” and “Panama.” Anthony has also worked with other bands, including Black Opal and Chickenfoot. 
• 1969: The Newport Pop Festival was launched at what is now a part of California State University, Northridge. Jimi Hendrix headlined the show and was paid $125,000, the largest sum paid to an artist for a single set at that time. 
• 2003: Lionel Richie was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on his 54th birthday. The singer-songwriter has an accomplished career that includes more than 125 million record sales.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1969: David Bowie recorded "Space Oddity" at Trident Studios in London, marking a shift in the musician's sound. He released the song just days before the Apollo 11 moon landing.
• 2004: Paul McCartney performed his 3,000th show at the Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia. To prevent rain during the show, organizers paid jets to spray dry ice over the venue at a cost of more than $50,000.
• 2024: With a 36-song setlist featuring “Eternal Sunshine” and “None of Your Concern,” Jhené Aiko brought the house down at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. She was on her Magic Hour tour, which supported her No. 2 third studio album, Chilombo. Released in 2020, the record featured guest contributions from Big Sean, John Legend, and Nas.
• 2025: Metallica's M72 World Tour, which promoted their Top Five album, 72 Seasons, visited Santa Clara, California. The band set the stage on fire at Levi's Stadium, performing “Creeping Death,” “King Nothing,” “Nothing Else Matters,” and other songs.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1942: Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson was born in Inglewood, California, at Centinela Hospital Medical Center. He was the oldest of three children born to Audrey Neva and Murry Wilson.
• 1948: Toast of the Town aired for the first time. This show would later become The Ed Sullivan Show and provide a platform for thousands of artists, including Top 40 musicians across all genres. That long list features big names such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, and Jerry Lee Lewis. 
• 1997: Lawrence Payton, singer for the Four Tops, died of liver cancer at the age of 59. He was with the Motown group for 44 years.
• 2006: Claydes Charles Smith died in Maplewood, New Jersey. He was 57. Smith was best known as a founding member of Kool & the Gang, who scored up to 18 U.K. Top 40 hits, including “Get Down on It” and “Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It).”