This Day in Top 40 History: July 20

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1965: "Do You Believe in Magic?" by The Lovin' Spoonful was released in the U.S. The song became a Top 10 hit, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the Top 40 again in 1978 when Shaun Cassidy brought out a cover.
• 1965: Bob Dylan released "Like a Rolling Stone." This long-winded, folksy single peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains influential.
• 1981: The album Escape by Journey was released. Featuring the massive hit single "Don't Stop Believin'," it became the band's most popular album.

Cultural Milestones

• 1940: Billboard magazine published its first singles chart. It included separate listings for songs based on different metrics, a significant development in tracking music popularity.
• 1961: The Beatles, known at the time as The Beat Brothers, announced their first recording contract.
• 1965: Frank Sinatra participated in a handprint ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.
• 1966: Stone Gossard was born in Seattle, Washington. After playing in Mother Love Bone and Green River, Gossard is considered one of the pioneers of the Seattle grunge scene.  He is a founding member of Pearl Jam, who have placed Top 40 singles such as “Who Are You” and “Last Kiss” on Billboard's Hot 100. In 2017, Gossard, along with other members of Pearl Jam, were welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 
• 1964: Christopher John Boyle, better known as Chris Cornell, was born to Karen Boyle and Edward F. Boyle in Seattle, Washington. He was best known as the lead vocalist of Soundgarden, whose Superunknown spent a week at No. 1 in the U.S., and Audioslave, known for Top 40 singles such as “Be Yourself” and “Like a Stone.” Cornell also built a successful solo career that saw him place hits such as “Patience” and “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart” in the Top Five on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart. 
• 1999: Bashar Barakah Jackson, also known as Pop Smoke, was born in Brooklyn, New York. Among his most notable solo hits are “WHAT YOU KNOW BOUT LOVE,” “Got It On Me,” and “DIOR.” Unfortunately, Pop Smoke died at 20 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, where he was receiving treatment for multiple gunshot wounds following a home invasion.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1975: Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run tour opened in Providence, Rhode Island. Accompanied by the E Street Band, these concerts established the Springsteen persona we know and love today.
• 1983: Duran Duran headlined a benefit concert in London. After the show, they met the late Diana, Princess of Wales, a huge fan.
• 1986: All current and former members of Santana who were still living — 17 in total — joined forces to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary at a concert in San Francisco, California.
• 2016: While on the Summer Sixteen Tour,  which supported their No. 1 collaborative mixtape What A Time To Be Alive, Drake and Future brought the house down at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. The duo performed more than 40 songs, including covers, medleys, and tracks from their discographies. Some of these were “Diamonds Dancing,” “Hold On, We're Going Home,” and a cover of Big Sean's “Blessings.” 
• 2018: Taylor Swift performed “I Did Something Bad,” “Bad Blood,” “Gorgeous,” and other songs at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. She was on her 53-show Reputation Stadium Tour supporting her sixth studio album, Reputation, which ruled the Billboard 200 for four weeks. The trek, which took Swift to North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia, grossed over $345 million.  
• 2019: Garth Brooks played chart-toppers such as “Unanswered Prayers,” “Two Piña Coladas,” and “If Tomorrow Never Comes” at the Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. He was on his multi-year stadium tour, which, according to sources, brought in over $200 million after selling almost three million tickets.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1969: Roy Hamilton died at 40 in his home in New Rochelle, New York. According to sources, he had a cerebral hemorrhage and was in a coma for over a week before his death. Hamilton scored two Top 40 hits on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, “I Need Your Lovin'” and “You Can Have Her.” The latter cracked the Top 40 on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 12. 
• 1974: Van Morrison, The Allman Brothers Band, The Doobie Brothers, and more were in the lineup for the inaugural The Bucolic Frolic rock concert in Knebworth, England. The ticket price was a mere £2.75, equal to about $38 today.
• 1986: Sid and Nancy, a biographical drama portraying the life of the Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious and his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, debuted at the Limelight Club in London. The couple had a toxic, drug-fueled relationship that ultimately led to Spungen's murder in 1978 and the subsequent arrest of Vicious, who was the primary suspect. Vicious died about two months after Spungen, in February 1979, following a heroin overdose. 
• 2011: New photographs from The Beatles' first U.S. concert in 1964 surfaced at an auction. The coveted photos sold for over $360,000.
• 2017: The frontman of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington, died by suicide. Fans around the world mourned the loss and reflected on the band's great success.