This Day in Top 40 History: August 5

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1966: The Beatles released Revolver in the U.K. The band's seventh studio album topped the charts in both the U.K. and the U.S. and is widely considered to be one of pop music's greatest works.
• 1980: Pat Benatar released her second studio album, Crimes of Passion. It included the hit single "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," which peaked at No. 9 on the charts.
• 1986: Lionel Richie released Dancing on the Ceiling, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.  Richie took a 10-year hiatus after the album's release.
• 1988: Bobby McFerrin issued his sophomore album, Simple Pleasures. This record rose to No. 5 on the Billboard 200. It also delivered the New York native's biggest hit, “Don't Worry, Be Happy,” which would become the first a cappella track to land at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100. 
• 2016: Dinosaur Jr. issued Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not, their 11th studio LP. The album, which reached No. 23 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart, delivered 11 tracks, including “Tiny,” “Goin Down,” and “Good to Know.” It broke into the Billboard 200, but failed to crack the Top 40. 

Cultural Milestones

• 1959: Georg Albert Ruthenberg, better known as Pat Smear, was born in Los Angeles, California. His career has seen him collaborate with a number of industry giants. For instance, he toured with Nirvana, whose Top 10 single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is credited with popularizing alternative rock. Smear also played with Foo Fighters, who have placed No. 1 records such as Concrete and Gold and Wasting Light on the Billboard 200. 
• 1964: Adam “MCA” Yauch was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was a founding member of The Beastie Boys. The group's Licensed to Ill was the first rap album to reach the summit of the Billboard 200. In the years that followed, The Beastie Boys achieved more feats, including releasing more chart-topping albums, selling more than 40 million records worldwide, and bagging three GRAMMYs. Yauch died in 2012 at 47, following a battle with parotid cancer. 
• 1976: The 15th Anniversary Beach Boys television special The Beach Boys: It's O.K! premiered on NBC. It featured cameos from famous comedians John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.
• 1981: Olivia Newton-John received a star along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During her pop career, she had five No. 1 hits and 15 Top 10 hits.
• 2005: "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan was listed at the top of Uncut magazine's survey for music, movies, and other media that changed the world. "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley took second place.
• 2015: Taylor Swift performed a 17-song setlist that featured “Shake It Off,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and “All You Had to Do Was Stay” at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Canada. She was on The 1989 World Tour, which supported her fifth No. 1 studio album of the same name. Notably, 1989 spent an impressive 11 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200. 
• 2023: Three country songs topped the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time: "Try That in a Small Town" by Jason Aldean, "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen, and "Fast Car," Luke Combs' cover of Tracy Chapman's song.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1964: The Beach Boys recorded their song "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)," which peaked at No. 9 on the charts.
• 2021: Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett performed at Radio City Music Hall in the second of their two-night run. It was Bennett's final live performance.
• 2022: Bad Bunny performed the first night of his first stadium tour, World's Hottest Tour. As fans flocked to shows post-pandemic, the tour became one of the highest-grossing tours in 2022.

Industry Changes and Challenges 

• 1968: Luther Monroe Perkins, who was a member of Johnny Cash's backing band, the Tennessee Three, died in Hendersonville, Tennessee. His cause of death was the severe injuries he sustained during a house fire. According to sources, Perkins had slept in his living room with a lit cigarette in hand, leading to the tragic incident. He was buried next to the “Ring of Fire” singer and his second wife, June Carter Cash. 
• 1972: Aerosmith paid out of pocket to perform at New York's Max's Kansas City, knowing that Clive Davis, who was the president of Columbia Records, would be in the house. This strategy bore fruit, as Davis was so blown away that he signed the band immediately. Aerosmith has at least eight U.S. Top 10 hits, including the chart-topping “I Don't Want to Miss a Thing.” 
• 1979: Def Leppard landed their first major recording contract when Phonogram Records signed them. This achievement made way for them to become one of the best-selling rock acts worldwide. As of this writing, Def Leppard has two No. 1 records on the Billboard 200, Hysteria and Adrenalize. In 2019, they were welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, an honor usually bestowed upon those who have significantly impacted the industry.