This Day in Top 40 History: August 24

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1963: Stevie Wonder topped the album and pop charts in the same week with Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius and Fingertips (Part 2). Wonder was the first artist to achieve this feat.
• 1979: Prince released "I Wanna Be Your Lover" as a single from his second studio album. It was his first major hit, reaching No. 11 on the charts.
• 1981: The Rolling Stones' Tattoo You arrived, delivering three U.S. Top 20 singles, “Waiting On A Friend,” “Start Me Up,” and “Hang Fire.” This record would spend nine weeks at the summit of the Billboard 200, becoming the band's longest-running chart-topper in the U.S.
• 1991: "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" by Lenny Kravitz reached No. 2 on the U.S. charts. Kravitz was kept from the top spot by Bryan Adams' song "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You."
• 2010: Katy Perry released Teenage Dream, her 12-track album featuring guest vocals from Snoop Dogg. The record peaked at No. 1 in the U.S., spending 481 weeks on the Billboard 200. Even more impressive, it delivered five chart-toppers on Billboard's Hot 100, including the title track and “Firework.”
• 2018: Interpol issued their sixth studio effort, Marauder. This album delivered tracks such as “It Probably Matters,” “If You Really Love Nothing,” and “Flight of Fancy.” It reached No. 6 and No. 23 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart and the U.S. Billboard 200, respectively.

Cultural Milestones

• 1938: David Freiberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a member of Jefferson Airplane, which placed hits such as “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” in the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100. Freiberg also joined the band's spinoff, the Jefferson Starship, which scored even more Top 40 singles in the U.S., including “Miracles,” “With Your Love,” and “Jane.”
• 1945: Ken Hensley was born in London, England. He is among the founding members of Uriah Heep. As of this writing, the band has placed at least five Top 40 records in the U.S., including Sweet Freedom, The Magician's Birthday, and Demons and Wizards. Unfortunately, Hensley died in November 2020 at 75. 
• 1985: After the success of the movie Back to the Future, Huey Lewis and the News enjoyed two weeks at No. 1 with their song "The Power of Love," which was written for the film. Huey Lewis made a cameo appearance in the movie as well.
• 1999: Powerhouse singer Christina Aguilera released her self-titled debut album. It debuted at No. 1, and Aguilera took home a GRAMMY for Best New Artist.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1975: Queen entered the studio to begin working on "Bohemian Rhapsody" in Wales. The operatic, cinematic track was recorded over the course of three weeks.
• 1996: Liam Gallagher was a no-show for Oasis' recording session for MTV Unplugged. The band was due to record the session in front of 400 fans, but Liam sat in the audience instead of singing with his band.
• 2017: Bruno Mars took his 24K Magic World Tour to the Center Vidéotron in Quebec City, Canada. At this venue, he performed a 16-song setlist that included “Treasure,” “That's What I Like,” and “Versace on the Floor.” Featuring more than 130 shows, the 24K Magic World Tour supported Mars' No. 2 album of the same name.
• 2019: Promoting his No. 1 self-titled third studio LP, Shawn Mendes lit up the stage at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Among the titles on his setlist were “If I Can't Have You,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and “Mercy.”

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1981: Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered ex-Beatle John Lennon, was slapped with a prison sentence of 20 years to life. On Dec. 8, 1980, Chapman, a Beatles fan, waited for Lennon outside the latter's New York City apartment, where he lived with his wife and collaborator, Yoko Ono, and their son, Sean. When they arrived, Chapman shot the “WOMAN” hitmaker four times, leading to his death. As of this writing, Chapman is still in prison and has been denied parole up to 14 times. 
• 1990: Sinéad O'Connor refused to take the stage at the Garden State Arts Center in New Jersey unless the event organizers called off their plans to play “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the show. According to sources, the “Nothing Compares 2 U” hitmaker argued that national anthems and music have nothing in common. The venue eventually honored O'Connor's wishes to avoid a last-minute cancellation, but they banned her from performing there again.
• 2001: After taking some time off, The Backstreet Boys resumed their Black & Blue World Tour. It had been on hold for nearly two months while A.J. McLean was in a treatment center for depression and substance abuse.
• 2005: Justin Timberlake accepted libel damages after a false story claimed that he had an affair while he was dating Cameron Diaz. Timberlake donated the money to charity.
• 2010: Bob Dylan announced that he would only sell concert tickets at the door, attempting to prevent scalpers from driving up online ticket prices. Concert-goers were permitted to purchase one ticket apiece.