This Day in Top 40 History: August 29

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1964: "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and later went to No. 1, where it remained for three weeks. It was also the inspiration for the film Pretty Woman over 25 years after its release.
• 1987: Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" was at No. 1 for five straight weeks in the U.K. before topping the charts around the world. 
• 2018: Ariana Grande reached No. 1 on the U.K. charts with her album Sweetener. It had peaked at No. 1 in the U.S. just a few days prior and became her best-selling album to date.

Cultural Milestones

• 1958: Michael Jackson, also known as the “King of Pop,” was born in Gary, Indiana. Jackson started his professional music career at only 6 years old. He was the lead singer of The Jacksons, whose other original members were his elder brothers, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine, and Jackie. With hits such as “ABC,” “I'll Be There,” and “I Want You Back,” the group undoubtedly left a mark on the music world. When Jackson went solo, he scored 13 No. 1 singles in the U.S., including “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Billie Jean.” He also bagged an impressive 13 GRAMMYs. 
• 1976: Phil Harvey was born in Bristol, England. He is best known for collaborating with Coldplay, serving as their manager between 1998 and 2002 and creative director since 2006. With his help, the band has achieved many feats, which include landing U.S. Top 10 singles such as “Viva La Vida” and “A Sky Full of Stars.” In 2004, Harvey bagged the GRAMMY for Record of the Year, thanks to Coldplay's Top 30 single, “Clocks.”
• 1990: Sinéad O'Connor finished up the soundcheck for her show in New York, donned a disguise, and joined protesters outside. The twist is that she was the reason the protesters were there. They were out in response to her petition that the national anthem not be played before her concert.
• 1993: The late pop superstar Liam Payne was born in Wolverhampton, England. Payne had immense success during his time with One Direction before his untimely and tragic passing in 2024.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1966: The Beatles wrapped up their tour in San Francisco with a show at the now-demolished Candlestick Park. It was the group's final concert of the tour.
• 1991: A radio station in Boston played Nirvana's new sophomore album Nevermind from beginning to end. The album included "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come as You Are," two long-standing hits from the grunge rock group.
• 2014: At the Sleep Country Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Washington, Soundgarden brought the house down, playing a 13-song setlist that included “Black Hole Sun” and “Searching With My Good Eye Closed.” This show was part of the Superunknown 20 Tour, a trek that saw them celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 1994 No. 1 album of the same name.
• 2014: One Direction's Where We Are Tour visited Chicago, Illinois. During this stop, the band played “Little Black Dress,” “Live While We're Young,” and “Story of My Life” at Soldier Field. Keep in mind that this trek supported their third studio LP, Midnight Memories, which ruled the Billboard 200 for a week. It featured over 60 concerts across Europe, South America, and North America. 
• 2019: To support their chart-topping third studio LP, Help Us Stranger, The Raconteurs took their tour of the same name to the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Their 17-track setlist featured “Steady, As She Goes” and “Salute Your Solution,” both of which reached the Top 40 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1964: Billboard magazine announced guitar sales had soared to the highest they had been since the advent of Elvis Presley. This was largely due to the British Invasion, in which British rock groups such as The Beatles, The Animals, and The Kinks took the music world by storm.
• 1977: At the Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee, at least three men were taken into custody for attempting to steal Elvis Presley's corpse. Following this incident, the “Can't Help Falling in Love” singer's body was moved to Graceland's Meditation Garden, where it was re-entombed. Note that as of this writing, more of the King of Rock 'n' Roll's relatives have been buried at this location, including his parents, Vernon and Gladys, daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, and grandson, Benjamin Keough. 
• 2002: Pepsi scrapped its commercial with rapper Ludacris after Bill O'Reilly accused him of antisocial behavior. Although the ordeal was challenging for the rapper, his career was mostly unharmed, and he went on to enjoy the success of three No. 1 albums.
• 2005: Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. According to sources, the storm displaced thousands of people and led to the loss of more than 1,300 lives. Among them was Barry Cowsill, who drowned in the disaster's flooding. His body wasn't found until Dec. 28 of that year. Barry was best known as a member of The Cowsills, who placed several Top 40 singles on Billboard's Hot 100. Some of these were "Indian Lake" and "We Can Fly,” which reached No. 10 and No. 21, respectively.