This Day in Top 40 History: September 2

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1981: Prince released his single “Controversy” as the lead track for his upcoming album. The song was a response to the media's speculations about Prince's gender, sexuality, religion, and racial background.
• 1989: Paula Abdul achieved her third No. 1 hit with her song “Cold Hearted.” The song was accompanied by a music video inspired by “Flashdance,” which was released in 1983.
• 1993: In the grunge era, Pearl Jam won four VMAs at the MTV Video Music Awards for their song “Jeremy.” The group responded to this success by refusing to release another music video until 1998.
• 1995: “You Are Not Alone” by Michael Jackson debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. Jackson held the top spot for just one week — he was displaced by Coolio's “Gangsta's Paradise.”
• 2014: Johnny Winter's nineteenth and final album, Step Back, was released just two months after the blues-rock singer passed on. The project, which he had recorded before his passing, featured performances from some of the biggest artists in the blues and rock world, including Eric Clapton, Tom Malone, Joe Perry, and Billy Gibbons. It went on to win Best Blues Album at the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards and Best Rock Blues Album at the 2015 Blues Music Awards. 

Cultural Milestones

• 1957: Steve Porcaro was born in Hartford, Connecticut. He is best known for his work with the GRAMMY-winning rock band Toto, which he formed with his brother Jeff Porcaro on drums, and later included their brother Mike Porcaro as bass player. In addition to fourteen commercially successful albums with the band, Porcaro has released two solo albums and collaborated with diverse artists in the industry, including The Pointer Sisters, Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Diana Ross, and Al Jarreau. 
• 1958: Fritz McIntyre was born in Birmingham, England. He was part of the original lineup of the acclaimed English pop soul band Simply Red, for whom he played keyboards and sang backing vocals. Some of the records he co-wrote and/or performed on include Picture Book (1985), Men and Women (1987), A New Flame (1989), Stars (1991), and Life (1995). 
• 1958: Jerry Augustyniak was born in Sloan, New York. He is the drummer for the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs, with whom he has released nine studio albums, five live albums, and six EPs.
• 1987: Spencer Smith was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is the former drummer and co-founder of the rock band Panic! at the Disco and played percussion on their first four albums: A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005), Pretty. Odd. (2008), Vices & Virtues (2011), and Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013). The band's debut album was a massive commercial success, peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard 200.
• 1995: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opened in Cleveland, Ohio, after a dedication ceremony the day before. The city lobbied for the museum to be located in Ohio as it was the home of DJ Alan Freed, who is credited as the person who coined the term “rock and roll.”
• 2013: Sir Elton John became the first recipient of the BRITs Icon Award, which honors artists who have achieved great levels of creativity and critical acclaim. Elton John received the award at a special ceremony and concert in London, and it was televised a few months later.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1956: The King of Rock and Roll recorded multiple songs for his debut album, Elvis. “Too Much” charted at No. 2, while “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again” reached No. 19.
• 1982: Fleetwood Mac played in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of their Mirage Tour. Men at Work opened for Fleetwood Mac and launched their own tour two weeks after Mirage wrapped up.
• 1988: Human Rights Now!, a worldwide benefit tour, opened at Wembley Stadium. Sting, Bruce Springsteen, and Tracy Chapman were all headline performers for the 20-show tour.
• 1994: The then largely unknown college band Hootie & the Blowfish made their television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing their hit single “Hold My Hand.” In 2015, the band would reunite on the show for a one-time performance of the same song in the run-up to Letterman's retirement.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2009: GRAMMY Award-winning keyboardist and composer Guy Babylon died of a heart attack at the age of 52. His music career took off in 1988 after he joined Elton John's studio and touring band. He made his debut appearance on Sleeping with the Past (1989), the latter's twenty-second album, which topped the UK Albums Chart thanks to hits such as “Sacrifice” and “Healing Hands.”
• 2012: Mark Abrahamian, the lead guitarist for the rock band Starship, passed away from a heart attack backstage after playing a concert in Norfolk, Nebraska. He joined the band in 2000 as a replacement for their previous lead guitarist, Erik Torjesen, who had been diagnosed with cancer in 1996 and would lose his life to the condition in 2001.