This Day in Top 40 History: September 5

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1964: The Animals topped the charts in the United States with their rendition of "House of the Rising Sun." This traditional folk song, also previously sung by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, was given new life by the band and went on to inspire a generation of folk singers.
• 1975: British progressive rockers Jethro Tull released their eighth album, Minstrel in the Gallery, which would be the last to feature bassist Jeffrey Hammond. The project reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and went to No. 20 on the UK Albums chart.
• 1981: Stevie Nicks enjoyed some solo success as her album Bella Donna topped the charts. The album included "Edge of Seventeen" and "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around."
• 1989: Soundgarden released Louder Than Love, their second album, which would be their last to feature original bassist Hiro Yamamoto. It was the first Soundgarden album and first grunge album to enter the Billboard 200, where it peaked at No. 108. The album produced the hit singles “Loud Love” and “Hands All Over,” which reached No. 87 and No. 82 on the UK Singles Chart.
• 2015: "Cheerleader" by OMI topped the U.S. charts. The hit single was an earworm well beyond the 18 weeks it spent on the Hot 100 chart.
• 2025: Tom Odell launched his seventh album, A Wonderful Life, which spawned the singles “Don't Let Me Go,” “Don't Cry, Put Your Head On My Shoulder,” and “Ugly.” It peaked at No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart and at No. 9 on the Scottish Albums Chart. 

Cultural Milestones

• 1945: Scottish singer and songwriter Dean Ford was born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. He is remembered for his successful tenure as the frontman of the pop rock group Marmalade from the mid 60s to mid 70s, during which the band scored the international hit “Reflections of My Life.” 
• 1945: Al Stewart was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The British folk rock icon achieved commercial success with his 1976 album, Year of the Cat, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Its title track became his signature hit, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 31 on the UK Singles Chart. 
• 1968: Brad Wilk was born in Portland, Oregon. He rose to prominence in the ‘90s as the drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Rage Against the Machine. Their politically charged self-titled debut album peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. Following the departure of frontman Zach de la Rocha in 2000, Wilk and the remaining members of the band teamed up with Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell to form Audioslave.
• 1981: Soft Cell hit No. 1 in the U.K. with "Tainted Love." The song hit the Top 40 in the United States a year later and solidified itself as a staple of '80s music.
• 2013: Ariana Grande released a teaser for her music video to her song "Baby I." The video channeled the '90s and was filmed in Los Angeles' Koreatown.
• 2016: It's hard to overstate the impact Freddie Mercury had on the music industry and mainstream culture. On this day, what would've been Mercury's 70th birthday, an asteroid was named after him.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1967: The Beatles began recording "I Am the Walrus," a song written by John Lennon. To this day, fans are puzzled — who exactly is the walrus?
• 1970: Janis Joplin recorded her version of "Me and Bobby McGee." The song topped the charts after Joplin's sudden passing.
• 2018: Fleetwood Mac performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to debut the band's new lineup. Neil Finn and Mike Campbell had replaced Lindsey Buckingham.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1978: Joe Negroni died from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 37. An early rock-and-roll pioneer, he was a founding member of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, known for hits such as “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?,” “I Want You to Be My Girl,” and “Who Can Explain?”
• 1987: American Bandstand aired its final show on network TV. The Dick Clark-hosted show enjoyed a 30-year run on ABC.
• 2012: Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter) died of a heart attack at the age of 72. He is best known for his 1968 smash single “Games People Play,” which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best Contemporary Song and Song of the Year at the 12th Annual GRAMMY Awards. South is an inductee of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, an honor he was bestowed in 2019.
• 2014: The then-married couple Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton opened a bed and breakfast, The Ladysmith. Unfortunately, the quaint hotel closed its doors in 2016.
• 2025: Mark Volman died at the age of 78 of blood disease-related complications. He was a founding member of the 60s rock band The Turtles, who scored several top 40 singles throughout the decade, including the No. 1 hit “Happy Together” and “She'd Rather Be with Me,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.