This Day in Top 40 History: September 12

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1989: Aerosmith released their 10th studio album, Pump. It included hits such as the GRAMMY Award-winning "Janie's Got a Gun" and "Love in an Elevator," which hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
• 1995: The Red Hot Chili Peppers issued One Hot Minute, their sixth studio album. The record peaked at No. 4 and No. 2 in the U.S. and the U.K., respectively. Some of the tracks it delivered were “My Friends,” which ruled Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart for four weeks, and “Aeroplane,” a U.K. Top 40 hit. 
• 2005: The Pussycat Dolls launched their debut studio effort, PCD. This record, which sold over eight million copies worldwide, was a success, peaking at No. 7 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart and No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200. U.S. Top 40 singles from this project included "Don't Cha" and "Stickwitu,” both of which hit No. 1 in the U.K. 
• 2006: Former boy band member Justin Timberlake released FutureSex/LoveSounds, featuring his No. 1 single "SexyBack." The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.
• 2008: Metallica dropped their ninth studio LP, Death Magnetic. This record spent three consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200. It spawned “The Day That Never Comes,” which stalled at No. 31 on Billboard's Hot 100. The track and “Cyanide” also landed at No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart. 

Cultural Milestones

• 1931: George Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas. At the beginning of his musical journey, Jones performed on the streets and earned a few dollars to support his family. His career, which spanned over five decades, would see him place over 70 Top 10 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, a feat only a few acts have achieved, as of this writing. Notable titles include chart-toppers “She Thinks I Still Care” and “Walk Through This World With Me.”
• 1994: Kim Nam-joon, better known as RM, was born in Seoul, South Korea. He is a founding member and leader of the five-time GRAMMY-nominated BTS, whose chart-topping “Dynamite” made them the first all-South Korean band to top the Hot 100.
• 2006: Britney Spears and Kevin Federline welcomed their son, Jayden James Federline, nearly a year after the birth of their first one, Sean Preston Federline. Two months later, the “Oops!...I Did It Again” singer would file for divorce from Federline, who was her then-husband. Unfortunately, she ended up losing custody of both Jayden and Sean in 2007 due to her mental health and substance abuse problems. 

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1970: Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, and others performed at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
• 1975: Pink Floyd released Wish You Were Here. The album hit No. 1 around the world and is widely considered one of the greatest rock albums of all time.
• 1987: Michael Jackson opened his Bad World Tour in Tokyo, Japan. Jackson played three sold-out concerts at Korakuen Stadium, eventually performing 123 concerts over 16 months.
• 2000: LL Cool J released the album G.O.A.T., an acronym for "greatest of all time." It lived up to its name, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
• 2010: Lady Gaga shocked fans, paparazzi, and celebrities alike when she showed up to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards in a dress made of raw meat. She took home the award for Video of the Year for "Bad Romance."
• 2017: A benefit concert was held to support victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Performers included Demi Lovato, Dave Matthews, Selena Gomez, and Stevie Wonder.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1987: The syndicated TV show Showtime at the Apollo aired for the first time. This series, which was originally filmed at Harlem's Apollo Theater, featured performances by a string of Top 40 artists, including Natalie Cole, Run-D.M.C., Stephanie Mills, “When a Man Loves a Woman” hitmaker Michael Bolton, and Salt-N-Pepa. Over the years, the show also had various hosts, including Sinbad and Steve Harvey. 
• 1990: Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie announced that they would be leaving Fleetwood Mac at the end of the band's tour. Nicks and McVie both rejoined the group for the 1997 reunion.
• 2003: Johnny Cash died at the age of 71. His nearly five-decade-long music career incorporated country, folk, blues, gospel, and rock. Cash was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
• 2013: Ray Dolby died in San Francisco, California, at 80.  According to sources, he had Alzheimer's disease and leukemia. Born in Oregon in 1933, Dolby is credited with inventing the Dolby noise reduction system, which significantly reduced tape hiss on analog tape cassettes and made them ideal for distributing Top 40 music. Thanks to the Portland native's contributions to audio engineering, he bagged a GRAMMY in 1995.