This Day in Top 40 History: February 14

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1967: Aretha Franklin recorded "Respect” at Atlantic Records in New York City. While Otis Redding first wrote and recorded this song, it was Franklin's version that made it a hit, with this becoming her signature song.
• 1985: Whitney Houston released her self-titled debut album on this day. Houston went on to become one of the top singers and performers of all time, winning several GRAMMY Awards throughout her career.
• 1994: Pavement issued their sophomore album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, featuring hits such as “Cut Your Hair” and “Range Life.” The record reached No. 15 in the U.K. and spent about four weeks on the charts. 
• 2016: Kanye West put out The Life of Pablo, a project that saw him team up with The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, and other big players in the industry. It entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 and spent over 200 weeks on the chart. The set produced a few Top 40 hits, including “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1” and “Famous.”
• 2020: Justin Bieber released his fifth studio album, Changes. It included his collaborations with Quavo, Travis Scott, Post Malone, and Kehlani. This record debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming his seventh chart-topping release in the U.S., and the youngest solo artist to achieve such a feat. It delivered two Top Five hits, “Intentions” and “Yummy.”

Cultural Milestones

• 1939: Razzy Bailey was born to Adella Singleton and Erastus Bailey in Five Points, Alabama. Despite his humble beginnings, Razzy started performing while he was still in high school. He later placed more than 10 Top 10 hits on Billboard's country charts, including “She Left Love All Over Me” and “Midnight Hauler.”
• 1972: GRAMMY award winner Rob Thomas, frontman for the group Matchbox Twenty, was born on this day. He was awarded the first-ever Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004 for his influence on the music industry.
• 1972: Steppenwolf announced they were breaking up on Valentine's Day. Today, fans remember this group for their hard-driving songs such as "Born to Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride." This influential band recorded 13 studio albums during their time together.
• 1992: The fun, satirical movie Wayne's World was released with Mike Myers and Dana Carvey playing TV show hosts Wayne and Garth. Hit songs from this legendary movie include Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Foxy Lady" by Jimi Hendrix.
• 1996: Mayte Garcia and “When Doves Cry” singer Prince exchanged vows at a wedding ceremony held at Park Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis. Only a small group of invited guests witnessed their union. Unfortunately, their marriage didn't survive the loss of their first son, Amiir, only six days after he was born, and a miscarriage, so they divorced in 2000.  
• 1999: “Little Jeannie” singer Elton John appeared in "I'm with Cupid,” the 14th episode of The Simpsons' 10th season, playing himself stuck at Springfield airport.  His part made the list of the animated series' funniest celebrity cameos.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1961: The Beatles played at the Casanova Club in Liverpool, England, for a special Valentine's Day performance. This was their second performance at this club located above Sampson and Barlow's Restaurant. 
• 1970: The Who played at the University of Leeds. The record from this legendary performance, Live at Leeds, became one of the best-selling albums of all time. 
• 1977: Several months after the band's formation, The B-52s played their first live performance during a Valentine's Day party at a friend's residence in Athens, Georgia. This event marked the beginning of a successful run that saw them place multiple Top 40 albums, including Cosmic Thing and Good Stuff, on the Billboard 200.
• 1981: The Funky 4 + 1 sang their UK Top 30 hit “That's The Joint” on NBC's Saturday Night Live, becoming the first rap act to perform on national television. This historic moment introduced hip-hop music to the mainstream American audience.
• 1987: Bon Jovi reached the top of the charts with "Livin' on a Prayer." This song stayed at number one for four straight weeks.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1972: John Lennon and Yoko Ono started cohosting the daytime television show, The Mike Douglas Show. They wanted to share their utopian vision of life and bring counterculture music to the mainstream.
• 1992: Mötley Crüe announced that their frontman, Vince Neil, had officially left the band. They also added that Neil's departure was mainly fueled by his passion for racecar driving, which had overshadowed his love for music. However, the “Dr. Feelgood” hitmakers were also not seeing eye to eye on various aspects of their careers, according to sources. 
• 2002: Mick Tucker, a founding member and drummer of The Sweet, died of leukemia at 54. At the time of his passing, he was receiving treatment at a hospital in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Tucker contributed to The Sweet's over 10 UK Top 40 hits, such as “Little Willy” and “Fox on the Run.”
• 2001: Prince launched his NPG Music Club, named after his New Power Generation band. This subscription-based music club used a software/player download manager for subscribers to access songs.