This Day in Top 40 History: February 6

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1958: A young George Harrison joins the group The Quarrymen with John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The Quarrymen eventually became The Beatles, changing the sound and vibe of early rock and roll.
• 1982: German group Kraftwerk's single, "The Model/Computer Love" reached No. 1 on the UK charts, the first German band to hit #1, where it stayed on the UK charts for 21 weeks.
• 1988: Dusty Springfield pairs with the Pet Shop Boys in a duet of the song "What I've Done to Deserve This." The song hit No. 2 in the U.S. and UK.
• 2003: 50 Cent released his debut studio album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', featuring guest vocals from Eminem, Destiny's Child, and Snoop Dogg. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and delivered some of his biggest hits. These include “21 Questions” and “In Da Club,” which both reached No. 1 on the Hot 100. 
• 2007: Bloc Party launched A Weekend in the City, their sophomore album, in the U.S. This was a day after issuing the record in the U.K., where it stalled at No. 2. The set also produced UK Top 40 singles such as “The Prayer,” “Hunting for Witches,” and “I Still Remember.”
• 2007: Fall Out Boy put out their third studio album, Infinity on High. It became the band's first record to reach the summit of the Billboard 200. Even better, it spawned two Top 40 hits in the U.S., “This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race” and "Thnks fr th Mmrs.”

Cultural Milestones

• 1943: Crooner Frank Sinatra made his radio debut with "Your Hit Parade." During Sinatra's long career, he became known as one of the biggest names in the music industry.
• 1945: Bob Marley is born in Jamacia. Marley introduced reggae to the mainstream and subsequently, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 in honor of his contribution to reggae music's influence on future musicians.
• 1966: The Animals appeared for the fifth time on the Ed Sullivan Show and performed their war protest song, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." 
• 1993: Tinashe was born in Lexington, Kentucky. She started her musical journey as a member of The Stunners. After the group was disbanded, she launched her solo career, which has seen her place multiple Top 40 singles on Billboard charts. Tinashe's “2 On” and “Nasty,” for instance, stalled at No. 5 and No. 15 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, respectively. 
• 2014: NME released its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, placing Nirvana's “Smells Like Teen Spirit” at the top. The track, which had peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100, was lauded for its cultural significance and role in popularizing grunge. By topping the British magazine's list of the best hits, it surpassed songs such as Queen's “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Bob Dylan's “Like a Rolling Stone.”
• 2018: Ozzy Osbourne announced his No More Tours 2 tour that would see him perform in different parts of North America. This was a follow-up to his first 1992 farewell tour, No More Tours. The “Under the Graveyard” hitmaker also shared that despite his final trek, he was open to one-off shows in the future.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1953: Perry Como, the easy-listening crooner with a six-decade career, and his group The Rumblers had "Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes" become a hit on the newly-formed UK Singles chart.
• 1982: The J Geils Band lands "Centerfold" No. 1 in the U.S. and has a six-week run. 
• 2002: Janet Jackson set the stage on fire at Uniondale's Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New York. The “That's The Way Love Goes” hitmaker was on the All for You Tour, which supported her 2001 chart-topping album of the same name.
• 2007: Performer Kylie Minogue's stage costumes and awards go on display at the Victor and Albert Museum in London, England, to showcase her evolving style.
• 2019: Twenty One Pilots delivered an exciting performance in Helsinki, Finland, at the Jäähalli while on the Bandito Tour. The setlist for this concert featured more than 20 tracks, including their Top Five hits, “Stressed Out,” “Heathens,” and “Ride.”

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1987: Sonny Bono from the duo Sonny and Cher runs for mayor of Palm Springs, California. Republican Bono also became a member of Congress. The transition from pop star to politician is a major change.
• 1990: Singer Billy Idol almost loses his leg in a serious motorcycle accident. Idol was slated to play the villain T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day when his accident happened. Instead, Robert Patrick landed the role in this now iconic movie, rocketing Patrick's acting career.
• 1998: Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys died of lung cancer at 51. He was best known for singing lead on the band's “Good Vibrations” and “Kokomo.” Both songs hit No. 1 on the Hot 100. As a solo artist, he scored one Top 20 single on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, “Heaven.”
• 2001: Don Felder, former guitarist for the Eagles, gets a phone call that the band has decided to drop him and shortly after, he received his final termination notice. Felder filed a lawsuit against Eagles members Don Henley and Glen Frey, and they filed a lawsuit against Felder, eventually settling out of court.