This Day in Top 40 History: February 7

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1964: The Supremes release their Motown hit "Run, Run, Run/I'm Giving You Your Freedom." This was their third single from the famous album, Where Did Our Love Go. 
• 1968: The soulful single "Angel of the Morning" by Merrilee Rush was released by Bell Records. Several artists, including Juice Newton, have sung this song and it still holds up as a great ballad. 
• 1976: Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" hits No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart. This was his first solo hit after splitting from Art Garfunkel. 
• 1980: The Sugarhill Gang released their self-titled debut album, which peaked at No. 32 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Among the six tracks from this set was “Rapper's Delight,” which could become the first rap single to crack the Top 40 in the U.S. 
• 1995: Shania Twain issued her sophomore album, The Woman in Me, produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, her now ex-husband. While this record stalled at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, it reached the summit of the Top Country Albums chart. Besides, it delivered four No. 1 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart, including “Any Man of Mine” and “No One Needs to Know.”  

Cultural Milestones 

• 1962: David Bryan was born in New Jersey. He is best known as a founding member of Bon Jovi, who have placed four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. These notable titles include “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Livin' on a Prayer,” and “I'll Be There For You.” 
• 1964: The Beatles arrive in the U.S. for the first time in New York City. When they arrived, they were met by screaming fans and thus, the beginning of Beatlemania in the U.S. 
• 1974: J Dilla was born James Dewitt Yancey in Detroit, Michigan. Before his tragic death in February 2006, he had released multiple hits and worked with big names such as Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, and Janet Jackson.  
• 1994: Whitney Houston won eight American Music Awards for songs she performed for the hit movie The Bodyguard. Houston's "I Will Always Love You" from the Bodyguard soundtrack made her a household name. 
• 2012: Alicia Keys and Nas joined Jay-Z at a charity concert in New York city for the United Way. Jay-Z would raise $3.5M for the United Way and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. 
• 2021: The Weeknd, became the first Canadian solo act to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. The at-the-time mayor of Toronto where The Weeknd hails from, declared Feb. 7 as The Weeknd Day in honor of this milestone event. 

Notable Recordings and Performances 

• 1969: Fan favorite Tom Jones debuts his ABC variety show, This is Tom Jones. The show ran from 1969 to 1971 and was nominated four times for an Emmy and one award, receiving an award for Best Actor in Television under the comedy or musical category. 
• 1979: The Clash played their first concert in the U.S. at California's Berkeley Community Theatre. UK Top 40 singles such as “White Man (In Hammersmith Palais),” “White Riot,” and “Clash City Rockers” were on the setlist.  
• 1980: AC/DC performed their UK Top 30 single “Touch Too Much” on Top of the Pops. This, unfortunately, was the last time they would play a concert with their frontman, Bon Scott, as he passed away 12 days later due to alcohol poisoning.  
• 1986: In New York City, The Rolling Stones filmed the music video for “Harlem Shuffle,” which had peaked at No. 5 and No. 13 in the U.S. and the U.K., respectively. It would become one of the first video clips to feature animation and live action. 
• 1987: Madonna's "Open Your Heart" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was her fourth international release from her True Blue album. 
• 2008: Cher agrees to start a three-year residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, much to the delight of Vegas music organizers. 

Industry Changes and Challenges 

• 1959: Legendary rocker Buddy Holly was buried in Lubbock, Texas, following his death on Feb. 3, 1959, from a plane crash.  
• 1979: Steven Stills from the supergroup Crosby, Stills, and Nash, was one of the first artists to record a song using digital equipment at Record Plant Studio in Los Angeles, California.  
• 1985: Mayor Ed Koch declared Frank Sinatra's “New York, New York,” which had stalled at No. 32 on the Hot 100, the official anthem of New York. This was a huge deal for the New Jersey native, as it recognized his talent. That aside, Koch's decision acknowledged the track's cultural resonance within the City That Never Sleeps. 
• 1995: About a month before dropping his No. 1 album, Me Against The World, Tupac Shakur was sentenced to a minimum of one and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting Ayanna Jackson in a hotel room in New York City. The “Keep Ya Head Up” singer, who was cleared of sodomy and weapons charges, was released on bail after nine months. 
• 2021: Elliot Mazer, who was suffering from dementia, died of a heart attack in San Francisco. He was 79. Mazer produced Neil Young's breakthrough album, Harvest, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and delivered two Top 40 singles, “Old Man” and “Heart of Gold.” He also collaborated with a string of other big names, including Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin.