It’s December 7th and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 1974, Nicole Marie Appleton was born in Hamilton, Ont. to a Canadian father and British mother. After a stint in Toronto, she moved to London, where she and sister Natalie Appleton joined All Saints. The group had hits like “I Know Where It’s At” and “Never Ever.” Nicole also had a six-year marriage to Oasis brother Liam Gallagher, with whom she had a son.
- In 1986, pop rock band Huey Lewis and the News did an a cappella version of the U.S. national anthem before a San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Jets game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
- In 1985, Mr Mister’s “Broken Wings” started a two-week run at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The lead single from their second album, it also went to the top of the chart in Canada.
- In 2003, Mary J. Blige married her manager, Martin “Kendu" Isaacs. In a 2014 interview, the singer admitted there was a downside to having a professional and personal relationship. “There’s no separation – it’s on all the time,” said Blige. “When you don’t feel like answering to your manager, he’s still your husband.” She filed for divorce in 2016.
- In 1991, U2 went to No.1 on the Billboard 200 album charts with Achtung Baby, their seventh studio album. Co-produced by Hamilton, Ont. native Daniel Langlois, it included hits like “One” and “Even Better Than The Real Thing.”
- In 1987, Aaron Charles Carter was born in Tampa, Florida. At the age of seven he was in a band called Dead End. At 10, he made his solo debut by covering The Jets hit “Crush On You” at a concert by his big brother Nick Carter’s group Backstreet Boys. Carter went on to have pop hits like “Aaron’s Party” and “I Want Candy” (the video for which was shot in Toronto).
- In 1991, Michael Jackson’s “Black Or White” started a seven-week run at the top of the U.S. singles chart. It was knocked off by Color Me Badd’s “All 4 Love.”
And that’s what popped on this day.