It’s January 15th and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 1981, Armando Christian Pérez was born in Miami. He broke into the rap music scene in the early 2000s thanks to artists like Lil Jon, Uncle Luke and Lil’ Zane. As Pitbull, he launched a successful career that has spawned hits like “I Know You Want Me,” “Give Me Everything” and “International Love.”
- In 1972, Don McLean's “American Pie” began a four-week run at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The now-iconic song is about the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper.
- In 2013, Bruno Mars released the ballad “When I Was Your Man” as a single. The song was featured on his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox.
- In 2018, singer Dolores O’Riordan, who was at one time married to a Canadian and lived part-time in Ontario, died in a hotel room in London, England. With her band The Cranberries, she had hits like “Linger” and “Zombie.”
- In 1983, Australia’s Men At Work started a three-week run at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Down Under.” The band’s second No. 1 hit (after “Who Can It Be Now?”), the song was bumped out of the top spot for one week by Toto’s “Africa” but returned for a fourth week on the Feb. 12 chart.
- In 1994, Counting Crows had their breakout performance on Saturday Night Live, performing “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here.”
- In 1988, Sonny John Moore was born in Los Angeles. After a run as lead singer of From First to Last, he debuted as Skrillex. A prolific producer and remixer, he has won eight Grammy Awards.
And that’s what popped on this day.