It’s January 20th and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 2011, New Kids on the Block member Jonathan Knight was outed on TV by pop star Tiffany. During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, she was asked if she ever dated anyone from NKOTB. “The quiet one. The shy one. He became gay later," Tiffany replied. “I didn't do it! But he's fabulous.” She later apologized on Twitter. “Never meant to hurt Jon,” she wrote.
- In 2002, Sting won his first Golden Globe for his song “Until” from movie Kate & Leopold. The singer had been nominated twice before. “Until” was also up for an Oscar but lost.
- In 1983, Def Leppard released their third studio album Pyromania. Produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange, the album reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold more than 10 million copies.
- In 1971, Gary Barlow was born in England. Inspired by seeing Depeche Mode perform on TV, he pursued a music career. He became a member of Take That, which had hits like “Patience” and “Back for Good.” Barlow enjoyed success as a solo artist.
- In 2006, High School Musical premiered on the Disney Channel to an estimated 7.7 million viewers. It made stars out of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens and its soundtrack was the top-selling album of the year.
- 1998, NSYNC released their debut single, “I Want You Back” from their first album. The song, which was given to NSYNC only after Backstreet Boys were unable to record it, peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- In 1971, Diana Ross married Bob Silberstein in Las Vegas. They divorced in 1977 after having two children together – including Tracee Ellis Ross of TV’s Black-ish.
And that’s what popped on this day.