It’s June 8th and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 1977, Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta. As a child, he wrote poetry and started rapping. He released mixtapes in 2001 and 2003 and his first album in 2004. His hits include “Gold Digger” ft. Jamie Foxx, “Stronger” and “Heartless.”
- In 2016, Brian May of Queen posted a statement on his website complaining that Donald Trump’s campaign did not have permission to use the band’s “We Are The Champions” at a rally. “Regardless of our views on Mr Trump’s platform, it has always been against our policy to allow Queen music to be used as a political campaigning tool,” he wrote.
- In 1991, Paula Abdul’s sophomore album, Spellbound, goes to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for the first of two weeks. It includes “Rush, Rush,” which will spend five weeks at No. 1, and “The Promise of a New Day,” which will top the chart for one week.
- In 1991, Bruce Springsteen married Patti Scialfa in a private ceremony at their home in Los Angeles. The couple already had a son together and would go on to welcome two more children to their family.
- In 1985, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears For Fears goes to the the top of Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two weeks.
- In 1974, Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” hits No. 1 on the country music chart for the first time. It returned to the top in October 1982. Whitney Houston’s cover of the song spent 14 weeks at No. 1 in 1992-93.
- In 1962, Nicholas James Bates was born in England. As a teen, he and his bandmate John Taylor formed Duran Duran with Stephen Duffy and Simon Colley. Tired of being called Master Bates, he changed his surname to Rhodes. With Duran Duran, his long list of hits includes “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “The Reflex” and with Arcadia his hits include “Election Day.” Rhodes also co-produced the 1983 Kajagoogoo hit “Too Shy.”
And that’s what popped on this day.