It’s May 16th and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 1966, Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana. The youngest of the musical Jackson children, she went on to become an actress and a successful pop star with hits like “Together Again,” “Nasty,” and “That’s the Way Love Goes.”
- In 1983, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever aired on NBC. The special, taped in March, marked the broadcast debut of Michael Jackson’s “moonwalk” move during his performance of “Billie Jean.”
- In 1987, U2’s “With Or Without You,” co-produced by Canada’s Daniel Lanois, started a three-week run at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first No. 1 hit in the U.S. for the band and also topped the chart in Canada.
- In 2000, Britney Spears released her sophomore album, Oops!… I Did It Again. It included tracks like “Stronger” and “Lucky” as well as a cover of The Rolling Stones classic “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and a recording of “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know” co-written by Canada’s Shania Twain.
- In 1981, Kim Carnes was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Bette Davis Eyes.” The song topped the chart for eight more non-consecutive weeks.
- In 2013, George Michael suffered minor injuries in a strange incident in London. The pop star reportedly fell out of the passenger seat of a Range Rover.
- In 1984, Prince released “When Doves Cry” as the lead single from the Purple Rain soundtrack. The song, which is notable for not having a bass line, went to No. 1 in the U.S. for five weeks beginning in July.
And that’s what popped on this day.