This Day in Top 40 History: July 14

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1986: Paul McCartney released "Press" from his sixth solo studio album. The synth-heavy song was well-suited for the era, peaking at No. 21 on the Hot 100 chart.
• 1987: Prince released his hit single "U Got the Look" off his double album Sign o' the Times. The song achieved No. 2 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.
• 2009: Owl City released their second studio album, Ocean Eyes, which became certified double-Platinum and received a Billboard Music Award nomination for Dance/Electronic Album of the Year.  The single from this album, "Fireflies," became a viral hit with its electronica-style intro and whimsical lyrics.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1962: Audience members paid just $0.70 to watch The Beatles play their first-ever gig. The newly formed band played in Wales at the Regent Dansette.
• 1969: Bob Dylan surprised the audience at the Mississippi River Rock Festival by joining The Band onstage. He performed three songs in his first public appearance since 1966.
• 1973: During a show at Knott's Berry Farm in California, Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers stormed off the stage to signal the duo was splitting up. Throughout their career, the successful duo had 26 Top 40 hits and 35 Top 100 hits.
• 1988: Michael Jackson kicked off the seven-show U.K. part of his Bad World Tour at Wembley Stadium. The show was part of his 123-show world tour in promotion of Jackson's seventh album, Bad.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1977: The Sex Pistols were featured on BBC's Top of the Pops to perform their hit, "Pretty Vacant." This ended the BBC's ban on the band that was placed a few months prior due to their controversial song, "God Save the Queen."
• 1988: Eleven years after the tragic and sudden death of Elvis Presley, a Nashville, Tennessee, radio station Y107, The Outrageous FM, offered $1 million to anyone who could prove Elvis was still alive. The prize was never claimed.
• 1989: Cyndi Lauper released the music video for "My First Night Without You," a single that stayed in the Top 100 for six weeks. This marked the first time closed-captioning was used in a music video.