This Day in Top 40 History: August 14

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1965: "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher hit No. 1 on the charts. Loosely inspired by Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe," the song stayed in the top spot for three weeks.
• 1971: Widely regarded as one of the greatest rock records of all time, The Who released Who's Next. The album peaked at No. 4 on the charts and was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2007.
• 1993: Freddie Mercury reached No. 1 with a remix of his 1985 solo "Living on My Own." This accomplishment came two years after Mercury's untimely death.

Cultural Milestones

• 1956: DJ Bob Rickman created The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Elvis Presley to counter the negative criticism Presley was receiving at the time. The Society didn't last long, however, since it was mostly a performative show of support for The King.
• 2017: Pantone released a new color in honor of Prince, who had died in 2016. The bright purple color was dubbed "Love #2."

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1994: Bob Dylan performed on the final day of Woodstock '94. He sang many of his biggest hits, including "It Ain't Me Babe" and "Just Like A Woman."
• 1999: The Backstreet Boys sold over 700,000 tickets for their North American tour in just one day. Into the Millennium was the group's fourth tour.
• 2019: The 1975's frontman Matt Healy kissed a male fan on the lips during a concert in Dubai. Healey did this to protest the UAE's anti-LGBTQ+ laws, since homosexuality is illegal in Dubai.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1985: Michael Jackson purchased the publishing rights to over 250 songs written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon from ATV. Jackson bought the catalog for $47.5 million.
• 1989: Bon Jovi's album New Jersey was released in the Soviet Union after a local record label paid the band with a truckload of firewood. New Jersey was the first U.S. album legally released in the country.
• 2017: Taylor Swift won a wrongful termination lawsuit against former DJ David Mueller after she countersued for battery and sexual assault. Swift only demanded $1 in damages and stated that the lawsuit was important for helping other women speak up.