On this day in 1980: ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ by The Boomtown Rats won the best pop song and outstanding British lyric categories at the 25th Ivor Novello Awards. Boomtown Rats lead singer Bob Geldof was inspired to write the song after reading about the tragic shooting spree when 16-year-old Brenda Spencer killed two people and wounded nine others when she fired from her house across the street onto the entrance of San Diego’s Grover Cleveland Elementary School.
On this day in 1981: Adam and the Ants were at #1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Stand And Deliver.’ The song enjoyed a five-week run at #1.
Also on this day in 1981: Sheena Easton was starting her second and final week at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘Morning Train (Nine To Five).’ It would be ranked the 12th biggest song of 1981 by Billboard Magazine on their year end chart.
Here’s a look at the top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1981:
1 1 MORNING TRAIN (Nine To Five) –•– Sheena Easton (EMI-America)-13 (2 weeks at #1) (1)
2 2 JUST THE TWO OF US –•– Grover Washington, Jr. (with Bill Withers) (Elektra)-13 (2)
3 3 BEING WITH YOU –•– Smokey Robinson (Tamla)-13 (3)
4 4 ANGEL OF THE MORNING –•– Juice Newton (Capitol)-12 (4)
5 7 BETTE DAVIS EYES –•– Kim Carnes (EMI-America)-7 (5)
6 5 KISS ON MY LIST –•– Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA)-16 (1)
7 12 TAKE IT ON THE RUN –•– REO Speedwagon (Epic)-8 (7)
8 9 LIVING INSIDE MYSELF –•– Gino Vannelli (Arista)-8 (8)
9 18 SUKIYAKI –•– A Taste Of Honey (Capitol)-10 (9)
10 10 I CAN’T STAND IT –•– Eric Clapton and His Band (RSO)-11 (10)
11 11 HER TOWN TOO –•– James Taylor and J.D. Souther (Columbia)-9 (11)
12 15 TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS –•– Styx (A&M)-8 (12)
13 17 WATCHING THE WHEELS –•– John Lennon (Geffen)-7 (13)
14 6 RAPTURE –•– Blondie (Chrysalis)-15 (1)
15 8 WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE –•– Steve Winwood (Island)-14 (7)
16 20 SWEETHEART –•– Franke and the Knockouts (Millennium)-10 (16)
17 19 AIN’T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT –•– John Cougar (Riva)-15 (17)
18 21 YOU BETTER YOU BET –•– The Who (Warner Brothers)-8 (18)
19 23 HOW ‘BOUT US –•– Champaign (Columbia)-13 (19)
20 25 A WOMAN NEEDS LOVE (Just Like You Do) –•– Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio (Arista)-10 (20)
On this day in 1987: The Cutting Crew were starting their second and final week at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight.’ It would go on to be ranked the #32 song for the entire year of 1987 by Billboard magazine on their year end chart.
Here’s a look at the top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1987:
1 1 (I Just) DIED IN YOUR ARMS: Cutting Crew (Virgin)-10 (1) (2 Weeks at #1)
2 2 LOOKING FOR A NEW LOVE –•– Jody Watley (MCA)-10 (2)
3 6 WITH OR WITHOUT YOU –•– U2 (Island)-8 (3)
4 4 LA ISLA BONITA –•– Madonna (Sire)-8 (4)
5 3 DON’T DREAM IT’S OVER –•– Crowded House (Capitol)-17 (2)
6 5 SIGN ‘O’ THE TIMES –•– Prince (Paisley Park)-10 (3)
7 13 HEAT OF THE NIGHT –•– Bryan Adams (A&M)-7 (7)
8 16 THE LADY IN RED –•– Chris DeBurgh (A&M)-13 (8)
9 18 BIG LOVE –•– Fleetwood Mac (Warner Brothers)-7 (9)
10 7 I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING FOR ME –•– Aretha Franklin & George Michael (Arista)-12 (1)
11 19 TALK DIRTY TO ME –•– Poison (Enigma)-9 (11)
12 14 WHAT’S GOING ON –•– Cyndi Lauper (Portrait)-9 (12)
13 8 THE FINER THINGS –•– Steve Winwood (Island)-14 (8)
14 23 YOU KEEP ME HANGIN’ ON –•– Kim Wilde (MCA)-7 (14)
15 20 RIGHT ON TRACK –•– Breakfast Club (MCA)-9 (15)
16 21 NOTHING’S GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU –•– Glenn Medeiros (Amherst)-13 (16)
17 26 ALWAYS –•– Atlantic Starr (Warner Brothers)-7 (17)
18 24 I KNOW WHAT I LIKE –•– Huey Lewis & The News (Chrysalis)-6 (18)
19 10 STONE LOVE –•– Kool & The Gang (Mercury)- 14 (10)
20 9 NOTHING’S GONNA STOP US NOW –•– Starship (Grunt)-15 (1)
