On this day in 1986: Judas Priest were sued by two families, alleging that the band was responsible for their sons forming a suicide pact and shooting themselves after listening to Judas Priest records. The parents and their legal team alleged that a subliminal message of ‘do it’ had been included in the Judas Priest song ‘Better By You, Better Than Me’ from the Stained Class album and alleged the command in the song triggered the suicide attempt. The trial lasted from July 16 to August 24 1990, when the suit was dismissed.
On this day in 1988: Will To Power went to #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird.”
The song combines elements of two previously recorded rock songs: “Baby, I Love Your Way” a #12 hit from 1976 by British rocker Peter Frampton and “Free Bird” by American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, a song that reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975.
The medley spent one week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, starting on December 3, 1988. It also peaked at #2 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart. Internationally, the song topped the Norwegian singles chart for seven weeks, spent a week at #1 in Canada, and reached the top 20 in Australia, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
Here’s a look at the complete Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1988:
1 2 BABY, I LOVE YOUR WAY/FREEBIRD –•– Will To Power – 13 (1)
2 6 LOOK AWAY –•– Chicago – 11 (2)
3 4 HOW CAN I FALL? –•– Breathe – 13 (3)
4 7 I DON’T WANT YOUR LOVE –•– Duran Duran – 8 (4)
5 3 DESIRE –•– U2 – 10 (3)
6 9 GIVING YOU THE BEST THAT I GOT –•– Anita Baker – 11 (6)
7 12 WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL –•– Boy Meets Girl – 13 (7)
8 1 BAD MEDICINE –•– Bon Jovi – 11 (1)
9 5 KISSING A FOOL –•– George Michael – 9 (5)
10 16 EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN –•– Poison – 6 (10)
11 14 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE –•– Guns N’ Roses – 7 (11)
12 15 WALK ON WATER –•– Eddie Money – 10 (12)
13 18 MY PREROGATIVE –•– Bobby Brown – 7 (13)
14 17 THE PROMISE –•– When In Rome – 14 (14)
15 8 WILD, WILD WEST –•– The Escape Club – 16 (1)
16 11 KOKOMO –•– The Beach Boys – 14 (1)
17 22 FINISH WHAT YA STARTED –•– Van Halen – 10 (17)
18 21 DOMINO DANCING –•– Pet Shop Boys – 9 (18)
19 10 THE LOCO-MOTION –•– Kylie Minoque – 15 (3)
20 26 IN YOUR ROOM –•– The Bangles – 8 (20)
