On this day in 1982: The Jam became the first band since The Beatles to play two numbers on the same edition of Top Of The Pops when they performed ‘A Town Called Malice’, and ‘Precious’.
Also on this day in 1982: The marble slab was stolen from the grave of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s singer Ronnie Van Zant, police found it two weeks later in a dried up river bed.
On this day in 1989: The Brit Awards were hosted by Samantha Fox and Mick Fleetwood and just about everything went wrong – lines were flubbed and bands were miscued onto the stage. Winners included Phil Collins who won Best British Male Solo Artist, Best British Female Solo Artist went to Annie Lennox, Erasure won Best British Group, Best British Album went to Fairground Attraction for ‘First Of A Million Kisses’, British Breakthrough Act was Bros, Michael Jackson won International Male, International Female went to Tracey Chapman and U2 won Best International Group. This was the last year the show was broadcast live.
Here’s a look at the Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1989:
1 2 STRAIGHT UP –•– Paula Abdul – 11 (1)
2 1 WHEN I’M WITH YOU –•– Sheriff – 19 (1)
3 5 WILD THING –•– Tone Loc – 11 (3)
4 4 BORN TO BE MY BABY –•– Bon Jovi – 12 (4)
5 3 WHEN THE CHILDREN CRY –•– White Lion – 15 (3)
6 9 ALL THIS TIME –•– Tiffany – 15 (6)
7 12 THE LOVER IN ME –•– Sheena Easton – 15 (7)
8 11 I WANNA HAVE SOME FUN –•– Samantha Fox – 14 (8)
9 14 SHE WANTS TO DANCE WITH ME –•– Rick Astley – 9 (9)
10 15 WALKING AWAY –•– Information Society – 12 (10)
11 16 WHAT I AM –•– Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians – 12 (11)
12 21 LOST IN YOUR EYES –•– Debbie Gibson – 4 (12)
13 7 THE WAY YOU LOVE ME –•– Karyn White – 18 (7)
14 17 ANGEL OF HARLEM –•– U2 – 9 (14)
15 18 YOU GOT IT (THE RIGHT STUFF) –•– New Kids On The Block – 13 (15)
16 20 SURRENDER TO ME –•– Ann Wilson & Robin Zander – 8 (16)
17 19 DIAL MY HEART –•– The Boys – 10 (17)
18 6 ARMAGEDDON IT –•– Def Leppard – 13 (3)
19 8 DON’T RUSH ME –•– Taylor Dayne – 15 (2)
20 23 A LITTLE RESPECT –•– Erasure – 10 (20)
