On this day in 1982: Billy Joel was reported to be in ”quite good” condition after major surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. The singer broke his left wrist when his 1978 Harley Davidson hit a car on Long Island, New York. The hospital switchboard was jammed with calls from his fans, and Joel issued a plea through a spokesman that the calls cease because they were ”tying up lines for those people who are really sick.”
On this day in 1989: The Fine Young Cannibals went to #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “She Drives Me Crazy.” The song was included on their album “The Raw and the Cooked.”
Peaking at #5 on the UK singles chart in January 1989, “She Drives Me Crazy” is the band’s highest charting single in their native UK. The single proved an even bigger hit in the U.S, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on April 15, 1989 for one week and becoming the first of two chart-topping singles for the band on that chart. “She Drives Me Crazy” also reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music Club Play Singles chart, as well as #1 in several countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, New Zealand and Spain. It also reached the top 3 on several European charts including Belgium, Germany, Iceland, Ireland and Switzerland.
It would be ranked the #18 song for the entire year of 1989 in the U.S. by Billboard Magazine.
Here’s a look at the complete Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1989:
1 4 SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY –•– Fine Young Cannibals – 12 (1)
2 1 THE LOOK –•– Roxette – 10 (1)
3 5 LIKE A PRAYER –•– Madonna – 5 (3)
4 2 ETERNAL FLAME –•– The Bangles – 11 (1)
5 3 GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE –•– Milli Vanilli – 15 (2)
6 6 STAND –•– R.E.M. – 13 (6)
7 10 FUNKY COLD MEDIA –•– Tone Loc – 7 (7)
8 11 SUPERWOMAN –•– Karyn White – 12 (8)
9 12 YOU GOT IT –•– Roy Orbison – 13 (9)
10 13 YOUR MAMA DON’T DANCE –•– Poison – 9 (10)
11 16 I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU –•– Bon Jovi – 7 (11)
12 15 HEAVEN HELP ME –•– Deon Estus – 8 (12)
13 8 DREAMIN’ –•– Vanessa Williams – 15 (8)
14 18 SECOND CHANCE –•– .38 Special – 10 (14)
15 20 ROCKET –•– Def Leppard – 7 (15)
16 19 ROOM TO MOVE –•– Animotion – 9 (16)
17 7 MY HEART CAN’T TELL YOU NO –•– Rod Stewart – 19 (4)
18 21 SINCERELY YOURS –•– Sweet Sensation & Romeo J.D – 11 (18)
19 23 THINKING OF YOU –•– Sa-Fire – 11 (19)
20 26 AFTER ALL –•– Cher & Peter Cetera – 6 (20)