This Day in Top 40 History: February 22
On February 22, 1974, James Blunt was born in Wiltshire, England. As a child, he started mastering musical instruments such as the piano, violin, and guitar. In 1996, he put…
On February 22, 1974, James Blunt was born in Wiltshire, England. As a child, he started mastering musical instruments such as the piano, violin, and guitar. In 1996, he put his musical dreams on the back burner to join the British Army, but left in 2002 to pursue them. A few years later, he landed his biggest hit, “You're Beautiful,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100.
Blunt shares his birthday with many others, including Tom Higgenson of “Hey There Delilah” hitmakers Plain White T's and Brandy Nowell, who was the frontman of Sublime.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Many music lovers enjoy these notable Top 40 singles from February 22:
- 2008: Usher released “Love in This Club,” which was from his fifth studio LP, Here I Stand. This song featured guest vocals from Jeezy. Although it debuted at No. 83 on the Hot 100, it eventually made it to the top and spent 25 weeks on the chart. This hit topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as well.
- 2012: Usher launched “Climax,” the lead single from Looking 4 Myself, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The track reached No. 17 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on the U.K. Singles chart. In 2013, it earned Usher the award for Best R&B Performance at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.
Cultural Milestones
February 22 has witnessed the birthday of another distinguished member of the music community and seen The Beatles travel to work on one of their projects.
- 1923: Norman “Hurricane” Smith was born in Edmonton, England. His most notable hit was “Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?” which cracked the Top Five in both the U.K. and the U.S. Before Smith started singing, he worked as The Beatles' first recording engineer at EMI Records. He was also a producer for The Dark Side of the Moon artists Pink Floyd.
- 1965: At London Airport, more than a thousand fans see off “Can't Buy Me Love” hitmakers The Beatles as they head to the Bahamas to film their second feature film, Help!
- 1989: At California's Shrine Auditorium, Metallica became the first metal band to grace the stage as performers during the GRAMMY Awards ceremony. They played their Top 40 hit “One,” which won them a GRAMMY in 1990.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Changes and challenges from February 22 include:
- 1963: The Beatles established Northern Songs Ltd, their publishing company. “The Way You Make Me Feel” singer Michael Jackson would later buy it as well as the rights to the band's catalog, creating tension between him and his friend, Paul McCartney. It wasn't until 2017 that the latter got control of his share of the publishing rights.
- 2016: Sonny James passed away at 87. He dominated the country scene for nearly two decades, placing up to 36 Top 10 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, including No. 1 singles “Empty Arms” and “I'll Never Find Another You.”
After hosting these Top 40 history events, February 22 remains an unforgettable date for many music enthusiasts.
