This Day in Top 40 History: April 22

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1985: Prince issued Around the World in a Day, his seventh studio effort, and his second with The Revolution. The album dominated the Billboard 200 for several weeks and topped charts in other regions as well, including Sweden. Additionally, this record spawned a few Top 40 hits on Billboard's Hot 100, such as “Pop Life” and “Raspberry Beret.”
• 1997: Mary J. Blige released Share My World, her third studio LP.  It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as well. The project also delivered multiple successful singles, including “Everything” and “I Can Love You.” 
• 2017: Lady Gaga, Bon Iver, and The Head and the Heart were among the major draws at Coachella on April 22. Fans also enjoyed Gucci Mane, ScHoolboy Q, and Two Door Cinema Club.
• 2018: Eminem, ODESZA, and Cardi B were the top performers on this day. Other popular performers included Vance Joy, King Krule, and Kamasi Washington.
• 2022: Harry Styles, Lil Baby, and Phoebe Bridgers headlined Coachella on April 22. Fans also enjoyed singing and dancing to NIKI, Baby Keem, and Lane 8.
• 2023: ROSALÍA, Kid LAROI, and boygenius headlined the festival. Other notable performers on April 22 included Eric Prydz, Underworld, and Kenny Beats.

Cultural Milestones

• 1969: John Lennon dropped his middle name “Winston” and took on “Ono”, making his full name “John Ono Lennon.” According to sources, the “Nobody Told Me” singer was never fond of “Winston,” a name his parents gave him to honor Winston Churchill, the prime minister of the U.K. at the time. Adopting his wife Yoko Ono's last name was a sign of their shared commitment and love. The couple shared one son, Sean Lennon. 
• 1972: The first Human Kindness Day was held to honor singer Roberta Flack, who had graduated from Howard University. Around 25,000 people attended the event to hear the singer of "If Ever I Saw Your Face." Unfortunately, chaotic scenes in 1974 ultimately led to the event's demise.
• 1978: Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi made their debut on Saturday Night Live (SNL), performing as The Blues Brothers. By the end of that year, the duo's “Soul Man” would break into Billboard's Hot 100 and climb to No. 14 by February 1979, making it their first U.S. Top 40 hit. Other songs that would join that list include “Gimme Some Lovin'” and “Who's Making Love.”
• 1990: Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) was born Richard Colson Baker in Houston, Texas. Inspired by DMX, Ludacris, and Eminem's music, MGK was dead-set on joining the hip-hop world since he was young. In 2016, he collaborated with Camila Cabello on “Bad Things,” which would become his first Top 10 hit in the U.S. In the years that followed, MGK achieved more, such as “Rap Devil” and “Lonely Road.”
• 2022: Billie Eilish, Bon Iver, and other musicians launched the U.S. chapter of the Music Declares Emergency initiative, releasing a music industry sustainability guide.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1969: Brother and sister duo Richard and Karen Carpenter signed with A&M Records on April 22. The Carpenters are still among the best-selling legacy acts, with songs such as "Close to You" and "Top of the World." Sadly, Karen Carpenter died in 1983, aged 32, due to complications of anorexia nervosa.
• 1999: Sinéad O'Connor was ordained into the priesthood in Lourdes, France, becoming the Latin Tridentine Church's first female priest. She would then earn her new religious name, “Mother Bernadette Marie.” However, O'Connor later walked away from the priesthood, claiming she wanted to avoid trouble. In 2018, the “Nothing Compares 2 U” hitmaker revealed that she had converted to Islam and went by “Shuhada Davitt.”
• 2008: Paul Davis died of a heart attack in Meridian, Mississippi. This was only a day after commemorating his 60th birthday. Davis was known for his versatility, which enabled him to release hits across multiple genres, including pop, rock, and country. Among them were “'65 Love Affair” and “I Go Crazy,” which cracked the Top 10 on Billboard charts.
• 2019: Fans of pop diva Britney Spears protested in front of a treatment center where fans believed she was being held against her will. Loyal fans held signs such as “Free Britney” and “Truth Will Set Her Free,”  even though Spears supposedly checked into the rehab center herself. 
• 2013: Singer-songwriter Richie Havens died on April 22, aged 72. While not a traditional Top 40 singer, Havens is known for his opening performance at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969 and his hit "Here Comes the Sun," which reached the Billboard Hot 100.