This Day in Top 40 History: February 28
For the last day of the month, Feb. 28 had amazing performances, awards, and interesting legal challenges for artists and musicians in the Top 40 genre. Simon & Garfunkel’s Paul Simon as a solo artist had major hits, Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” hit No. 1, and Boy George from the Culture Club faced difficult legal challenges.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Many songs we still hear on the radio and sing along to, were released or won awards on Feb. 28, including:
- 1976: Paul Simon won a Grammy for the Best Album of the Year with Still Crazy After All These Years. This award came after his split from Art Garfunkel as the duo Simon & Garfunkel.
- 1989: The Indio Girls released their monumental album Closer to Fine. Key songs from this album include “Closer to Fine,” “History of Us,” and “Tried to Be True.”
- 1995: Singer Jewel released her debut album Pieces of You. This album had massive hit songs, including “Who Will Save Your Soul” and “You Were Meant For Me.”
Cultural Milestones
Milestone hits have made an impact on our culture and future musicians, including:
- 1979: Simon & Garfunkel’s song “Bridge Over Troubled Water” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, where it remained for six weeks. This song is one of the most well-known Simon & Garfunkel tunes.
- 1998: Celine Dion’s hit “My Heart Will Go On” from the movie Titanic hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in a 16-week run. In 1998, this powerful song won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards and gets played on the radio to this day.
- 2019: Juice WRLD played at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin. Hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj joined Juice WRLD on this tour.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Feb. 28 had recording and performance highlights:
- 1984: Cyndi Lauper won Best New Artist at the 27th Grammy Awards. The award was presented to her by Ray Davies from The Kinks.
- 2016: Singer Sam Smith beat Lady Gaga for Best Original Song at the Oscars for “Writing’s On the Wall.” This song was from the James Bond movie, “Spectre.”
- 2023: Lizzo played at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin. Included in her setlist were “The Sign,” “Grrrls,” and “If You Love Me.”
Industry Changes and Challenges
Musicians who are in the spotlight often face legal and cultural challenges:
- 2008: Frontman of Culture Club, Boy George, pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment charges. He was freed on bail.
- 2012: Malaysia canceled singer Erykah Badu’s show, supposedly over her tattoo displaying the Arabic word for Allah.
As we say goodbye to Feb. 28, we realize how important live performances are for the social and cultural impact they have. Award-winning songs that stay on the charts get played time and again and fill our hearts and souls with emotions that linger on.
