35 Years Ago - 1990 The Simpsons Sing the Blues was released. It was a hit!! The Simpsons started in 1989 as a full-fledged show after shorts were aired on The Tracy Ullman Show. "Do the Bartman" made #24 on the Hot 100. That is Michael Jackson on backing vocals.. "Deep, Deep Trouble" made #69

35 Years Ago - 1990 Enigma released their debut album MCMXC a.D . (that's 1990 in Roman numerals) The album combines new-age music with dance rhythms, Gregorian chant and themes of religion and sexuality, and spawned two US singles. "Sadeness (Part I)" peaked at #5, #6 Modern Rock Tracks, #67 R&B, #1 Club. "Mea Culpa (Part II)" made #7 Club.

40 Years Ago - on this day 1985, Sheila E had the #1 Dance Song "A Love Bizarre." The song made its debut in the movie Krush Groove. It also peaked at #11 and #2 R&B.

45 Years Ago - This date in 1980 the #1 Dance Song was "Shoot Your Best Shot" by Linda Clifford. It stayed there for four weeks and made #43 on the R&B chart. It was co-written and produced by Isaac Hayes.

25 Years Ago - 2000 Backstreet Boys released their fourth album Black & Blue. The album sold 1.5 million in its first week of release, as was the boy band strength at the time. "Shape of My Heart" peaked at #9, #2 AC, and #8 Pop Airplay. "The Call" made #53 and #19 Pop Airplay. "More than That" made #27, #6 AC, #14 Pop Airplay.

25 Years Ago - 2000 Ricky Martin released his sixth album Sound Loaded. "She Bangs" is a cover of William Hung's song he made famous on American Idol. Ummm..no..Ricky's was first and peaked at #12, #1 Latin, #8 Pop Airplay and Top 40 Tracks, #30 Rhythmic, #27 Club. "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" is a duet with Christina Aguilera and made #13, #3 AC, #27 Adult Pop Airplay, #8 Pop Airplay, #20 Rhythmic, #10 Top 40 Tracks. "Loaded" made #97.

25 Years Ago - 2000 Fat Boy Slim released his third album Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars. A masterpiece of great vocal work and reworking samples. "Sunset (Bird of Prey)" samples Jim Morrison's vocals and made #35 Club. "Star 69" released as a double-A side with "Weapon of Choice," which made #33 Alternative Airplay. It featured Bootsy Collins on vocals and the amazing video with Christopher Walken winning the Grammy for Best Music Video.

35 Years Ago - 1990 Ralph Tresvant released his debut self-titled solo album. Stepping out of New Edition, the album released three singles. "Sensitivity" made #4, #1 R&B, #19 Club. "Stone Cold Gentleman" featured a rap with Bobby Brown and made #34 and #3 R&B. "Do What I Gotta Do" peaked at #2 R&B

45 Years Ago - 1980 Blondie released their fifth album Autoamerican. "The Tide Is High" is a cover of the Jamaican group The Paragons' song and peaked at #1 Hot 100 and Club, #3 AC. "Rapture" was the first number-one single in the United States to feature rap vocals. It also hit #1 Club, #33 R&B/Hip Hop, #35 Mainstream Rock. An absolute stellar album. Relisten to this now!

40 Years Ago - 1985 Dionne Warwick released her album Friends. The album features one of the true definition of schmaltz, "That's What Friends Are For." First recorded by Rod Stewart in 1982 for the Night Shift Soundtrack, Dionne sang with (her friends) Elton JOhn, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder. It was released as a chairty single for AIDS research, and won the Grammys for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Song of the Year. Schmaltzy as it is, it did

45 Years Ago - 1980 REO Speedwagon released their ninth album Hi Infidelity. It spent 15 weeks at #1. "Keep On Loving You" peaked at #1 and #9 AC. "Take It on the Run" made #5 and #6 AC. "Don't Let Him Go" peaked at #24 and #11 Mainstream Rock. "In Your Letter" made #20 and #26 AC.

45 Years Ago - 1980 Steely Dan released their seventh album Gaucho. It won a Grammy for Best Engineered Recording Non-Classical. (no surprise as they are obsessed with perfectionism.) They did not release another studio album until 2000. "Hey Nineteen" (..That's 'Retha Franklin, She don't remember the queen of soul) peaked at #10, #11 AC, #68 R&B. "Time Out of Mind" made #22 and #13 AC.

45 Years Ago - 1980 Rod Stewart released his tenth album Foolish Behaviour. "Passion" peaked at #5 and #65 R&B. "Somebody Special" made #71. The video to another song on the album, "She Won't Dance With Me", was the third video to be played on MTV.

45 Years Ago - 1980 J ohn Lennon & Yoko Ono released their fifth album Double Fantasy. The album was released three weeks before his murder, which made the album a worldwide success. It won the Grammy for Album of the Year. "(Just Like) Starting Over" peaked at #1 and #17 AC. "Woman" made #2, and #4 AC. "Watching the Wheels" made #10 and #6 AC. If only we could forget the Yoko songs.

40 Years Ago - 1985 Arcadia released their only album So Red the Rose. This was a spin-off group from Duran Duran with Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor. "Election Day" peaked at #6 and #29 Club "Goodbye Is Forever" made #33.

40 Years Ago - 1985 Stevie Nicks released her third album Rock a Little . "Talk to Me" peaked at #4, #14 AC, #1 Mainstream Rock. "I Can't Wait" made #16, #26 Mainstream Rock, #26 Club. "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You?" made #60, #31 AC.

40 Years Ago - 1985 LL Cool J released his debut album Radio. "I Can't Live Without My Radio" made #15 R&B/Hip Hop "You'll Rock" made #59 R&B/Hip Hop. "Rock the Bells" made #17 R&B/Hip Hop and #35 Club. 30 Years Ago - 1995 LL Cool J released his sixth album Mr. Smith. "Hey Lover" featuring Boyz II Men peaked at #3 Hot 100 and R&B/Hip Hop, #1 Rap, #2 Rhythmic Airplay. "Doin' It" made #9, #7 R&B/Hip Hop, #2 Rap, #17 Rhythmic. "Loungin" made #3, #4 R&B/Hip Hop, #1 Rap, #4 Rhy

45 Years Ago - 1980 Neil Diamond released the Soundtrack to his movie The Jazz Singer. The film's reviews were negative, earning Diamond the first Razzie for Worst Actor at the 1st Golden Raspberry Awards, but made a modest profit at the box office. The soundtrack on the other hand was a smash. "Love on the Rocks" peaked at #2 and #3 AC. "Hello Again" made #6 and #3 AC. "America" made #8 and #1 AC.

It’s compilation album day for Madonna. 35 Years Ago - 1990 Madonna released her first greatest hits package The Immaculate Collection. Fifteen songs in chronological order. The two new songs. "Justify My Love" co-written with Lenny Kravitz and Ingrid Chavez. The video was banned by MTV. It became her ninth #1 and was #1 Club, #42 R&B/Hip Hop. "Rescue Me" made #9 and #6 Club. 30 Years Ago - 1995 Madonna released a compilation album Something to Remember. This is a collecti

40 Years Ago - 1985 Sade released their second album Promise. "The Sweetest Taboo" peaked at #5, #1 AC, #3 R&B "Is It a Crime?" made #32 AC and #55 R&B "Never as Good as the First Time" made #20, #6 AC, #8 R&B