Music History Today: April 29, 2020

April 29, 1989: Madonna had the Number 1 song with "Like A Prayer."

From a musical standpoint, “Like a Prayer was a fascinating departure, blending gospel with Madonna’s more typical dance-pop stylings. 

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The video, however, was clearly designed to inspired to push people’s buttons, featuring white supremacists, a black man arrested for the murder of a white girl, a cross burning, and – lest there be any chance that the Catholic church might miss it – a stigmata scene.    

Read more: Rhino

April 29, 1963: Lesley Gore released the single "It's My Party."

Gore's string of hits came before 1960s counterculture reached its heights. Gore's clear emphatic and authoritative voice helped her define the sound of the post-Elvis, pre-Beatle rock and roll. And her first hits helped set the stage for later hits such as Aretha Franklin's "Respect" or Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."  

Read more:  NPR

April 29, 1967: The single "Respect" was released by Aretha Franklin. 

Aretha Franklin was a chart monster. She was a chart monster ever since the moment, early in 1967, when she released her first Atlantic Records single and remade herself as a hard soul singer. In her lifetime, Franklin had 73 singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100.   

Read more: Stereo Gum

April 29, 1978:  Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams' duet "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" was Number 1 on the R&B chart for a third week.

"Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" is a song performed by singers Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams. Lyrics and music are arranged by Nat Kipner and John Vallins. The single was a comeback of sorts for Mathis, as it was his first chart-topping hit in the US since 1957's "Chances Are".  

Read more:  Fandom

Like A Prayer 
Madonna