On this Day June 29

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Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1963 – Japanese actor and vocalist Kyu Sakamoto is in his third and final week on top of the Billboard pop chart with “Sukiyaki.” Sakamoto was the first Asian recording artist with a U.S. No. 1.

1968 – After great success with The Mamas & the Papas, Mama Cass Elliot launches her solo career with the release of “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”

1968 – Herb Alpert is in the middle of a four-week run on top of the pop chart with “This Guy’s in Love with You.”

1974 – Canadian folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot scores his first and only No. 1 single with “Sundown.”

1984 – Bruce Springsteen kicks off the first leg of his “Born in the U.S.A.” tour with a three-night run at the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Boss opens with “Thunder Road.” He goes on to play a total of 156 shows, wrapping up in L.A. in October 1985.

1991 – Paula Abdul rules the Billboard Hot 100 with “Rush Rush,” which holds the top spot for five weeks. The music video features Keanu Reeves reenacting the role of James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause.”

1996 – “Tha Crossroads,” by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, is in the middle of eight weeks as a Billboard chart-topper.

2002 – Nelly begins seven weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Hot in Herre.”

2013 – “Blurred Lines,” by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell is the No. 1 single. The Grammy-nominated track holds the top spot for 12 weeks, making it the longest-running chart-topper of the year.