This Day in Rock History: October 8

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1988: U2's single "Desire" peaked at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart. This song is part of the band's Rattle and Hum album and remains one of their most recognizable hits, having been played consistently on their tours and featured on multiple greatest hits compilations.
• 1988: Pink Floyd's critically acclaimed album, Dark Side of the Moon, left the Billboard 200, where it had spent 741 weeks since its release in March 1973, setting a record in the process. The album eventually returned to the chart and spent over 900 weeks there in total.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1957: Jerry Lee Lewis recorded his biggest hit, "Great Balls of Fire", at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. It sold over a million copies within 10 days of its release and went on to sell a total of over five million, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.
• 1980: Prince released his third studio album, Dirty Mind, via Warner Bros. Records. It was a huge step forward for Prince both musically and commercially, as the world was discovering his musical genius.
• 2002: Bon Jovi released their eighth studio album, Bounce. Although its debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 was the highest in the band's history at the time, it was their first album not to reach Platinum status.