This Day in Top 40 History: January 23
Kesha attends the Christian Siriano SS24 Runway Show at The Pierre Hotel on September 08, 2023 in New York City.
Are you trivia buffs ready for your daily dose of This Day in Top 40 History? Well, have we got some interesting facts for you. Let’s dive into notable things happening on Jan. 23 in the past. We’ll cover breakthrough hits, cultural milestones, notable recordings, memorable performances, and industry changes on this day.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
A lot of artists saw their songs and albums hit No. 1 on the charts on Jan. 23:
- 1969: Elvis Presley records his last song to hit No. 1 in America, “Suspicious Minds,” at a small studio in Memphis, Tennessee. This was a huge comeback for The King, who, in his heyday, had more Billboard Top 100 records than any other artist had ever had.
- 1988: “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson hit No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart. This was his third single from the album Bad, which he had wanted to make a three-disc album but instead released as a one-disc LP at the direction of his producer.
- 2010: Animal, the debut album from American singer-songwriter Kesha, hit No. 1 within its first week.
Cultural Milestones
Here’s how music was shaping our culture on this day in history:
- 1986: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which currently has nearly 400 inductees, held its first induction ceremony. Notable names on the list included Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, and James Brown.
- 1991: To inaugurate a changing format in Classic Rock, an Albuquerque, New Mexico, radio station played Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” for 24 straight hours. Police showed up after first being led to believe the radio host had suffered a heart attack and again because listeners thought the station had been taken over by terrorists.
- 2014: A 19-year-old Justin Bieber was arrested in Florida for racing a rented Lamborghini on a street in Miami Beach. He was charged with driving under the influence, resisting arrest, and driving with an expired license.
Notable Recordings and Performances
These are some notable recordings and performances that happened on Jan. 23:
- 1943: Famous jazz musician Duke Ellington played his first concert at Carnegie Hall. The influential man was already well-known at the time, having played at top jazz venues and even appearing in films.
- 2024: Founder of the pop band Milli Vanilli, Frank Farian, dies at age 82. He eventually admitted to being the orchestrator of the scandal surrounding the band, which led to them losing the 1990 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The music industry had these challenges to overcome that happened on Jan. 23:
- 2020: Deborah Duncan, former head of the Grammy Awards, is placed on administrative leave following her accusations of voting corruption and scandals within the organization.
- 2022: Global streaming revenue grew by 11.5%, reaching $17.5 million, making up for the 11.7% decline in music downloads.
Now you know what happened on this day in the top 40 history. These breakthroughs, hit songs, and industry insights continue to affect the music industry.
Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.
She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel.
A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community.
She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.
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