This Day in Top 40 History: January 28
On this day in 1985, we had the recording of the groundbreaking “We Are the World” as a benefit for famine relief in Africa. This cultural milestone was the brainchild of producer Quincy Jones and was spearheaded by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
While many artists contributed to the music scene on January 28th, the following songs and hits were major milestones for this day in history.
- 1977: The popular group Fleetwood Mac’s album “Rumours” hit #1 in the UK bringing them fame throughout the United Kingdom. Top tracks from this album include, “The Chain,” “Dreams,” and “Songbird.”
- 1990: Paula Abdul’s album, ‘Forever Your Girl’ finally reaches #1 on the Billboard 200 after 64 weeks. The album took the record for spending the longest time on the Billboard 200 before reaching number 1.
- 1995: TLC had their first #1 hit with “Creep” from their album CarzySexyCool. This all-girl R&B band rocketed into fame after the release of the album and this chart-hitting single.
- 2020: BTS’s single “Dynamite” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020 and was on this list for 32 weeks. This K-pop band comes from South Korea, and “Dynamite” was their first English-language single.
Cultural Milestones
Recordings that had cultural impacts include:
- 1956: People watched Elvis Presley perform “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” on live TV helping to launch his career and make rock and roll a household name.
1985: “We Are the World” was recorded by multiple superstars performing the song for famine relief in Africa with Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers bringing a country twist to the recording. This recording began charitable fundraising in the music industry.- 2008: Madonna makes Forbes.com’s Richest Female Musician list. She was reported to make $72 million between June of 2006 – 2007. This is the first list focusing on women in the music industry.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Notable milestones for January 28 include:
- 1927: Jazz tenor saxophonist Ronnie Scotts’s birthday
- 1941: Sound engineer and producer King Tubby’s birthday
- 1945: Founding member of Sound Machine Robert Wyatt’s birthday
- 1970: Johnny Cash’s ABC TV music show in 1970 with special country guests Glen Campbell, Marty Robbins, and Nanacy Ames
Industry Changes and Challenges
Changes and challenges in the music industry and for artists include:
- 2006: Streaming music Spotify is launched affecting chart calculations and music discovery. This changed artist competition due to easier music distribution and changes in Billboard charts.
January 28 helped launch some of the best Top 40 country songs and began charitable fundraising in the music industry with “We Are the World.” Streaming music has changed the landscape of how consumers listen and purchase music and will continue to dominate the way people enjoy music.