This Day in Top 40 History: September 13
On Sept. 13, 2009, Taylor Swift won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video. Her acceptance speech was rudely interrupted by Kanye West, who took the microphone out…
On Sept. 13, 2009, Taylor Swift won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video. Her acceptance speech was rudely interrupted by Kanye West, who took the microphone out of her hand and claimed that Beyoncé should have won. In a show of class, Beyoncé brought Swift onstage after winning Video of the Year. Keep reading for more Top 40 history from Sept. 13.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These No. 1 hits paint a picture of mainstream media from bygone decades:
- 1965: The Beatles released "Yesterday" in the U.S., where it hit No. 1 on the charts. The band did not release the song in the U.K. until 11 years later.
- 1986: On the tails of Top Gun, "Take My Breath Away" went to No. 1 in the U.S. The film generated multiple hit songs, including Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone."
- 2013: Hozier released his debut single, "Take Me To Church." The song topped the charts in 12 countries, in part due to the music video, which addressed homophobia in Russia.
Cultural Milestones
While some artists have preferred to focus on their music, others have become pillars of popular culture:
- 1996: Tupac Shakur passed away on Sept. 13 after spending six days in the hospital as a result of a drive-by shooting. Shakur's contributions to West Coast rap and hip-hop were significant, and his work continues to influence the genre today.
- 2013: Fleetwood Mac continued its trend of band members leaving and returning when Stevie Nicks announced that former bandmate Christine McVie would rejoin the group for two shows on their upcoming tour.
- 2018: Hailey Baldwin secretly married Justin Bieber at a New York City courthouse. While the couple kept the civil ceremony private, they hosted a second, larger wedding ceremony in 2019.
Notable Recordings and Performances
With live performances come opportunities for fans to see the real people behind their favorite songs:
- 1979: ABBA kicked off their first — and only — North American tour. They played a warm-up show in Edmonton, Canada, before performing in the U.S.
- 2000: Elton John was set to appear at a sold-out show in Lisbon, Portugal. However, the audience was slow to leave the preshow VIP dinner, which frustrated John, so he flew home without playing a single song.
- 2024: Chappell Roan played a concert in Manchester, England, as part of The Midwest Princess Tour. The sold-out show was one of Roan's first-ever U.K. appearances.
Industry Changes and Challenges
You never know what small moment could turn into a trend or tradition:
- 1969: Kim Fowley unknowingly started an iconic concert tradition by asking fans to raise their lighters for Eric Clapton and John Lennon during the Toronto Rock and Roll Festival.
- 2019: In the movie Hustlers, Lizzo, Cardi B, and Jennifer Lopez all played strippers. This was a film debut for Cardi B, who had worked as an exotic dancer before she started her career as a musician.
Whether you were waving your lighter for John Lennon or singing "Pink Pony Club" at the top of your lungs, Sept. 13 had something for Top 40 fans of all ages.
