This Day in Top 40 History: September 20
On Sept. 20, 2014, Meghan Trainor overtook Taylor Swift on the Billboard Hot 100. Trainer’s song “All About That Bass” unseated Swift’s “Shake It Off.” “All About That Bass” stayed…
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On Sept. 20, 2014, Meghan Trainor overtook Taylor Swift on the Billboard Hot 100. Trainer's song "All About That Bass" unseated Swift's "Shake It Off." "All About That Bass" stayed at No. 1 for eight weeks and remains one of Trainor's catchiest and most recognizable tunes. Keep reading for more Top 40 history from Sept. 20.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These hits made it to the top in their eras and transcended time to remain classics:
- 1969: "Sugar, Sugar" hit No. 1 in the United States. The song — which was performed by a cartoon singing group called The Archies — spent four weeks at the top of the charts.
- 1975: David Bowie made it to No. 1 for the first time in the U.S. with his song "Fame." The song was a result of a jam session between Bowie and John Lennon.
- 2022: Taylor Swift takes home the Songwriter-Artist of The Decade Honor at Nashville Songwriter Awards. After her acceptance speech, she performed "All Too Well (10-Minute Version)."
Cultural Milestones
Artists often impact culture, and vice versa:
- 1969: John Lennon left The Beatles, although the group decided not to make an official announcement. The group's final recording session led to the song "I Want You (She's So Heavy)."
- 2004: Billy Joel was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Joel has 13 top 10 songs, 43 hits in the Hot 100, and three No. 1 singles, including "We Didn't Start the Fire."
- 2020: On an episode of Celebrity Family Feud, alternative rock band Weezer faced off against the pop punk band Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy took the victory.
Notable Recordings and Performances
These Sept. 20 performances are worth remembering:
- 1992: Pearl Jam headlined a free concert in Seattle for thousands of fans. They used the concert as an opportunity to get people to register to vote ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
- 2002: Elton John and Billy Joel performed at the Fleet Center in Boston for their Face to Face Tour.
David Bowie, Pearl Jam, and John Lennon all made history on Sept. 20, making this a day to remember for pop music fans around the world.
Megan ZahndWriter
