This Day in Top 40 History: September 27
On Sept. 27, 2012, Lil Wayne placed his 109th single on the charts. The song that won him this great honor was “Celebration” by The Game. Wayne took the record…
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On Sept. 27, 2012, Lil Wayne placed his 109th single on the charts. The song that won him this great honor was "Celebration" by The Game. Wayne took the record from Elvis Presley, who had 108 charted songs, and remains one of the most respected and renowned rappers in the industry. Keep reading for more Top 40 history from Sept. 27.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
For many artists, success doesn't happen automatically — just take Pink and Tony Bennett, for example:
- 2008: Metallica topped the charts with their ninth studio album, Death Magnetic. The album included the singles "All Nightmare Long" and "My Apocalypse."
- 2008: Pink made it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with her single "So What." The song was from her fifth studio album, Funhouse.
- 2011: With Duets II, Tony Bennett became the oldest living person to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Not only that, but it was Bennett's first ever No. 1 album.
Cultural Milestones
As new artists entered the scene, long-time artists received a second wind:
- 1982: Lil Wayne, real name Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was born. He has 195 songs that have charted with three No. 1 hits and 26 top 10 hits.
- 1984: Avril Lavigne was born on this day in Canada. Known for hits such as "Complicated" and "Girlfriend," Lavigne is the youngest female artist to ever top the charts.
- 1986: 23 years after it originally appeared on the U.S. charts, "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles re-entered the Billboard Hot 100. The Beatles owe this secondary success to the hit movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Notable Recordings and Performances
These live performances showcase how deeply musicians are bound up in the cultural moments of their time.
- 1964: The Beach Boys debuted on live TV with their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The band was met with a lively audience, and they performed their enduring hits "I Get Around" and "Wendy."
- 1997: Bob Dylan played "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" at the World Eucharist Congress in Italy. The then-pope Pope John Paul II, was in the audience.
- 2022: During a concert in Washington, D.C., Lizzo played several notes from a historic flute that was once owned by U.S. President James Madison. The crystal instrument was on loan from the Library of Congress.
From historical flutes to first-time chart accomplishments, Sept. 27 is. a big day for Top 40 history.
Megan ZahndWriter
