This Day in Top 40 History: October 2
Oct. 2 has been a notable day in Top 40 history. In 1995, Oasis released their album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? The album became an international success, achieving No….
Oct. 2 has been a notable day in Top 40 history. In 1995, Oasis released their album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? The album became an international success, achieving No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The album featured the iconic songs "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back in Anger." Continue reading to learn about other events that happened on this day in Top 40 history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Oct. 2 hosted the release of numerous popular songs and albums, including:
- 1981: The Police released their fourth album, Ghost in the Machine. The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and the single "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" reached No. 3.
- 1993: Mariah Carey's song "Dreamlover" from her album Music Box spent its fourth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It held the No. 1 position for a total of nine weeks.
- 2000: Radiohead dropped their second album, Kid A, which became the band's first No. 1 album in the U.S.
- 2012: Mumford & Sons' second album, Babel, became the highest-selling album, selling 600,000 copies in the first week of its release. The folk album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
- 2023: Ed Sheeran released Autumn Variations (Fan Living Room Sessions), which was a different version of his album Autumn Variations. Sheeran arrived unannounced at fans' homes and recorded each of the 14 tracks live.
Cultural Milestones
These milestones from Oct. 2 highlight the challenges and changes in the music industry throughout the years:
- 1992: Madonna's extremely controversial and very sexual music video for "Erotica" debuted on MTV. The video was only played three times on air before being banned.
- 2010: One Direction performed as a group for the first time during their time on The X-Factor. The band performed a cover of Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn."
- 2011: One Direction fans went crazy for Louis Tomlinson's tweet to bandmate Harry Styles. It became the second most retweeted post in the app's history.
- 2017: Tom Petty died at the age of 66. Petty was known for enduring classics such as "American Girl" and "Free Fallin'."
- 2020: Dua Lipa released the music video for "Levitating." The video channeled Austin Powers and 1960s futurism.
- 2024: Olivia Rodrigo announced her concert film GUTS World Tour via a fan newsletter. It was released later that month.
The release of "Wonderwall" is enough to declare Oct. 2 as an iconic day for Top 40 music history. However, many other significant events took place on Oct. 2, shaping the Top 40 industry and making this day historic.
