This Day in Top 40 History: December 24
On Christmas Eve 1975, Queen graced London’s Hammersmith Odeon to wrap up the U.K. leg of their “A Night at the Opera” tour, promoting their fourth studio album. They swept…
On Christmas Eve 1975, Queen graced London's Hammersmith Odeon to wrap up the U.K. leg of their "A Night at the Opera" tour, promoting their fourth studio album. They swept the crowd off their feet with one of the first live performances of the lead single, "Bohemian Rhapsody," which would spend an impressive 44 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 2, and nine weeks at the top of the U.K. singles chart. During the concert, the band also played their U.K. top-20 hit, "Now I'm Here." Let's see what other Top 40 moments Dec. 24 has witnessed.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Dec. 24 has seen the release of a few notable Top 40 albums and singles, including:
- 1994: Brandy released "Baby" from her self-titled debut album. The track achieved massive chart success, reaching No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
- 2018: Bad Bunny launched his debut album, "X 100pre." The record debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 200 and No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart. It also delivered one Top 40 single, "MIA," featuring Drake. The song peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100.
Cultural Milestones
These memorable cultural moments took place on Dec. 24:
- 1963: The Beatles kicked off their Christmas Show at the Astoria Cinema in Finsbury Park, London. The concert saw the band perform several of their hits, including No. 1 songs "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which both went on to spend 15 weeks on the Hot 100. Other notable acts were the Barron Knights, Tommy Quickly, Rolf Harris, Cilla Black, and The Fourmost.
- 1991: Louis Tomlinson was born in Doncaster, England. He rose to fame as a member of One Direction, a band that has scored 13 Top 40 hits in the U.S. and 18 in the U.K., including "What Makes You Beautiful," "Story of My Life," and "Best Song Ever." Tomlinson has also achieved a few Top 40 singles as a solo artist, including "Back To You," which reached No. 40 on the Hot 100 and No. 8 on the U.K. singles chart.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The music industry has mourned the passing of several members of the community on Dec. 24:
- 1960: George Formby, known for his comic acting career and U.K. Top 40 single "Happy Go Lucky Me," lost his wife and manager, Beryl Ingham, to leukemia. Formby created quite a stir when, less than two months later, he became engaged to Pat Howson. Tragically, though, the "He Snoops To Conquer" star died from heart failure in March 1961, just days before he was due to exchange vows with his new partner.
- 2016: Rick Parfitt died from an infection at 68, two months after leaving Status Quo. Parfitt was a member of the band for almost 50 years. Together, Status Quo had toured the world and released more than 55 U.K. Top 40 singles, including top-five hits such as "Down Down" and "What You're Proposing."
On top of all these memorable moments, did you know that "Livin' La Vida Loca" hitmaker Ricky Martin also celebrates his birthday on Dec. 24?
