This Day in Top 40 History: January 20
On Jan. 20, 2021, Lady Gaga brought the crowd to their feet after singing the U.S. National Anthem during the inauguration of former U.S. president Joe Biden and the nation’s…
On Jan. 20, 2021, Lady Gaga brought the crowd to their feet after singing the U.S. National Anthem during the inauguration of former U.S. president Joe Biden and the nation's first female vice president, Kamala Harris. When she left the stage, Jennifer Lopez performed a beautiful rendition of "This Land Is Your Land," tossing in lyrics from her hit "Let's Get It Loud". That same night, a string of other big players in the music industry, including Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen, and John Legend, performed at the Celebrating America concert to commemorate the swearing-in of Biden and Harris. Read on to find more unforgettable Top 40 history events from this date.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Timeless records released on Jan. 20 include the following.
- 1964: The Beatles launched Meet The Beatles!, their first release through Capitol Records. It soared to the top of the Billboard 200 and spent 74 weeks on the chart. Even better, the album delivered a couple of hits. Its “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” for instance, topped Billboard's Hot 100, while “I Saw Her Standing There” peaked at No. 14 on the chart.
- 1975: Bob Dylan put out his fifteenth studio album, Blood on the Tracks. It peaked at No. 4 and No. 1 in the U.K. and the U.S., respectively. Additionally, the set's “Tangled Up In Blue” cracked the Top 40 on the Hot 100.
- 1983: Def Leppard's third studio LP, Pyromania, came out. The album not only cracked the Top Five on the Billboard 200 chart but also spawned several Top 40 hits on the Hot 100. Notable titles include “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages,” which reached No. 12 and No. 16, respectively.
- 2015: The Decemberists dropped What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, their seventh studio album. Featuring tracks such as “Make You Better” and “Philomena,” the record cracked the Top 10 in the U.S.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Here are notable industry changes and challenges from Jan. 20:
- 1982: At the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa, a teenage fan hurled a bat onto the stage, where Ozzy Osbourne was performing. Thinking it was a rubber prop, Osbourne bit its head off. After the concert, he was rushed to a local hospital for a rabies shot.
- 2012: Etta James died of leukemia in Riverside, California. According to sources, she also had kidney problems and dementia. James was known for placing more than five Top 40 singles on the Hot 100. Some of the titles in that pool are “Tell Mama,” “All I Could Do Was Cry,” and “My Dearest Darling.”
- 2021: President Donald Trump ended his last day in office by pardoning over 140 Americans, including Lil Wayne. He was facing up to 10 years in jail after pleading guilty to federal weapon charges.
Jan. 20 has been a big day for many Top 40 artists. While it has given some a chance to release career-defining records, it has also allowed others to deliver memorable performances, such as Lady Gaga at Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony in 2021.
