This Day in Top 40 History: January 29
January 29 has numerous Top 40 hits that range from country music to pop. On this day in music history, Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” hits #1 on the UK singles chart, and country music favorites like “Crazy” and “Carolyn” became chart-toppers.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
January 29 saw a wide range of chart-topping songs from various genres, including the British Invasion country crossovers, to modern pop. Each of these achievements helped rocket these artists’ careers. Breakthrough hits and milestones include:
- 1970: Johnny Cash’s “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash” becomes certified gold.
- 1977: “Car Wash” by Rose Royce hits number 1 on Billboard top 100.
- 2009: “My Life Would Suck Without You” by American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson jumped from #97 to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. This is one of the Billboard’s biggest-ever leaps.
Cultural Milestones
It’s inspiring how musical performances can impact culture. Major cultural milestones for January 29 include:
- 1969: Music fans enjoyed The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour which premiered. Popular guests included The Smothers Brothers, John Hartford, and Bobbie Gentry.
- 2008: Music band Rascal Flatts began their first overseas tour helping to cement their place in the crossover country music genre and exposing listeners outside the U.S. to this now-popular genre.
- 2014: Miley Cyrus premiers on MTV Unplugged singing several of her hit songs acoustically. This show highlighted her talented voice.
Notable Recordings and Performances
January 29th had lots of notable music events that helped shape popular music across several genres, from country to pop.
- 1965: The Supremes “Stop! In the Name of Love” was recorded. This chart-topper showed how an all-woman singing group would help revolutionize the soul and R&B music industry.
- 1983: Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” entered the U.S. Billboard Top 40. It would go on to peak for seven weeks. This song won Jackson two Grammy awards and made him one of pop’s biggest stars.
- 2021: Britney Spears “Hold It Against Me” topped the Billboard Hot 100 showing pop music lovers that she still was a superstar.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The music industry constantly evolves and changes, sometimes with challenges. On January 29:
- 1992: Blues singer Willie Dixon died. He was a major influence for Led Zeppelin, the Yardbirds, and Cream.
- 2005: Streaming site Pandora helps dominate the music industry.
- 2019: The COVID-19 pandemic changed the live music industry with listeners streaming more and more music online as fans could not attend live music events.
January 29th has a rich history of notable music events and changes including the impact of crossover country and the influence of stars like Patsy Cline and Michael Jackson. New technology advancements and streaming services impact how we download and listen to music in this modern era.