This Day in Top 40 History: February 10

Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs onstage

Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images

Feb. 10 has witnessed some major milestones, performances, and GRAMMY awards. Notably, on this day in music history, big band leader Glenn Miller won the first-ever solid-gold hit. In addition, Carole King released one of the best pop albums of all time, and Michael Jackson revealed details about his cosmetic surgery in an Oprah Winfrey interview.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

Here are some songs and albums that changed history on Feb. 10 that we still admire:

1942: Glenn Miller, famous for his orchestra, received the first solid-gold hit with “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” The song sold over 1.2 million copies.
1958: Frank Sinatra's album Come Fly With Me hit the top spot on this day. Songs from this album are still covered by crooners today.
1971: Carole King released her groundbreaking album, Tapestry. This album features some of the best songs in pop history, such as “I Feel the Earth Move” and “You've Got a Friend.”
1976: Diana Ross launched her second self-titled album, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The record delivered two No. 1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100, “Love Hangover” and “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To).” Another track from this album, “One Love in My Lifetime,” reached No. 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
1987: Public Enemy released their debut studio album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show via Def Jam Recordings. This set, which featured hits such as “Public Enemy No. 1” and “You're Gonna Get Yours,” charted in the Top 30 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Cultural Milestones

Certain songs and events have had a lasting cultural influence, including:

1978: Van Halen released their self-titled debut album, changing the face of arena rock and hard rock. Songs from this album include “Runnin' With the Devil” and “Ain't Talkin' ‘bout Love,” which have influenced many young rock guitarists.
2013: Gotye's No. 1 single, “Somebody That I Used to Know,” earned him the Record of the Year award at the GRAMMY Awards ceremony, which was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Other notable winners were Carrie Underwood, Mumford & Sons, Adele, and Skrillex.
2017: At 6752 Hollywood Boulevard, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce presented Adam Levine with a Walk of Fame star. It recognized his contributions to the music industry as the frontman of Maroon 5, who have scored at least 15 Top 10 hits in the U.S. Four of them, including “One More Night” and “Makes Me Wonder,” reached No. 1.
2017: Rocker Tom Petty was awarded the MusiCares Person of the Year in Los Angeles, California. He was honored for his charitable work, artist advocacy, and creative contributions to the music industry.
2019: The 61st GRAMMY Awards were held on Feb. 10 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Award winners included crossover artist Kacey Musgraves, rappers Cardi B and Bad Bunny, and Ariana Grande.

Notable Recordings and Performances

Feb. 10 has had some memorable recordings and performances that we still remember:

1984: Kiss took their Lick It Up World Tour to Wisconsin and lit up the stage at Milwaukee Auditorium. The tour promoted their eleventh studio album, which peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 and No. 7 on the UK Albums chart. Among the songs on this event's setlist were Top 40 singles such as “Lick It Up” and “Love Gun.”
2004: Kanye West released his debut studio album, The College Dropout. This album features songs such as “Through the Wire” and “Jesus Walks.”
2008: Amy Winehouse won three GRAMMY Awards for her song “Rehab.” Winehouse was known for her soulful lyrics, deep voice, and troubled lifestyle.
2009: John Mayer won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Say” at the 51st GRAMMY awards. Mayer's smooth voice and brilliant guitar playing have made him a swoon-worthy rock star.
2010: Taylor Swift performed in Melbourne, Australia. This show was part of the Australian leg of the Fearless Tour, which supported her sophomore album of the same name. The project had debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. and produced several Top 20 hits, including the title track, “Love Story,” and “You Belong With Me.”

Industry Changes and Challenges

Music fans and industry leaders often put pressure on musical artists, and some changes and challenges we have seen on Feb. 10 include:

1981: Natalie Cole was trapped in her Las Vegas Hilton hotel room when a fire broke out. While the “Miss You Like Crazy” hitmaker escaped unscathed, many other guests were not so lucky. The fire resulted in the deaths of eight people and left hundreds injured. Thankfully, the person responsible for starting it, Phillip Bruce Cline, was found guilty and sentenced to prison.
1993: In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson said that he didn't have much plastic surgery done to change his skin tone. Instead, he claimed he had a skin disorder that destroyed the pigmentation of his skin.
1998: Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose was arrested at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on charges of disorderly conduct. This was his first public appearance in about three years. At the time, the band was on a break, but still riding the success of their Top Five 1993 record, The Spaghetti Incident?
2006: James Dewitt Yancey, better known as J Dilla, passed away at 32, just three days after commemorating his birthday. He was a founding member of Slum Village, whose “Selfish” and “Tainted” cracked the Top 40 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. J Dilla was also known for collaborating with big names such as Busta Rhymes, Eminem, and Erykah Badu.
2014: A woman was charged with sending threatening texts to grunge band Soundgarden's singer Chris Cornell. These threats were considered cyberstalking, a new form of stalking and tracking superstars.
2017: Universal Records struck an exclusive deal with the late performer Prince's estate for licensing rights to his music. With this deal, Universal claimed all rights to Prince's released and unreleased works.