This Day in Top 40 History: July 19
On July 19, 1985, Joan Jett called Mike Tyson on the telephone before a fight to wish him luck. After Tyson won, he insisted on calling the “I Love Rock…
On July 19, 1985, Joan Jett called Mike Tyson on the telephone before a fight to wish him luck. After Tyson won, he insisted on calling the "I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll" singer before every match. This tradition continued until 1990, when Tyson suffered his first loss. Keep reading for more Top 40 music history from July 19.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Here are some debut singles and chart-topping tracks from July 19:
- 1954: Elvis Presley released his first single, "That's All Right." The twangy cover performed well among Presley's hometown audience in Memphis, Tennessee, and became a regional hit.
- 1975: Paul McCartney's band Wings grabbed the No. 1 spot on the U.S. charts with their single "Listen To What The Man Said." It was McCartney's fourth No. 1 hit in the United States.
- 1986: "Invisible Touch" by Genesis hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts. It was the band's only No. 1 hit and was knocked out of the top spot by former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel with his song “Sledgehammer.”
Cultural Milestones
Artists often use their platform to make an impact:
- 1988: Bruce Springsteen performed for four hours in East Berlin, behind the Iron Curtain. An estimated 160,000 fans attended, and the concert was broadcast on state TV.
- 1993: On the Philadelphia leg of the 1993 Lollapalooza tour, Rage Against the Machine opened the show by protesting the Parental Music Resource Center. They appeared on stage in the nude with their mouths taped shut and "PMRC" written across their chests.
- 2022: Sales of Queen's 1981 Greatest Hits album reached 7 million copies. With that number of sales, the band demolished the U.K.'s previous records for album sales.
Notable Live Performances
Concerts from July 19 offered fans a once-in-a-lifetime experience:
- 1974: At the Missouri State Fairgrounds, the Ozark Music Festival kicked off with around 350,000 fans in attendance. Acts included the Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Aerosmith.
- 1996: The Spice Girls made their first appearance on the U.K.'s famous show, Top of the Pops. The group performed "Wannabe" via a satellite link because they were touring in Japan at the time.
- 2013: Pearl Jam kicked off their Lightning Bolt tour with a show in Chicago. Ironically, the band didn't take the stage until after midnight because of storm delays and lightning warnings.
Industry Changes and Challenges
From early music charts to tapes and streaming, the music industry has changed tremendously over the years:
- 1913: Billboard published Last Week's 10 Best Sellers Among Popular Songs. It was Billboard's earliest chart in known history.
- 2000: The Who's master tapes for their first album, My Generation, went up for auction. The band purchased them and used the original tapes to create My Generation: Deluxe Edition.
- 2017: "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi reached 4.6 billion streams to become the most-streamed song ever. It was overtaken by The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights."
As artists test creative boundaries with their music, the industry adapts to keep up. Events from July 19 encapsulate the spirit of the music industry as one of constant evolution and innovation.
