This Day in Top 40 History: August 24
Aug. 24 has hosted many significant events in Top 40 history. On this day in 2019, Billie Eilish’s funky single “bad guy” hit No. 1 on the charts. With the…
Aug. 24 has hosted many significant events in Top 40 history. On this day in 2019, Billie Eilish's funky single "bad guy" hit No. 1 on the charts. With the ascension of Eilish's track, the song "Old Town Road" kissed the top spot goodbye after 19 weeks at No. 1. Eilish went on to win Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the GRAMMY Awards. Keep reading to learn about other moments in Top 40 history from Aug. 24.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
No. 1 hits are the soundtrack of history, and these made Top 40 history on Aug. 24:
- 1963: Stevie Wonder topped the album and pop charts in the same week with Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius and Fingertips (Part 2). Wonder was the first artist to achieve this feat.
- 1979: Prince released "I Wanna Be Your Lover" as a single from his second studio album. It was his first major hit, reaching No. 11 on the charts.
- 1991: "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" by Lenny Kravitz reached No. 2 on the U.S. charts. Kravitz was kept from the top spot by Bryan Adams' song "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You."
Cultural Milestones
Several cultural milestones occurred on this day, including:
- 1985: After the success of the movie Back To The Future, Huey Lewis and the News enjoyed two weeks at No. 1 with their song "The Power Of Love," which was written for the film. Huey Lewis made a cameo appearance in the movie as well.
- 1999: Powerhouse singer Christina Aguilera released her self-titled debut album. It debuted at No. 1, and Aguilera took home a GRAMMY for Best New Artist.
Notable Recordings and Performances
These recordings and performances pulled back the curtain on the artists behind the music that we've come to love:
- 1975: Queen entered the studio to begin working on "Bohemian Rhapsody" in Wales. The operatic, cinematic track was recorded over the course of three weeks.
- 1996: Liam Gallagher was a no-show for Oasis' recording session for MTV Unplugged. The band was due to record the session in front of 400 fans, but Liam sat in the audience instead of singing with his band.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The music industry and artists saw multiple changes and challenges on Aug. 24, including:
- 2001: After taking some time off, The Backstreet Boys resumed their Black & Blue World Tour. It had been on hold for nearly two months while A.J. McLean was in a treatment center for depression and substance abuse.
- 2005: Justin Timberlake accepted libel damages after a false story claimed that he had an affair while he was dating Cameron Diaz. Timberlake donated the money to charity.
- 2010: Bob Dylan announced that he would only sell concert tickets at the door, attempting to prevent scalpers from driving up online ticket prices. Concert-goers were permitted to purchase one ticket apiece.
Aug. 24 was full of notable moments in Top 40 history. The world got "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "bad guy" on the same day, which is amazing. This day has cemented its place in Top 40 history.
