This Day in Top 40 History: October 25
On Oct. 25, 2010, Taylor Swift released her third album, Speak Now. Her seminal album discussed themes about transitioning to adulthood, heartbreak, longing, regret, and the criticism she had received….
On Oct. 25, 2010, Taylor Swift released her third album, Speak Now. Her seminal album discussed themes about transitioning to adulthood, heartbreak, longing, regret, and the criticism she had received. It was written solely by Swift and included two Top 10 singles: "Mine" and "Back to December." At the 54th GRAMMY Awards, Speak Now was nominated for Best Country Album. Keep reading for more Top 40 history from Oct. 25.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Musicians are constantly breaking chart records, and these impressive hits and albums achieved milestones on this day:
- 1986: For the first time, three female solo artists held the top three spots on the Billboard Hot 100. No. 1 was Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors," followed by Tina Turner's "Typical Male" and Janet Jackson's "When I Think Of You."
- 1986: Bon Jovi reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with Slippery When Wet. The album included long-time rock favorites such as "Livin' On A Prayer" and "You Give Love A Bad Name."
- 1999: Dolly Parton released a bluegrass album, cleverly titled The Grass Is Blue, at the height of the bluegrass surge. The album won the GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album.
- 2008: For the first time since 1999, Britney Spears reclaimed the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with "Womanizer."
Cultural Milestones
These moments in music history from Oct. 25 propelled the industry forward:
- 1974: The Pointer Sisters performed at the Grand Ole Opry. They were the first Black female group to perform at the iconic southern venue, where they sang "Fairytale."
- 1984: Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson was born in California. Later, she became Katy Perry and in 2008, she released her first No. 1 single, "I Kissed a Girl."
- 2017: In Nashville, musicians came together to celebrate Kenny Rogers, who had announced his retirement from music. Chris Stapleton, Lionel Richie, Don Henley, and Dolly Parton were among those who performed in his honor.
- 2017: Harry Styles kicked off the European portion of his world tour in Paris, France. It was Styles' first world tour as a solo act, promoting his debut, self-titled solo album.
- 2024: Dua Lipa performed a special concert for an online platform. She sang songs from her album Radical Optimism.
There were many notable songs and albums achieving greatness on this day, such as "Fairytale" by The Pointer Sisters and Speak Now by Taylor Swift. We have Oct. 25th to thank for such great music and impressive milestones.
