This Day in Top 40 History: December 7
Many music enthusiasts remember Dec. 7 because it’s the late Aaron Carter’s birthday. He was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1987 and is the younger brother of Nick Carter of…
Many music enthusiasts remember Dec. 7 because it's the late Aaron Carter's birthday. He was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1987 and is the younger brother of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. Aaron started his professional music career at the age of 7 and released his self-titled debut album at only 9 years old. His most popular Top 40 single is “Aaron's Party (Come Get It),” the title track from his second studio album. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Dec. 7 has hosted many other significant events in Top 40 history, including the release of a few timeless hits. If you want to learn all about them, read on.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Here are some notable releases from Dec. 7:
- 1976: The Eagles released “New Kid in Town,” a track from their fifth studio album, Hotel California. It joined the band's list of No. 1 singles after it dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for a week and earned them a GRAMMY award.
- 1979: Led Zeppelin released “Fool in the Rain” from their album In Through the Out Door. The song peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and would become the band's last single. The members went their separate ways in 1980 after John Bonham passed away in September of that year.
Cultural Milestones
Check out these cultural moments from Dec. 7:
- 2003: Martin “Kendu” Isaacs and Mary J. Blige got married. Isaacs was the “Real Love” artist's manager at the time. However, the couple's union didn't last. Blige filed for divorce in 2016, and it was finalized in 2018.
- 2020: Universal Music Publishing announced that it had bought Bob Dylan's entire music catalog with over 600 songs. These included Top 40 hits, such as “Like A Rolling Stone” and “The Times They Are A-Changin',” which was a Top 10 single in the U.K. As the new owner of Dylan's songwriting rights, Universal earns money every time another singer covers his songs and when the tracks are streamed and featured in TV shows, movies, and commercials.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The music industry is no stranger to challenges, and these are some that it has witnessed on this day:
- 2008: Dennis Yost, the former lead singer of Classics IV, died from respiratory failure at 65. As part of the band, he achieved multiple Top 40 hits, including “Spooky,” “Traces,” “Everyday With You Girl,” and “Stormy.” He fell sick in 2006, and things took an unexpected turn when he fell down the stairs while recuperating and sustained a traumatic brain injury. That accident saw the band go on hiatus until they found another frontman, Tom Garrett.
- 2016: Louis Tomlinson lost his mother, Johanna Deakin, to leukemia. As a former member of One Direction, Tomlinson has several Top 10 hits, such as “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Drag Me Down,” and “Story of My Life.” With his collaboration with Digital Farm Animals and Bebe Rexha, the single “Back to You” became a Top 40 hit in the U.K. and in the U.S.
Now that you know these important Top 40 moments from Dec. 7, feel free to share them with your friends as you listen to your favorite hits.
