This Day in Top 40 History: December 19
Tennessee native Maurice White was born on this day in 1941. Even as a child, he lived and breathed music. His love for the art would see him form Earth,…
Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Tennessee native Maurice White was born on this day in 1941. Even as a child, he lived and breathed music. His love for the art would see him form Earth, Wind & Fire, which had seven Top 10 hits on Billboard's Hot 100. These included "Shining Star," the band's only No. 1 single, "After the Love Has Gone," and "Let's Groove."
Read on for other unforgettable Top 40 history moments from Dec. 19.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Dec. 19 has witnessed the release of major albums:
- 1989: Peter Murphy's third studio album, Deep, came out. It featured one of his most successful hits, "Cuts You Up," which dominated the U.S. charts for weeks. The record also spawned two other Top 40 singles on the Modern Rock Tracks chart: "The Line Between the Devil's Teeth (And That Which Cannot Be Repeat)" and "A Strange Kind of Love."
- 2006: Bow Wow launched his fifth album, The Price of Fame, which included contributions from R. Kelly, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, and other artists. Upon release, the record landed at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over 200,000 copies in its opening week. Its lead single, "Shortie Like Mine," which featured guest vocals from Chris Brown and Johntá Austin, reached No. 9 on the Hot 100.
Cultural Milestones
There were some amazing cultural moments on Dec. 19:
- 1976: It's not unusual for successful musicians to switch careers. On this day, Al Green established his own church, The Full Gospel Tabernacle, in Memphis, Tennessee, after he was ordained as a minister. During his time on the music scene, Green released many Top 10 singles, such as "Let's Stay Together" and "I'm Still in Love With You."
- 1997: Titanic debuted in U.S. theaters, with its soundtrack featuring "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. The film became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, partly due to the track's emotional resonance. "My Heart Will Go On" entered at No. 1 on both the Hot 100 and the UK Singles chart.
Notable Recordings and Performances
There have been memorable recordings and mind-blowing performances by renowned Top 40 artists on this day:
- 1968: The Friends of Distinction recorded "Grazing in the Grass," which they included on their debut album, Grazin'. While the album cracked the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 chart, the single reached No. 3 on the Hot 100. The track also peaked at No. 5 on the Hot Soul Singles chart.
- 2024: Paul McCartney owned the stage at the O2 Arena in London as part of his Got Back Tour, which celebrated his over five-decade-long music career. The setlist included chart-toppers such as "Something" and "Hey Jude."
- 2024: Justin Timberlake brought the house down at The Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, while on his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour. The tour supported his album Everything I Thought It Was, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. The event's setlist included "Cry Me a River," "What Goes Around…Comes Around," "Selfish," and other Top 40 hits.
Dec. 19 will always be a meaningful day for many music fans for the important events it has hosted, including the birth of Maurice White.
Dawn Palmer-QuaifeWriter
