This Day in Top 40 History: July 1
July 1 is a great time for music artists to release albums or singles in hopes of them becoming a hit. From a huge television debut to the invention of…
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July 1 is a great time for music artists to release albums or singles in hopes of them becoming a hit. From a huge television debut to the invention of the Walkman, July 1 holds many memories that continue to influence the industry to this day.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Chart-topping songs and albums make a mark in the industry and tell a story on July 1:
- 1963: The Beatles' hit song "She Loves You" was recorded less than a week after it was written. The single became the band's best-selling song in the U.K. and was later ranked No. 64 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
- 2009: Shortly after Michael Jackson's death, his catalog of work held nine of the top ten spots on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. These albums included The Essential Michael Jackson with hit songs such as "Blame It on the Boogie," and Thriller, featuring "P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)" and the album's namesake.
Cultural Milestones
Music leaves its mark on culture. Here are a few cultural milestones from July 1:
- 1945: Blondie lead singer Debbie Harry was born Deborah Ann Harry in Miami, Florida. Blondie experienced great success, with hit songs such as "Heart of Glass" and "Call Me" hitting No. 1 in both the U.S. and the U.K.
- 1968: John Lennon of The Beatles opened his first art exhibition at the Robert Fraser Gallery in London, marking one of his first solo artistic endeavors. The exhibition was dedicated to Yoko Ono.
- 1979: The music industry changed forever when Sony released the Walkman in Japan. This portable audio player, which originally played cassette tapes, allowed listeners to take entire albums with them wherever they went for the first time in history.
- 1983: Bon Jovi signed to Phonogram's Mercury Records label. This popular band, which had also been considering the name Johnny Electric, went on to sell over 130 million records.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Live performances can revive old songs, pay tribute to special people, and just be plain fun:
- 1956: Long before he was The King, Elvis Presley made his first TV appearance on The Steve Allen Show. He performed "Hound Dog" dressed in tails and singing to a live basset hound.
- 2007: Elton John, Duran Duran, Nelly Furtado, and many others joined forces to perform a concert in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales. It was the first concert held at the newly built Wembley Stadium in London, which was replacing the original Wembley Stadium.
- 2023: Tracy Chapman became the first Black woman to top the country charts as sole songwriter through a cover of her 1988 single "Fast Car," performed by Luke Combs. The original version later gained a second wind after Chapman and Combs performed the song together at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards.
July 1 altered the musical landscape for good, and as people curate their playlists for summer, they can thank Sony's invention of the Walkman for making music portable.
Megan ZahndWriter
