This Day in Top 40 History: June 26

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1965: For the first time, The Byrds achieved No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their cover of Bob Dylan's song "Mr. Tambourine Man." It was the only song written by Dylan to make it to No. 1 in the U.S.
• 2000: Badly Drawn Boy released their debut studio effort, The Hour of Bewilderbeast. The album peaked at No. 13 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart. The pool of notable tracks from this set included “The Shining,” “Once Around the Back,” and “Fall In A River,” which featured guest vocals from Damon Michael Gough. 
• 2004: Velvet Revolver's debut album, Contraband, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Not only was the album a commercial success, selling more than 4 million copies worldwide, but it was also the best-ever debut album from a new artist in the SoundScan era.
• 2020: Khruangbin released their third studio LP, Mordechai, which delivered hits such as “So We Won't Forget,” “Dearest Alfred,” and “Time (You and I).” The album peaked at No. 7 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart. 

Cultural Milestones

• 1963: While in a hotel room in Newcastle, England, Paul McCartney and John Lennon started composing “She Loves You.” This was just after a performance at the city's Majestic Ballroom. When they released the song in the U.S. in September of the same year, it flew to No. 1 on the Hot 100 and held that position for two weeks. 
• 1973: Gretchen Wilson was born in Pocahontas, Illinois. Despite experiencing a rough childhood that led her to drop out of school at 15 to earn a living as a bartender and cook, Wilson was dead set on pursuing music professionally. Her breakthrough arrived in 2004 when “Redneck Woman” shot to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs Chart. In the years that followed, she released more successful singles, including “All Jacked Up” and “I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today.”
• 1993: Ariana Grande was born to Ed Butera and Joan Grande in Boca Raton, Florida. She's a three-time GRAMMY winner with 24 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Notable titles include “7 Rings” and “thank u, next,” which spent eight and seven weeks at the top, respectively. Additionally, Grande is known for playing the lead role of Glinda the Good Witch in the 2024 musical film, Wicked. 
• 2018: Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the Bee Gees, was knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace in London. He was given the honor for his contributions to the music industry and charity.
• 2020: Bob Dylan topped the U.K. albums chart at age 79 with his 39th studio album titled Rough and Rowdy Ways. This made him the oldest artist to accomplish the achievement with an album of completely original work.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1977: At the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana, Elvis Presley put on his last live performance in front of approximately 18,000 fans. He died later that summer on August 16. 
• 2009: AC/DC took their Black Ice World Tour to Wembley Stadium in London, England, where they performed songs such as “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” and “You Shook Me All Night Long.” This trek, which spanned about 20 months and included more than 120 shows, supported their No. 1 album of the same name. 
• 2012: Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen's single, "Good Time," was released. The song would eventually peak at No. 8 and be featured on both artists' albums.
• 2016: Selena Gomez fired up the audience at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, playing “Same Old Love,” “Kill Em With Kindness,” and other songs. She was on her Revival Tour, which promoted her chart-topping sophomore studio album of the same name. This tour, which grossed an estimated $30.2 million, featured over 50 shows across North America, Oceania, and Asia.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1973: Police raided the home of Keith Richards in Chelsea, England, where he and his girlfriend, actress Anita Pallenberg, lived. They were both arrested on drug possession charges and having a firearm and ammunition without a license.
• 1975: Although Sonny Bono and Cher had separated a year before, their divorce was finalized. The pop and TV stars had been married for six years, but they had been together for 13 years.
• 1979: Elvis Presley's father, Vernon Presley, died of a heart attack at 63. This was about two years after Elvis' death in August 1977. Vernon had served as the executor of Elvis' estate after the latter's death. Both, plus Elvis' mother, Gladys, and daughter, Lisa Marie, are buried at Graceland. 
• 2020: New Orleans native Tami Lynn passed away. She was best known for “I'm Gonna Run Away From You,” which landed at No. 4 on the U.K. Singles Chart. Additionally, she was a backing vocalist for several Top 40 artists, including The Rolling Stones and Sonny & Cher.