This Day in Top 40 History: August 10
On Aug. 10, 1963, a 13-year-old Stevie Wonder reached the top of the charts with his song “Fingertips Pt. 2.” With this achievement, Wonder became the youngest singer to reach…
On Aug. 10, 1963, a 13-year-old Stevie Wonder reached the top of the charts with his song "Fingertips Pt. 2." With this achievement, Wonder became the youngest singer to reach the top of the charts, and the song was the first live recording to do so. Continue reading for more music history events that occurred on Aug. 10.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
While pop music acts as a time capsule, the greatest hits last forever:
- 1959: "A Big Hunk O' Love" by Elvis Presley hit No. 1 on the charts. It was recorded during Presley's years of service in the U.S. Army.
- 1974: Back Home Again, John Denver's eighth studio album, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. The album featured two hit singles, including "Annie's Song" and "Back Home Again."
- 2013: Katy Perry's single "Roar" was released to radio stations in the U.S. It eventually climbed to No. 1 on the charts, becoming the fastest song of Perry's to reach the top of the charts.
Cultural Milestones
These albums, released on Aug. 10, made waves when they were first released:
- 1909: Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender was born in Orange County, California. He founded the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, which produced electric guitars that were used by countless Top 40 artists, including “It Doesn't Matter Anymore” singer Buddy Holly, The Beach Boys, and 17-time GRAMMY winner Eric Clapton. Fender died at 81 in 1991.
- 1943: Veronica Bennett, better known as Ronnie Spector, was born in New York. She began her music career by performing at the Apollo Theater in New York, along with other members of The Ronettes, who were her sister, Estelle Bennett, and Nedra Talley, their cousin. As years passed, they garnered more recognition and placed a number of Top 40 singles on Billboard's Hot 100, including “Be My Baby” and “Walking in the Rain.”
- 1979: Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, released his fifth solo album, Off the Wall. Billboard Magazine named it the No. 1 Black Album of the Year for 1980.
- 1984: The Red Hot Chili Peppers entered the music scene with their self-titled debut album. While it did not chart, the band later achieved commercial success with Californication and Stadium Arcadium.
- 1985: Madonna made history with Like a Virgin. The provocative album was the first by a female artist to sell 5 million copies.
- 2016: Chance The Rapper participated in the #SoGoneChallenge, sharing a one-minute video where he rapped about his girlfriend on X. At the time, the Coloring Book's partner was pregnant. The #SoGoneChallenge was a viral trend that saw both celebrities and civilians freestyle their original verses over the beat of Monica's Top 10 single, “So Gone.”
Notable Recordings and Performances
On this date, music truly came alive in the recording studios and at concert venues throughout the years:
- 1970: Elvis Presley performed on the first night of his Summer Festival at a hotel in Las Vegas.
- 1976: Elton John launched a 10-night series of shows at Madison Square Garden. Ticket sales from this run of concerts broke the previous record set by the Rolling Stones.
- 2005: To promote their upcoming tour, the Rolling Stones held a surprise gig in Toronto. The venue only held around 1,000 people, and tickets were just $10.
- 2010: The Jonas Brothers performed “Burnin' Up,” “When You Look Me in the Eyes,” “Year 3000,” and other songs at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. This show featured Demi Lovato as a guest. The “Skyscraper” singer joined the band on stage for a medley that included “Wouldn't Change a Thing” and “This Is Me.”
- 2013: Taylor Swift lit up the stage at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. This show was part of The Red Tour, a trek that supported Swift's No. 1 album of the same name. The Red album featured guest vocals from Ed Sheeran and Gary Lightbody and spawned more than five U.S. Top 40 singles, including “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” “Everything Has Changed,” and “I Knew You Were Trouble.”
Industry Changes and Challenges
As the music industry evolved, artists have also adapted and innovated to stay relevant:
- 1972: Paul McCartney and his wife Linda were arrested backstage for possession of marijuana. It was mailed to them on the road, and the couple posted $1,200 bail.
- 2006: Nearly a week before turning 64, Barbara George died in Chauvin, Louisiana. Like many Top 40 artists, George began flaunting her singing skills at a local church. Soon enough, she would join New Orleans record producer Harold Batiste's AFO Records. Through the record label, George scored her highest-charting single in the U.S., “I Know (You Don't Love Me No More),” which reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B Chart.
- 2008: Isaac Hayes died at 65 in Memphis, Tennessee. Hayes' baritone voice gave him an edge in the music world. That, plus his remarkable songwriting skills, led to partnerships with the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and David Porter. Additionally, Hayes released a number of successful singles in the U.S., including the GRAMMY-winning “Theme From Shaft.” The No. 1 hit also won an Academy Award in 1972, making the Covington native the first African American artist to bag an Oscar for non-acting work.
- 2013: Eydie Gormé passed away at 84 in Las Vegas, Nevada. While alive, Gormé was known for performing at nightclubs and on TV shows with her husband, Steve Lawrence. The duo's 1960 album, We Got Us, earned them a GRAMMY. Gormé's biggest solo hit was “Blame It On The Bossa Nova,” which climbed to No. 7 on Billboard's Hot 100.
- 2018: On YouTube, Doja Cat released her quirky single "Mooo!" The song went viral on social media and quickly became a meme.
From chart-topping hits and influential album releases to unforgettable performances and industry milestones, Aug. 10 has earned its place in music history. These moments continue to highlight the artists and songs that have shaped popular music across generations.
Dawn Palmer-QuaifeWriter
