This Day in Top 40 History: September 30
On Sept. 30, 2021, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett released their second collaborative album, Love For Sale. This was Bennett’s 61st and final album, and he became the oldest artist…
On Sept. 30, 2021, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett released their second collaborative album, Love For Sale. This was Bennett's 61st and final album, and he became the oldest artist to release an album with entirely new music. Lady Gaga and Bennett reprised old Broadway hits and added a unique twist to classic favorites. Love for Sale was nominated for Album of the Year at the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Keep reading for more top 40 history from Sept. 30.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
On Sept. 30, these hit singles, albums, and music videos were released:
- 1995: "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was only the second single to debut at the top of the chart — the first was "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson.
- 2008: Robin Thicke's third album, Something Else, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. It included three singles: "Magic," "The Sweetest Love," and "Dreamworld."
- 2008: T.I. released his No. 1 sixth studio effort, Paper Trail. This project featured guest appearances from Rihanna, John Legend, and other Top 40 artists. Additionally, it spawned several Top Five hits, including chart-toppers “Live Your Life” and “Whatever You Like.”
- 2011: The music video for Adele's song "Someone Like You" was posted on YouTube. The video has surpassed 2 billion views.
- 2014: Ariana Grande released "Love Me Harder" as the fourth single from her album My Everything. The song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified 5x Platinum.
- 2016: Regina Spektor issued her seventh studio LP, Remember Us to Life. The record reached No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and delivered tracks such as “Bleeding Heart” and “The Trapper and The Furrier.”
- 2016: Solange unveiled her third studio LP, A Seat at the Table. This album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 and spent a week at the top. Tracks from this project included “Don't Touch My Hair” and “Mad,” which featured Lil Wayne.
Cultural Milestones
Cultural milestones associated with Sept. 30 include:
- 1933: Emily Drinkard, better known as Cissy Houston, was born in Newark, New Jersey. She sang backup for many Top 40 artists, including Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley. Besides, she was the mother of “I Will Always Love You” singer Whitney Houston.
- 1955: James Dean was killed in a car accident. While he wasn't a musician, Dean has been mentioned in countless songs, including "James Dean" by the Eagles and "Style" by Taylor Swift.
- 1958: Marty Stuart was born in Mississippi. He joined his first group, The Sullivans, when he was only 12. Stuart would later collaborate with Johnny Cash and place Top 10 hits such as “This One's Gonna Hurt You” and “Tempted” on Billboard's Hot Country Songs Chart.
- 1964: Robby Takac was born in Buffalo, New York. Takac started pursuing music while still in college. Today, he is best known as a founding member of the Goo Goo Dolls, who have Top 10 hits such as “Iris” and “Name” under their belt.
- 1984: "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" singer T-Pain was born in Tallahassee, Florida. T-Pain's real name is Faheem Najm.
- 1988: John Lennon, the ex-Beatle behind Top Five singles such as “(Just Like) Starting Over” and “Woman,” was awarded a posthumous star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. This honor recognized Lennon's undeniable impact on the recording industry.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Sept. 30 has witnessed some memorable tour performances featuring established and budding artists, such as:
- 1987: Fleetwood Mac kicked off their Shake the Cage Tour with a show in Kansas City, Missouri. It was the band's first tour since 1974 without Lindsey Buckingham, who left the band in August 1987 and didn't return until 1997.
- 2017: Chappell Roan joined Vance Joy on his Lay It On Me Tour as the opening act. She performed songs from her EP School Nights, which was released on Sept. 22, 2017.
- 2022: Bad Bunny's World's Hottest Tour stopped at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. At this venue, he played a 38-song setlist that featured U.S. Top 20 hits such as “Moscow Mule,” “Tití Me Preguntó,” and “Yonaguni.”
- 2023: Nickelback lit up the stage at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Among the titles on their 16-song setlist were “Rockstar” and “How You Remind Me.” The band was on their Get Rollin' Tour, which promoted their No. 30 tenth studio LP.
- 2024: Gracie Abrams performed “Felt Good About You,” “I Love You, I'm Sorry,” and other songs at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta, Georgia. This show was part of The Secret of Us Tour, which supported her No. 2 record of the same name.
Industry Changes and Challenges
On Sept. 30, the music industry faced these changes and challenges:
- 1969: Christine Hinton, the long-time girlfriend of “Immigration Man” singer David Crosby, died in a car accident. Hinton was taking their cats to the veterinarian when one of the household pets jumped onto her, causing her to lose control and collide with an oncoming school bus.
- 2002: The provocative music video for Christina Aguilera's single "Dirrty" premiered on MTV. It completely altered Aguilera's previous image as a bubblegum pop artist.
- 2010: Yoko Ono, John Lennon's wife, decided to close the John Lennon Museum in Japan after 10 years.
- 2011: Marv Tarplin died in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 70. Tarplin was a member of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, whose “The Tears of a Clown” hit No. 1 in the U.S. and the U.K. Tarplin collaborated with “Let's Get It On” singer Marvin Gaye as well.
On Sept. 30, T-Pain was born, who's now an influential genre-bending music artist. Several unforgettable hits were released on this day, and music fans enjoyed live performances by Fleetwood Mac and Chappell Roan.
Dawn Palmer-QuaifeWriter
