This Day in Top 40 History: December 18
On Dec. 18, 2011, “Story of My Life” singers One Direction performed their first show at the Watford Colosseum in England. Although they thought it was a flop, it set…
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On Dec. 18, 2011, “Story of My Life” singers One Direction performed their first show at the Watford Colosseum in England. Although they thought it was a flop, it set the wheels in motion for them to become one of the biggest boy bands ever. One Direction achieved nine U.K. Top 40 hits and 13 Top 40 singles on the Hot 100 before they broke up in 2016.
Keep reading to discover more interesting Top 40 historical events from this day.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These albums that were unveiled on Dec. 18 delivered a number of Top 40 hits:
- 1967: The Beach Boys released their 13th studio album, Wild Honey. While the title track reached No. 31 on Billboard's Hot 100, the record's “Darlin'” peaked at No. 19 on the same chart.
- 2007: Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains came out, featuring guest appearances from USHER and Ludacris. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while the single “Just Fine” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 22 on the Hot 100 chart.
Cultural Milestones
Here are some of the Top 40 cultural moments that Dec. 18 has witnessed:
- 1964: Sam Cooke's open casket funeral was held in Chicago, with about 200,000 fans lining up to pay their last respects. Bertha Franklin, the Hacienda Motel's manager at the time, had killed the “You Send Me” singer on Dec. 11 after he allegedly assaulted her and tried to harass a guest.
- 1980: Christina Aguilera was born in Staten Island, New York. After starring in Disney Channel's The All-New Mickey Mouse Club with Top 40 artists such as Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, she enjoyed a successful pop career, releasing many Top 10 hits, including “Lady Marmalade” and “What a Girl Wants.”
- 2001: Billie Eilish was born in Los Angeles, California. At 13, she recorded her first hit, “Ocean Eyes,” marking the beginning of a thriving music career that has seen her score multiple Top 10 singles on the Hot 100 and the U.K. Singles Chart, including “Happier Than Ever,” “everything i wanted,” and “Bury A Friend.”
Industry Changes and Challenges
Dec. 18 has hosted the following notable changes and challenges:
- 2014: Larry Henley died at 77 due to complications of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. As a member of The Newbeats, he contributed to the recording of the group's biggest hits, including “Run Baby Run” and “Bread and Butter,” which landed at No. 10 and No. 15, respectively, on the U.K. Singles Chart.
- 2016: “Work from Home” hitmakers Fifth Harmony announced that Camila Cabello had left the group. The remaining members, Lauren, Normani, Ally, and Dinah, continued performing together but went on an indefinite hiatus in 2018 to pursue solo careers, with Normani scoring four and Cabello scoring eight Top 40 hits on the Hot 100.
Other Top 40 artists celebrate their birthdays on Dec. 18, including Sia and Alejandro Sanz.
Dawn Palmer-QuaifeWriter
