This Day in Top 40 History: January 10
Rod Stewart commemorates his birthday on Jan. 10. Born in London, England, he began his career as a member of bands such as The Jeff Beck Group and Faces. These…
Rod Stewart commemorates his birthday on Jan. 10. Born in London, England, he began his career as a member of bands such as The Jeff Beck Group and Faces. These groups led him to tour the world and release several hits, but all of that pales in comparison to his accomplishments as a solo artist. He has charted over 15 Top 10 hits on Billboard's Hot 100, including "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?," which reached No. 1.
Keep reading for more highlights in Top 40 history from Jan. 10.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Among the many albums and singles released on Jan. 10, these continue to appeal to music lovers worldwide:
- 1989: Lou Reed launched his 15th solo album, New York, which landed at No. 40 on the Billboard 200 chart, but performed much better on the U.K. Albums chart, peaking at No. 14. This record also spawned "Dirty Blvd.," topping the Modern Rock Tracks chart and becoming Reed's first No. 1 single on a Billboard chart.
- 2020: Halsey released "You Should Be Sad," which is from her album Manic. The track resonated with her fans due to its emotional honesty and empowering message, so it wasn't surprising that it cracked the Top 40 on the Hot 100. However, it stalled at No. 26.
Cultural Milestones
The music community enjoyed many great Top 40 cultural moments from Jan. 10, including:
- 1997: Honoring his impact on the music industry and legacy, James Brown's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled. The singer's notable feats include more than 15 No. 1 singles on the Billboard R&B chart and a Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY Award in 1992.
- 2009: Fergie, and actor Josh Duhamel got married in Malibu, California. Their son, Axl Jack, was born in August 2013. However, in 2017, the couple separated, and they finalized their divorce in November 2019.
Industry Changes and Challenges
These changes and challenges happened on Jan. 10:
- 2016: David Bowie, known for his No. 1 hits "Let's Dance" and "Fame," died from liver cancer in New York after battling the disease privately for 18 months. Despite that, Bowie continued to work on his music, releasing his final album, Blackstar, two days before he passed away.
- 2018: Motorhead's "Fast" Eddie Clarke died from pneumonia. He contributed to many U.K. Top 40 singles, such as "Ace of Spades" and "Iron Fist." Clarke was the only remaining member of the band's original lineup, which also included Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and Lemmy Kilmister.
- 2025: Sam Moore died at the age of 89 while recovering from a recent surgery. His family didn't reveal further details about his illness. As one half of Sam & Dave, Moore released three U.K. Top 40 singles, including "Soul Sister Brown Sugar" and "Soul Man." His music influenced Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Al Green, and other popular artists.
As we've witnessed, Jan. 10 has hosted some of the most consequential moments in Top 40 history. This explains why it's such a memorable date.
