EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY JANUARY 19 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day January 19 in 1959 – The Platters topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with their rendition of ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’. The song was a hit worldwide and it also reached No.1 in the UK, Italy, Australia, and Canada that year.
1963 – The Beatles performed ‘Please Please Me’ on the “Thank Your Lucky Stars” show in the UK. This was their debut appearance on national TV.
1967 – With ‘I’m a Believer’, The Monkees started a four-week stint at the top of the UK Singles chart on this day January 19 in music history. The song was a huge hit worldwide that year and it became a chart-topper in twelve other countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia.
1974 – Soul singer Al Wilson topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Show and Tell’. The hit single sold over two million copies that year and finished at No.15 on the Billboard year-end chart ranking.
1974 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day January 19 was ‘You Won’t Find Another Fool Like Me’ by the New Seekers.
1980 – With ‘Rock with You’, Michael Jackson hit number one in the US Billboard Hot 100 for the first of four consecutive weeks.
1980 – With their self-titled debut studio album, The Pretenders hit No.1 in the UK on this day January 19 for the first of four consecutive weeks. They also topped the UK Singles chart on this day with ‘Brass In Pocket’.
1980 – Pink Floyd started a fifteen-week stint at number one on the US Billboard 200 with their eleventh studio album ‘The Wall’. The album was a big hit worldwide that year and it also reached No.1 in ten other countries.
15 Pink Floyd Facts You May Have Not Known
1982 – Punk rock band Bad Religion released their debut studio album ‘How Could Hell Be Any Worse’ through Epitaph Records on this day January 19 in music history.
1985 – With ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’, Foreigner started a three-week run at number one on the UK Singles chart.
1985 – Bruce Springsteen went to number one in the US on this day January 19 with his seventh studio album ‘Born in the U.S.A’. He held the top spot for three weeks straight.
1985 – English singer and songwriter Alison Moyet reached the top spot on the UK Albums chart with her debut solo release ‘Alf’.
1991 – With ‘Love Will Never Do (Without You)’, Janet Jackson scored her fifth chart-topping single in the United States on this day January 19.
1991 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day was ‘Sadeness (Part I)’ by the German musical project Enigma.
1994 – Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on this day January 19: The Animals, The Band, Duane Eddy, The Grateful Dead, Elton John, John Lennon, Bob Marley and Rod Stewart.
Related: Metal Bands in the Hall of Fame
1998 – American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and rock and roll pioneer Carl Perkins died at the age of 65. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ and ‘Matchbox’.
2002 – Six months after her untimely death, American singer Aaliyah topped the UK Singles chart with ‘More Than a Woman’ on this day January 19.
2002 – With ‘U Got It Bad’, R&B singer Usher hit number one on the US Singles chart for the first of five consecutive weeks.
2002 – Welsh rock band Stereophonics reached No.1 in the UK on this day January 19 in music history for the first of three consecutive weeks with their third studio album ‘Just Enough Education to Perform’.
2006 – Influential soul and R&B singer-songwriter Wilson Pickett died at the age of 64 from a heart attack. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘In the Midnight Hour’, ‘Funky Broadway’, ‘Don’t Known My Love’, ‘Mustang Sally’ etc.
2007 – Singer and founding member of The Mamas and the Papas, Dennis “Denny” Doherty died on this day January 19, aged 66.
2008 – Swedish DJ Basshunter featuring DJ Mental Theo’s Bazzheadz hit No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Now You’re Gone’ for the first of five consecutive weeks.
2008 – With their seventh studio album ‘In Rainbows’, British rock band Radiohead topped the US Billboard 200 chart on this day January 19. The album also reached No.1 in Canada, France, Ireland, and the UK that year.
2008 – Scottish singer and songwriter Amy Macdonald went to number one in the UK with her debut studio album ‘This Is the Life’.
2013 – American musician Stephen “Steve” Knight died on this day January 19, aged 77 of complications from Parkinson’s disease. Best known for his work as a keyboardist with the rock band Mountain.
2013 – With ‘Scream & Shout’, will.i.am and Britney Spears started a two-week run at the top of the UK Singles chart.
will.i.am ft Britney Spears – Scream & Shout
2013 – The soundtrack album ‘Les Misérables’ to the musical film of the same name reached number one in the US on this day January 19 in music history.
2017 – With ‘Shape Of You’, Ed Sheeran started a remarkable thirteen-week stint at number one in the United Kingdom.
2019 – The number one single in the United States on this day January 19 was ‘Sunflower’ by Post Malone and Swae Lee.
2019 – With his second studio album ‘Hoodie SZN’, rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie started a two-week run at No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
BORN ON THIS DAY JANUARY 19 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1939 – One half of the country-rock duo The Everly Brothers, Philip “Phil” Everly was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on this day January 19 music history.
1942 – British tenor and actor Michael Smith also known professionally as Michael Crawford was born on this day in Salisbury, England.
1943 – Singer and songwriter Janis Joplin was born on this day January 19 in Port Arthur, Texas. She rose to fame as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company before establishing herself as a solo artist.
1946 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dolly Parton was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee. Best known for scoring 25 number one singles in the US, including songs such as ‘Jolene’, ‘9 to 5’, ‘I Will Always Love You’, etc.
1947 – British singer Roderic “Rod” Evans was born on this day January 19 in Eton, England. He came to prominence as the original lead singer of Deep Purple.
10 Fun Facts about Deep Purple
1949 – Singer-songwriter and record producer Robert Palmer was born on this day in Batley, England. Besides his successful solo career, he’s also known for his work with bands such as Vinegar Joe and The Power Station.
1951 – Lead singer of the new wave band The Motels, Martha Davis was born in Berkeley, California on this day January 19 in music history.
1952 – Guitarist and singer-songwriter Merton “Dewey” Bunnell was born in Harrogate, England. Best known for his work with the rock band America.
1963 – Singer and founding member of the vocal group Brown Sugar, Caron Wheeler was born on this day January 19 in London, England.
1971 – John Wozniak – founding member, lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band Marcy Playground was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
1992 – American rapper and singer-songwriter Malcom McCormick also known professionally as Mac Miller was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on this day January 19 in music history.