This Day in Top 40 History: July 17

Robbie Williams performs live on stage during the Heroes Concert at Twickenham Stadium wearing an all black ensemble

Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images

On July 17, 1992, Guns N' Roses and Metallica began their joint North American stadium tour. As one of the longest tours in rock history, the two legendary bands kicked things off in a big way. Keep reading for more Top 40 history from July 17.

Cultural Milestones

From festivals and soundtracks to disrupted boy bands, these moments from July 17 influenced the music scene:

1954: The very first Newport Jazz Festival took place in Newport, Rhode Island. The festival has hosted a range of musicians over the years, including Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone, both of whom had songs that reached the Billboard Top 40.
1967: John Coltrane, jazz saxophonist and composer, died at age 40. Coltrane played regularly with Miles Davis and released several successful jazz albums of his own.
1995: Robbie Williams decided to leave his band, Take That, in the middle of their Nobody Else tour. While Williams had a successful solo career, he rejoined the band briefly in 2010.

Notable Recordings and Performances

Landmark performances and hit singles released on July 17 left their mark on the music industry, including the following:

1962: The King, Elvis Presley, released "She's Not You." The song reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.
1965: James Brown released "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," which spent two months at the top of the Billboard R&B chart and became his first top 10 crossover hit on the pop chart. This song is widely regarded as a cornerstone of funk music and its evolution.
1967: The Beatles release "All You Need Is Love" in the U.S. The song skyrocketed to No. 1, becoming the band's 14th song to reach this milestone.
1975: Bob Marley and the Wailers performed a concert in London. The concert was recorded and released as the album Live!
1993: Guns N' Roses wrapped up their two-year Use Your Illusion Tour in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Bandmates Axl and Slash would not share the stage again until 2016.
2011: Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance during a tribute to Clarence Clemons in New Jersey. He performed in honor of his late friend and E Street Band saxophonist.
2012: The soundtrack to The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan's Batman movie, was released. Composed by Hans Zimmer, the soundtrack reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 album chart.