This Day in Top 40 History: October 18
On Oct. 18, 2008, Adele made her first appearance on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest. She performed two songs from her debut album, 19: “Chasing Pavements” and “Cold…
On Oct. 18, 2008, Adele made her first appearance on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest. She performed two songs from her debut album, 19: "Chasing Pavements" and "Cold Shoulder." The performance on the late night show launched Adele to stardom in the United States, significantly boosting her album sales and helping it jump nearly 30 spots on the Billboard 200. Adele also appeared on the show in 2015 and 2020. Keep reading for more Top 40 history from Oct. 18.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Whether you're nearing 70 or breaking 70-year-old records, there's always an opportunity to make a name for yourself in the music industry:
- 2008: T.I. held the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna and "Whatever You Like."
- 2024: In the United Kingdom, Sabrina Carpenter became the first artist in over 70 years to spend 20 weeks at No. 1 in a single year. Her songs "Taste," "Espresso," and "Please Please Please" helped her achieve this feat.
Cultural Milestones
Musicians are always taking inspiration from those that came before — just take Morrissey and Joni Mitchell, for example:
- 1987: Zac Efron was born. Efron starred in the High School Musical movie franchise, as well as in Hairspray. The soundtrack of the latter film peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
- 1996: Morrissey interviewed Joni Mitchell to promote her two compilation albums, Hits and Misses. The interview was released to radio stations as part of the albums' promotion and was released in full in 1997.
- 2007: The Spice Girls announced that their Greatest Hits album would be available exclusively at Victoria's Secret for two months before it was widely released. This promotional strategy was part of the famous Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, where the Spice Girls performed.
- 2021: Kanye West officially changed his name to Ye, his longtime nickname.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Would you rather see an early Jackson 5 live performance or witness Miley Cyrus perform in character as Hannah Montana? These performances took place on Oct. 18:
- 1969: One week after releasing "I Want You Back," the Jackson 5 made their national TV debut during a live broadcast of Hollywood Palace. The song would eventually top the charts in early 1970.
- 2007: Miley Cyrus kicked off the Best of Both Worlds Tour in St. Louis, Missouri. She performed the first half of each show as Hannah Montana, and the Jonas Brothers were the opening act.
The events of Oct. 18 show how things may change over the decades, but much of the Top 40 music industry stays the same.
