This Day in Top 40 History: November 4
On Nov. 4, 1961, a very young Bob Dylan made his headlining debut with a performance at the Carnegie Chapter Hall in New York City. There were over 50 people…
Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
On Nov. 4, 1961, a very young Bob Dylan made his headlining debut with a performance at the Carnegie Chapter Hall in New York City. There were over 50 people in attendance, including many of his friends who paid $2 for their tickets. Dylan would go on to have a record-breaking career. Here's some more Top 40 history on this day.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
The songs and albums released on Nov. 4 show how much artists change and grow throughout their careers:
- 1970: David Bowie released his third album, The Man Who Sold the World, in the United States. This album marks Bowie's artistic shift from an acoustic, folky sound to hard and blues rock.
- 1989: Elton John released "Sacrifice," which became his 50th chart-topping hit. Only two other artists had accomplished this feat: Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard.
- 1997: Shania Twain released Come On Over. As Twain's third studio album, it featured a record-breaking 12 singles, including her seminal track "That Don't Impress Me Much."
- 2019: Harry Styles announced his upcoming album, Fine Line. It was released in December of the same year, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Cultural Milestones
Here are some cultural milestones from this day:
- 1995: Michael Jackson debuted his new single, "Earth Song," during a German television program called Wetten, dass..?, with 25 million people in Germany watching the broadcast.
- 2009: Gwen Stefani and the rest of No Doubt sued the makers of the video game Band Hero for unauthorized use of the band's name, image, and likeness. After three years, the suit was finally settled in 2012.
- 2021: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo both took to social media to announce that they had been cast as Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked. The pair sang live for much of the filming, and the movie soundtrack peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2024.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Each of these Nov. 4 shows left an impression on the audiences:
- 1967: Pink Floyd played the last of three shows scheduled in San Francisco, California, with this one at the Winterland Auditorium. It was part of the band's first live appearance in the United States.
- 1984: Prince kicked off his Purple Rain Tour with a show in Detroit, Michigan. Prince played seven shows at the Joe Louis Arena before moving to the next location on the tour. It was also the live debut of Prince's band, The Revolution.
- 2018: Childish Gambino, the stage name of Donald Glover, performed in London. The show's opener was performed by H.E.R., and it was Gambino's largest U.K. concert to date.
From debut concerts to record-breaking singles, Nov. 4 was one for the pop history books.
Megan ZahndWriter
