This Day in Top 40 History: November 28
On Nov. 28, 2017, Taylor Swift was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards. One was for her contributions to Little Big Town’s country hit “Better Man.” The other was for her…
On Nov. 28, 2017, Taylor Swift was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards. One was for her contributions to Little Big Town's country hit "Better Man." The other was for her collaboration with Zayn from One Direction on "I Don't Wanna Live Forever." Neither of these nominations resulted in a trophy, but Swift has nothing to worry about when it comes to collecting GRAMMYs. Keep reading for more Top 40 history from Nov. 28.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
A chart topper can often cement an artist's status in the music industry, as these examples prove:
- 1992: Whitney Houston soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with her cover of Dolly Parton's country hit "I Will Always Love You." Houston's cover dominated the Hot 100 for 14 consecutive weeks. The song topped charts around the world and became the highest-selling single by a female artist.
- 2020: Nearly 20 years after their last No. 1 album, AC/DC proved their dominance when Power Up topped the Billboard 200. It was the band's 17th album.
Cultural Milestones
Here are two cultural milestones from Nov. 28:
- 1987: After the release of the movie Dirty Dancing, the soundtrack became a huge hit. Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes reached No. 1 on this day with their contribution to the film: "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life."
- 1991: Nirvana's performance on Top Of The Pops aired on the BBC. During the performance, Cobain sang "Smells Like Teen Spirit" an octave lower than normal to protest being asked to lip sync.
Notable Recordings and Performances
These live performances set the bar for future performers:
- 1974: John Lennon surprised the crowd at an Elton John concert for a series of songs. John and Lennon performed three songs together, including their duet "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night." Lennon was invited to join the show because John had promised they could perform together if that song topped the charts.
- 2000: Madonna played a show at the Brixton Academy in England. It was the singer's first concert in England since 1993, and an estimated 9 million viewers tuned in to watch the live stream.
- 2004: Metallica wrapped up their Madly in Anger with the World Tour in San Jose, California. The international tour brought in over $60 million with ticket sales alone.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The music industry is always changing. Here are two examples:
- 1929: Berry Gordy Jr., founder of Motown Records, was born. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
- 2023: Someone paid £89,000 for David Bowie's handwritten lyrics. The lyrics included annotations, notes, and drafts as Bowie wrote "Rock n Roll Suicide" and "Suffragette City."
From GRAMMY nominations to world tours, Nov. 28 has a little music history for fans of every genre.
