On August 13, 2012, Taylor Swift kicked off her Red era with the release of “We Are Never Getting Back Together.” The album was nominated for Record of the Year at the 55th GRAMMY Awards, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and spent 24 weeks on the chart.
This date has seen many significant moments in music history. In 1965, The Beatles released their Help! album in the U.S., featuring hits like “Help!” and “Ticket To Ride.” Fast forward to 2013, when Luke Bryan’s country album Crash My Party topped the Billboard 200. In 2022, Beyoncé’s Renaissance debuted at No. 1, making her the first female solo artist to achieve this with all seven of her albums.
Cultural events also shaped this day. In 1967, Joan Baez had to cancel her concert in Washington, D.C., due to protests over her anti-war stance. In 2004, Björk performed “Oceania” at the Athens Summer Olympics, using her dress as a canvas for a world map. In 2017, David Bowie made a posthumous cameo in the Twin Peaks revival through archival footage.
Notable recordings include The Supremes’ “Baby Love,” which they recorded in 1964 and topped the charts the next month. Fleetwood Mac made their live debut in 1967 at the National Jazz and Blues Festival. In 1994, Woodstock ’94 featured performances by The Cranberries and Aerosmith, despite heavy rain and mud.
The music industry has also faced changes. In 1955, Savoy Records required artists to get permission from the U.S. Copyright Office for cover songs. In 1966, a Texas radio station held a Beatles Bonfire after John Lennon’s controversial remark about the band’s popularity.
