On January 6, 2017, Ed Sheeran released “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill” as the lead singles from his third album, ÷. “Shape of You” topped the Billboard Hot 100, while “Castle on the Hill” reached No. 2. Their success helped ÷ reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. This date has seen other significant moments in music history.
In 1976, Peter Frampton released his double live album, Frampton Comes Alive!, which became a huge hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and producing three Top 20 singles, including “Show Me the Way.” In 2015, Rae Sremmurd debuted with SremmLife, featuring tracks like “No Type” and “Black Beatles,” which made it to the Top 40.
Culturally, January 6 has its highlights. In 1951, Kim Wilson, frontman of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, was born in Detroit. The band is known for hits like “Tuff Enuff.” In 1957, Elvis Presley made his final appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, performing hits like “Hound Dog” while only being shown from the waist up due to censorship. Fast forward to 2019, Kanye West kicked off his Sunday Service series in California, performing a gospel version of “Ultralight Beam” with stars like DMX and Tyler, The Creator in attendance.
The music industry has also faced challenges on this date. In 1986, Rob Halford of Judas Priest began his sobriety journey after battling addiction. He has been sober for nearly 40 years, contributing to the band’s success, which includes four Top 40 singles in the UK. In 1987, Elton John underwent throat surgery in Australia.
