On January 20, 2021, Lady Gaga wowed the crowd by singing the U.S. National Anthem at the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. After her performance, Jennifer Lopez took the stage and delivered a lovely version of “This Land Is Your Land,” mixing in some lyrics from her own hit. That night, big names like Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen, and John Legend also performed at the Celebrating America concert to honor the new president and vice president.
This date has seen some major music milestones over the years. In 1964, The Beatles released their first album, Meet The Beatles!, which topped the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 74 weeks. It included hits like “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” which reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.
In 1975, Bob Dylan released Blood on the Tracks, which peaked at No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 4 in the U.K. The album featured the hit “Tangled Up in Blue.”
Def Leppard’s Pyromania came out in 1983, hitting the Top Five on the Billboard 200 and producing hits like “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages.”
In 2015, The Decemberists released What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, which included tracks that made it into the Top 10 in the U.S.
January 20 has also seen its share of challenges. In 1982, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat on stage, thinking it was a prop, and had to get a rabies shot afterward. In 2012, Etta James passed away from leukemia, leaving behind a legacy of Top 40 hits.
This date has been significant for many artists, marking both memorable performances and important album releases.
