July 26 has served up plenty of memorable moments in Top 40 history — starts, peaks, surprises.
Breakthrough hits and milestones
– 1968: The Jackson 5 signed their first one-year contract with Motown. Their first single followed the next year.
– 1975: The Eagles’ One of These Nights began a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart, boosting their international profile.
– 1980: The Rolling Stones’ Emotional Rescue started a seven-week stint at No. 1 in the U.S., their eighth chart-topping album.
Cultural moments
– 1928: Joseph Jackson, father and early manager of the Jackson family, was born in Arkansas. Under his management, the group scored multiple Top 40 hits.
– 1984: Purple Rain premiered in Hollywood. Prince starred as “The Kid,” a driven frontman of The Revolution, in a film inspired by his life and music.
– 2015: A Black Lives Matter event at Cleveland State University turned into a protest after police detained a 14-year-old. Activists accused officers of using excessive force and chanted Kendrick Lamar’s chorus in response; the song had reached No. 24 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Notable recordings and performances
– 1986: The Top Gun soundtrack began a three-week run at No. 1 in the U.S., featuring several hit songs.
– 1987: Billy Joel launched the Soviet leg of his The Bridge tour with a concert in Moscow and later released a live album from those shows.
– 2013: Taylor Swift continued to dominate pop headlines with major tours and chart success.
July 26 keeps turning up key moments in music — launches, landmark albums, and performances that mattered.
