On January 13, 2017, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee released “Despacito.” The song dominated Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart for 35 weeks. When Justin Bieber joined for a remix, it exploded in the U.S., topping the Hot 100 and staying on the chart for an impressive 52 weeks. As of now, the original “Despacito” has nearly 9 billion views on YouTube.
This date has seen many memorable music moments:
– 1964: Bob Dylan’s album “The Times They Are a-Changin'” hit stores, reaching No. 4 in the U.K. The title track made it into the Top 10 on the Singles chart.
– 2014: Shakira released “Can’t Remember to Forget You,” featuring Rihanna. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and cracked the Top 20 in both the U.K. and U.S.
– 2015: Mark Ronson’s album “Uptown Special” debuted, hitting No. 5 on the Billboard 200. It included the hit “Uptown Funk,” featuring Bruno Mars, which topped the Hot 100.
– 2017: The xx released their third album, “I See You,” which reached No. 1 in the U.K. The standout track made it into the Top 40 on the U.K. Singles chart.
– 2023: Miley Cyrus dropped “Flowers,” a No. 1 single from her album “Endless Summer Vacation,” which peaked at No. 3 in the U.S.
Notable performances on this date include Johnny Cash’s iconic concert at Folsom State Prison in 1968 and Aretha Franklin’s live recording at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in 1972.
Tragically, January 13 also marks the deaths of influential artists Donny Hathaway in 1979 and GRAMMY winner Jo-El Sonnier in 2024.
