On July 15, 2002, Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney topped the year’s earnings after a hugely successful U.S. tour. Here are more music moments that shaped the industry on this date.
Breakthrough hits and milestones
– 1972: Elton John’s Honky Chateau hit No. 1 in the U.S., driven by a big single. It launched his run of chart-topping albums in America.
– 1978: The Rolling Stones’ Some Girls began a two-week stay at No. 1 in the U.S. The album mixed rock with disco influences and became a global hit.
– 1997: Missy Elliott released her debut, Supa Dupa Fly. It opened at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Its sound still influences rap and R&B.
Cultural milestones
– 1946: Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson, Arizona. She went on to score multiple Top 10 hits and win 11 Grammys.
– 1948: Thomas Delmer “Artimus” Pyle was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He’s best known as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s drummer and survived the band’s deadly 1977 plane crash.
– 1977: Ray Toro was born in Kearny, New Jersey. He co-founded My Chemical Romance, known for Top 40 hits that helped define 2000s rock.
– 2010: Robbie Williams reunited with Take That for their sixth album, Progress. The album and tour were huge, though he didn’t stay for the next two records.
– 2011: For the Adult Contemporary chart’s 50th anniversary, Billboard named Savage Garden’s “Truly Madly Deeply” the top AC song of all time.
Notable recordings and performances
– 1983: The movie Staying Alive hit theaters with five new Bee Gees songs on the soundtrack.
– 1989: Pink Floyd played a free concert in Venice watched live by 200,000 people and broadcast to about 100 million viewers worldwide.
