On Oct. 15, 2021, Benson Boone announced that he had signed with Night Street Records after leaving American Idol. Boone has released two albums with this label, including Fireworks & Rollerblades and American Heart. His sophomore album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, largely due to his increasing popularity on social media. Keep reading for more Top 40 history from Oct. 15.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Whether you garner success from American Idol or by covering a Neil Diamond song, the charts don’t lie:
- 1977: Debby Boone began a record-breaking 10-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her song “You Light Up My Life.” At the time, it was the longest a single had ever spent at the top.
- 1988: New Jersey by Bon Jovi reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, where it stayed for four consecutive weeks. The hit album included enduring rock classics such as “Bad Medicine” and “Born to Be My Baby.”
- 1988: With their cover of Neil Diamond’s “Red Red Wine,” UB40 snagged the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The cover is now one of UB40’s most identifiable songs.
- 2016: Halsey and the Chainsmokers dominated the charts with their song “Closer.” It spent a total of 12 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
- 2022: “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy was at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second week. It was the second single from Lacy’s album Gemini Rights.
Cultural Milestones
These moments from Oct. 15 highlight how music continues to permeate the culture that surrounds it:
- 1946: Richard Carpenter was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He’s best known as one half of The Carpenters, who placed 15 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart. The duo also bagged three GRAMMYs.
- 1953: Tito Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana. He was a member of The Jackson 5, who scored four consecutive No. 1 singles, including “I’ll Be There” and “I Want You Back,” in the U.S. The Under Your Spell artist died from a heart attack in September 2024.
- 1981: Keyshia Myeshia Johnson, better known as Keyshia Cole, was born in Oakland, California. She’s a four-time GRAMMY nominee with multiple Top 40 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100. Notable titles include “I Remember” and “I Should Have Cheated.”
- 1997: Michael Jackson wrapped up his HIStory World Tour in South Africa. During the tour, Jackson played 82 shows to over 4 million fans around the world.
- 2003: In New York City, the Louis Armstrong House Museum opened to the public in the jazz musician’s former residence.
- 2007: Britney Spears was photographed and fingerprinted at a Los Angeles police station in relation to a hit-and-run incident from earlier in the month.
Notable Recordings and Performances
These performances from October 15 allowed artists to flaunt their musical talent and support various albums.
- 2011: At the Hollywood Bowl in California, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, and Usher took the stage. This event served as a belated 65th birthday party for Bill Clinton and the 10th anniversary celebration of the William J. Clinton Foundation.
- 2013: To support their No. 1 record Lightning Bolt, Pearl Jam brought the house down at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. Some of the tracks they sang were “Long Road” and “Mind Your Manners.”
- 2021: John Legend performed “All of Me,” “Green Light,” and “Ordinary People” at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. This concert was part of the Bigger Love Tour, which supported his Top 20 album of the same name.
- 2022: Carrie Underwood launched her Denim & Rhinestones Tour at Greenville’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena in South Carolina. This trek, which promoted her No. 10 ninth studio LP, saw her play over 40 more concerts across the U.S.
- 2024: Kehlani’s Crash World Tour, which supported her No. 25 album of the same name and featured over 50 shows, stopped at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado. During this concert, she played a 31-song setlist that included “Nights Like This” and “Sucia.”
Industry Changes and Challenges
From deaths to final performances, October 15 has seen various industry changes and challenges.
- 1999: Terry Gilkyson of The Easy Riders, who scored a U.S. Top 10 hit with “Marianne,” died in Austin, Texas. Gilkyson also penned “Memories Are Made of This,” which became a chart-topper for Dean Martin, and the Brothers Four’s No. 2 single “Green Fields.”
- 2014: At Blueberry Hill in St. Louis, Missouri, “My Ding-A-Ling” hitmaker Chuck Berry played what would be his final concert, just three days before celebrating his 88th birthday. His children, Charles Berry Jr. and Ingrid Berry, joined him on stage.
- 2020: Dave Munden died at 76. He was a member of The Tremeloes, who covered hits by Top 40 acts such as The Four Seasons and Elvis Presley. The group landed over 20 U.K. Top 40 singles, including chart-toppers “Do You Love Me” and “Silence Is Golden.”
- 2020: Gordon Haskell passed away at 74. He played with bands such as Fleur De Lys and King Crimson. As a solo artist, his most notable hit was “How Wonderful You Are,” which climbed to No. 2 on the U.K. Singles Chart.
Musicians aren’t just artists; they’re culture creators. These events from Oct. 15 reveal how interconnected pop music is with the rest of the world.
