This Day in Top 40 History: October 29

On Oct. 29, 2013, the Jonas Brothers announced that they would not continue as a band. The trio, consisting of Kevin, Joe, and Nick, had experienced a rapid rise to fame. By the time they announced their split, they had sold over 17 million albums worldwide, starred in a Disney Channel TV show and movie, and released four studio albums. Earlier in October 2013, the brothers had canceled 19 tour dates, citing creative differences and a deep rift. Much to the delight of fans, though, they reunited in 2019. Keep reading for more top 40 history from Oct. 29.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

From duets to record-breaking moments, Oct. 29 is a day to celebrate some of the greatest singles and albums:

• 1982: Pat Benatar’s fourth studio effort, Get Nervous, came out. It stalled at No. 4 in the U.S. and spawned three Top 40 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100, “Little Too Late,” “Shadows of the Night,” and “Looking for a Stranger.”
• 1983: The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd broke the record for the most weeks spent on the Billboard albums chart. Since its release, the album has spent a total of almost five years in the top 200.
• 1983: Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton reached No. 1 with their now-iconic duet, “Islands in the Stream.”
• 2010: Cheryl Cole issued Messy Little Raindrops, her sophomore album. The project, which featured guest vocals from Travie McCoy, will.i.am, and August Rigo, landed at No. 1 in the U.K. It also spawned the U.K. chart-topper “Promise This.”
• 2013: Toby Keith’s Drinks After Work was released, featuring “Little Miss Tear Stain,” and “Call a Marine.” The record reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the Top Country Albums Chart. 
• 2014: One Direction announced that “Night Changes” would be the second single from their fourth album, Four. The song was released two weeks later and was the band’s last single with Zayn Malik.
• 2015: Adele surpassed Miley Cyrus for the fastest video to reach 100 million views on Vevo, with her music video for “Hello” overtaking Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball.”
• 2021: Ed Sheeran launched his fifth studio LP, =. The record peaked at No. 1 on both the U.K. Official Albums Chart and the Billboard 200. It also delivered Top Five singles, “Shivers” and “Bad Habits.” 
• 2021: Megan Thee Stallion dropped Something for Thee Hotties, a 21-track compilation album that featured “Megan’s Piano,” “Megan Monday Freestyle,” and “God’s Favorite.” The project peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2022: Taylor Swift beat the existing record, held by Madonna, for the fastest female artist to reach nine No. 1 albums in the U.K. Swift accomplished this feat a week after the release of her 10th album, Midnights.

Cultural Milestones

There are many ways to measure success as a musical artist, from Tiny Desk virtuosity to ticket sales and beyond:

• 1961: Randy Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana. The ninth child of the historic Jackson family, he was part of The Jacksons, whose list of U.S. chart-toppers features “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” and “I’ll Be There.” Note that he joined the group after his brother Jermaine left. 
• 1972: Tracee Joy Silberstein, best known as Tracee Ellis Ross, was born to “Endless Love” singer Diana Ross and Robert Ellis Silberstein. Tracee is an award-winning actress who has played lead roles in shows such as Black-ish and Girlfriends. 
• 1976: Ireland native Mark Sheehan was born. He was a member of The Script, who are known for hits such as “Breakeven,” “For the First Time,” and “Hall of Fame.” Sheehan died at 46 in April 2023 following a short illness. 
• 1987: Tove Lo was born Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson in Stockholm, Sweden. The two-time GRAMMY nominee has scored several Top 40 singles in the U.S., including “Habits (Stay High),” “Talking Body,” and “Close,” her collaboration with Nick Jonas.
• 1987: David Bowie kicked off the Oceania leg of his Glass Spider Tour with a concert in Brisbane, Australia. The tour supported Bowie’s 17th album, Never Let Me Down.
• 2009: At New York City’s Madison Square Garden, a series of shows began to commemorate the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The concerts, which took place on October 30th as well, featured big names such as Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
• 2014: T-Pain fans were shocked when his Tiny Desk performance was released. The singer and rapper performed all three songs without Auto-Tune, and the concert video quickly went viral due to his singing prowess.
• 2019: Across the pond, Ed Sheeran became the richest celebrity under the age of 30. Daniel Radcliffe and Harry Styles took second and third, respectively.

Notable Recordings and Performances 

October 29 has seen many acts deliver memorable performances while on tour. These include: 

• 2004: Green Day played a 20-song set featuring “Holiday” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This show was part of their American Idiot Tour, which supported their No. 1 LP of the same name. 
• 2005: Gwen Stefani rocked the stage at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan, where she performed her No. 1 hit “Hollaback Girl,” “Wind It Up,” and other songs. She was on the Harajuku Lovers Tour, which included over 40 concerts across North America. 
• 2007: Miley Cyrus’ Best of Both Worlds Tour visited the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. When the Tennessee native took the stage, she performed songs such as “See You Again” and “Ready, Set, Don’t Go,” with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus. 

Whether you’re playing Midnights on repeat all day today or rewatching acoustic T-Pain, you can trust that each of these moments has left its mark on pop music.