This Day in Top 40 History: December 9
On Dec. 9, 1969, Bob Dylan, the first artist to produce a Top 40 album in each decade since the 1960s, became a father, this time to his youngest child,…
On Dec. 9, 1969, Bob Dylan, the first artist to produce a Top 40 album in each decade since the 1960s, became a father, this time to his youngest child, Jakob Dylan. Unsurprisingly, Jakob would follow in his father's footsteps and pursue music. He's the lead singer of The Wallflowers, the band whose pool of Top 10 hits includes "One Headlight" and "6th Avenue Heartache."
Dec. 9 has seen more Top 40 history events, such as exciting shows, album releases, and arrests. Let's fill you in.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These historic albums from Dec. 9 spawned many Top 40 hits:
- 2016: J. Cole dropped his fourth consecutive No. 1 album, 4 Your Eyez Only. Its first-week sales exceeded 350,000, and even better, all 10 tracks from the project cracked the Top 40 on the Hot 100. Some of these were "Deja Vu" and "Immortal," which landed at No. 7 and No. 11, respectively.
- 2022: SZA launched her highly anticipated second studio album, SOS. Like J. Cole's 4 Your Eyez Only, this project was a massive success as it debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart. Besides, at least 20 of its 23 tracks appeared on the Hot 100, and five made the Top 10. The list included Top 20 hits such as "Kill Bill," "Shirt," "Nobody Gets Me," and "Blind."
Cultural Milestones
Here are some memorable Top 40 cultural events from Dec. 9:
- 1992: "My Sweet Lord" singer George Harrison received the inaugural Billboard Century Award during the Billboard Music Awards, which took place at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California. Tom Petty presented the accolade to the ex-Beatle, and Petty would later receive the same award in 2005.
- 2019: The Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert, which raises funds to protect the world's rainforests, happened at New York City's Beacon Theatre. As expected, this event featured a star-studded lineup, including big names such as Bruce Springsteen, who has placed almost 20 songs on the U.K. Top 40.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Dec. 9 has seen these notable challenges:
- 1967: The Doors' Jim Morrison was arrested at his own show after a police officer on the band's security team caught him making out with one of his female supporters backstage and ordered him to leave. Apparently, the officer didn't recognize him, but he apologized after realizing who Morrison was. An angry Morrison would then lash out on stage, referring to the officer who had put him in cuffs as a "little blue pig."
- 2002: The Vines, known for hits such as "Ride" and "Get Free," were forced to leave The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after their frontman, Craig Nicholls, destroyed their equipment in the middle of a sound check. By the end of the episode, the set was filled with debris, so NBC had to cancel the show. Nicholls has Asperger syndrome, which, according to some sources, contributed to his erratic and unpredictable behavior.
Another interesting moment from Dec. 9 was Kanye West and Drake's reunion in 2021. They put their differences aside and performed together at the Free Larry Hoover benefit concert in Los Angeles. The show was meant to spread awareness about prison and sentencing reform.
