Today in Tunes
On this day in music

December 13

10 moments from 1903 to 2013: 4 things that happened, 5 birthdays and 1 farewells.

Tune of the day
Hey Ya!
OutKast
Why today: 2003 · OutKast's "Hey Ya!" climbs to No. 1
Play on Spotify

What happened on December 13

  1. 192898 yrs ago
    HappenedClassical

    Gershwin's An American in Paris premieres with real taxi horns

    The New York Philharmonic played it at Carnegie Hall under Walter Damrosch. Gershwin had brought four real Paris taxi horns back with him for the score.

    Play on Spotify Source: An American in Paris - Wikipedia
  2. 198640 yrs ago
    HappenedPop

    "The Way It Is" takes over the top of the Hot 100

    Bruce Hornsby & the Range's hit replaced Peter Cetera and Amy Grant at No. 1, holding the spot for a week before the Bangles moved in.

    Play on Spotify Source: List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1986 - Wikipedia
  3. 200323 yrs ago
    HappenedHip-hop

    OutKast's "Hey Ya!" climbs to No. 1

    The single from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below stayed on top of the Hot 100 for nine weeks. It later won a Grammy and was up for Record of the Year.

    Play on Spotify Source: Hey Ya! - Wikipedia
  4. 201313 yrs ago
    HappenedR&B / Soul

    Beyoncé drops a surprise album overnight

    With no warning and no promotion, her self-titled album appeared on iTunes in the early morning. It still opened at No. 1, selling over 617,000 digital copies in three days.

    Play on Spotify Source: Beyoncé (album) - Wikipedia
  5. 1903123 yrs ago
    BornLatin

    Flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya is born

    He turned flamenco guitar into a concert music of its own, not just backing for dancers, and was the first flamenco guitarist to tour the world with orchestras.

    Play on Spotify Source: Carlos Montoya - Wikipedia
  6. 1912114 yrs ago
    BornLatin

    Brazil's accordion hero Luiz Gonzaga is born

    He carried the baião style and the accordion to a huge audience in Brazil. His 1947 recording "Asa Branca" has been covered by countless artists.

    Play on Spotify Source: Luiz Gonzaga - Wikipedia
  7. 195670 yrs ago
    BornR&B / Soul

    Morris Day of The Time is born

    As leader of the band The Time, he played himself in Prince's film Purple Rain. The Time's songs include "Jungle Love."

    Play on Spotify Source: Morris Day - Wikipedia
  8. 197551 yrs ago
    BornRock

    Blink-182's Tom DeLonge is born

    He co-founded Blink-182 as a singer and guitarist, later formed Angels & Airwaves in 2005, and later started a company devoted to UFO research.

    Play on Spotify Source: Tom DeLonge - Wikipedia
  9. 198937 yrs ago
    BornPop

    Taylor Swift is born in Pennsylvania

    She went on to become the first artist ever to win the Grammy for Album of the Year four times.

    Play on Spotify Source: Taylor Swift - Wikipedia
  10. 200224 yrs ago
    DiedRock

    Lovin' Spoonful guitarist Zal Yanovsky dies at 57

    After his years in the Lovin' Spoonful he swapped guitars for kitchens, running the restaurant Chez Piggy and a bakery in Kingston, Ontario.

    Play on Spotify Source: Zal Yanovsky - Wikipedia