What happened on January 31
-
197056 yrs ago
The Jackson 5 reach No. 1 with "I Want You Back"
Their first Motown single, sung by 11-year-old Michael Jackson, became the first of four straight chart-toppers for the brothers. The song had first been meant for Gladys Knight & the Pips.
-
197650 yrs ago
Ohio Players hit No. 1 with "Love Rollercoaster"
The funk band's single spent one week at the top of the Hot 100 before Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" replaced it.
-
198145 yrs ago
Blondie's "The Tide Is High" tops the Hot 100
The new wave band's reggae-flavored single spent a week at No. 1 before Kool & the Gang's "Celebration" took over, and Blondie returned to the top later that year with "Rapture."
-
199333 yrs ago
Michael Jackson headlines the Super Bowl halftime
At the Rose Bowl, his set of "Jam," "Billie Jean" and "Black or White" drew about 133 million US viewers and set the template of booking major pop stars for halftime.
-
201016 yrs ago
Taylor Swift wins Album of the Year for Fearless
At 20, she became the youngest artist up to then to win the Grammys' top album prize. The same night, Beyoncé set a record for most wins by a woman in one ceremony, with six.
-
1797229 yrs ago
Franz Schubert is born in Vienna
In a life of only 31 years he wrote over a thousand works, including hundreds of songs, the Trout Quintet, the song cycle Winterreise and the "Unfinished" Symphony.
-
193789 yrs ago
Composer Philip Glass is born in Baltimore
A leading figure of minimalism, he built music from repeating patterns, writing operas like Einstein on the Beach and film scores for Koyaanisqatsi, The Truman Show and The Hours.
-
194482 yrs ago
Harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite is born
Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, he helped revive Chicago blues in the 1960s and, decades later, won a Grammy for Get Up!, his album with Ben Harper.
-
195670 yrs ago
Sex Pistols singer John Lydon is born
As Johnny Rotten, the Londoner fronted the Sex Pistols on their only studio album, then formed the post-punk band Public Image Ltd in 1978.
-
197650 yrs ago
Swedish troubadour Evert Taube dies at 85
His ballads of sailors and the Swedish archipelago made him the leading troubadour of 20th-century Sweden. After five years in Argentina, he brought the tango home with him in the 1920s.
-
201412 yrs ago
Motown pioneer Anna Gordy Gaye dies at 92
Berry Gordy's sister co-founded Anna Records in 1958 and later married Marvin Gaye, who wrote "Pride and Joy" about her. She also co-wrote songs for Gaye and the Originals.
Nothing matches these filters on January 31.