If you spend any amount of time on social media or online at all (and let’s be real – who doesn’t?), then you’re probably familiar with the Throwback Thursday trend. While it usually involves sharing photos, music can make us feel just as nostalgic, too. Certain songs or moments in popular culture can bring back all kinds of memories. So, we decided to look back on some moments in music history that happened during this week in January.
January 25, 1938 – Etta James is born. Considered one of the greatest R&B singers of all time, Etta James was born in Los Angeles, CA. After being discovered by Johnny Otis, she began to record her own music and tour until 1960, when she released her best-known single, “At Last,” through Chess Records. Since then, she has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and her songs have been sampled by artists like Avicii and Flo Rida.
January 20, 1998 – Emerging boy band *NSYNC releases their debut single, “I Want You Back.” This song marked the beginning of the rivalry to the popular group, the Backstreet Boys.
January 24, 1998 – The Titanic soundtrack hits #1 in the United States. Less than a month after the film’s release, Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture quickly moved up to #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The album, featuring Celine Dion’s hit single, “My Heart Will Go On,” remained in the top spot for sixteen weeks, and no album since has spent more than ten consecutive weeks at number one.
January 20, 2006 – High School Musical premieres on Disney Channel. This TV movie quickly became a tween sensation. It is the most successful Disney Channel Original Movie to date and the most-watched Disney Channel movie of that year. The film’s soundtrack was the best-selling album of 2006, as well as the soundtrack of a generation.
January 23, 2010 – Kesha’s debut album, Animal, reaches #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. After the immense popularity of her single, “Tik Tok,” her first album was received extremely well worldwide. It topped the charts in Canada and sold over two million copies around the globe, with “Tik Tok” being the best-selling single of the year with over 12 million copies sold.
Let us know if any of these were your favorite moments, and tweet us your #TBT memories!
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