On January 13, 2017, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee released “Despacito,” a song that would become a global phenomenon. The track dominated Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart for 35 weeks. When Justin Bieber joined for the remix, it exploded in the U.S., topping the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining on the chart for an impressive 52 weeks.
Today, the original “Despacito” has nearly 9 billion views on YouTube, making it one of the most-watched videos of all time..
But that’s not the only major music moment tied to January 13.
📀 Notable Music Moments
1964 Bob Dylan released The Times They Are A-Changin’. The album reached No. 4 in the U.K., while its iconic title track broke into the Top 10 on the Singles chart.
2014 Shakira dropped “Can’t Remember to Forget You,” featuring Rihanna. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and cracked the Top 20 in both the U.K. and U.S.
2015 Mark Ronson debuted his album Uptown Special, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. It featured “Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars, a song that would go on to top the Hot 100.
2017 The xx released their third album, I See You, which hit No. 1 in the U.K. The standout track also reached the Top 40 on the U.K. Singles chart.
2016 5 years after getting signed to a label, Ed Sheeran made UK chart history as the first artist to simultaneously take the top 2 spots with new songs “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill”.
Credit: Ghnassia/Sipa/Rex Shutterstock
1990 New Kids On The Block scored their 2nd and final UK No.1 single with “Hangin’ Tough,” but continue to find success across the pond, landing 7 more Top 10s before the end of 1991.
🎤 Legendary Performances
January 13 is also associated with unforgettable live music moments, including:
Johnny Cash’s iconic concert at Folsom State Prison (1968)
Aretha Franklin’s powerful live recording at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church (1972)
🕊️ In Memoriam
This date also marks the passing of influential artists:
Donny Hathaway (1979)
GRAMMY-winning zydeco artist Jo-El Sonnier (2024)