Pick a Day

Music History Events: Releases

March 10, 2023 Miley Cyrus releases her eighth album, Endless Summer Vacation. Some of the songs, including the #1 hit "Flowers," seem to take aim at her ex-husband, the actor Liam Hemsworth.

March 3, 2023 Morgan Wallen releases his third album, One Thing At A Time. It spends 15 weeks at #1, the most for a country artist since 1992, when Some Gave All by Billy Ray Cyrus spent 17 weeks at the top.

February 3, 2023 After years of frustration waiting for her record company to release her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, Raye finally puts it out independently. The song "Escapism," which deals with her unhealthy coping mechanisms during this time, is a #1 hit in her native UK.

December 9, 2022 SZA releases her second album, SOS, which debuts at #1 in America. Many of the songs find her navigating a toxic relationship, including the big hit "Kill Bill," where she considers offing her ex.

October 21, 2022 Taylor Swift releases her 10th album, Midnights. It breaks the Spotify record for most streams in a single day, previously held by Swift's Red (Taylor's Version) from the previous year.

October 12, 2022 Following years as a featured vocalist for the likes of Jonas Blue, Jax Jones and David Guetta, Raye releases her breakthrough single, "Escapism," a song about "running away from reality as fast as you possibly can." Months later, it's included on her debut album, My 21st Century Blues.

May 20, 2022 Harry Styles releases his third solo album, Harry's House, which debuts at #1 in the US, UK, and many other countries. Hits from the album include "As It Was" and "Late Night Talking."

May 6, 2022 Bad Bunny releases Un Verano Sin Ti, which debuts at #1 in America and spends 10 (non-consecutive) weeks at the top of the US albums chart. It's only the second entirely Spanish-language album to top the chart, following his previous album, El Último Tour Del Mundo, in 2020.

November 12, 2021 Silk Sonic, the retro-R&B duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, release their only album, An Evening With Silk Sonic. The single "Leave The Door Open" goes to #1 and snarfs up four Grammy Awards. After a Vegas residency, .Paak and Mars put the project to bed, making Silk Sonic the most successful one-off side project in music history.

June 11, 2021 Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie's son and Van Halen's bass player from 2007 until their disbandment in 2020, releases his first album, Mammoth WVH. He plays all the instruments and does all the singing on the album, which is well reviewed and launches him as a solo artist.

March 5, 2021 Silk Sonic, where Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak reimagine themselves as debonair R&B singers from the '70s (think Marvin Gaye), release their debut single, "Leave The Door Open," a song that embodies their vibe. It goes to #1 and takes home the Grammys for Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year.

March 27, 2020 Two weeks into the pandemic, Dua Lipa releases her disco-fied second album, Future Nostalgia, with the hits "Don't Start Now" and "Levitating." It earns her lots of new fans, including Elton John, who teams with her on "Cold Heart" the following year.

December 13, 2019 Harry Styles releases his highly anticipated second album, Fine Line, which includes the hits "Adore You" and "Watermelon Sugar." It's a global smash, putting Styles way ahead of his One Direction bandmates in solo success.

September 6, 2019 The Highwomen, a country supergroup comprising Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby, release their self-titled debut album. The group's name is a reference to The Highwaymen, which formed in 1985 with the lineup of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson.

May 17, 2019 Tyler, The Creator releases his fifth album, Igor, also the name of his blond-haired alter-ego. It becomes his first #1 album and earns Tyler his first Grammy win when it takes the trophy for Best Rap Album.

April 6, 2018 Cardi B releases her debut album, Invasion Of Privacy. It goes to #1 and clears a path for female rappers like Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla.

June 2, 2017 Luke Combs, who majored in criminal justice at Appalachian State University, releases his debut album, This One's For You. Music suits him: He wins the CMA for New Artist Of The Year and becomes a top concert draw.

May 12, 2017 Harry Styles becomes the second One Direction member (following Zayn Malik) to release a solo album. The eponymous album is a departure from his boy band material in 1D, with meaty songs like "Sign of the Times" and "Sweet Creature." It goes to #1 in many countries (including the US and UK) and establishes Styles as a solo artist.

November 18, 2016 Bruno Mars releases his third album, 24K Magic, a party record that picks up where his Mark Ronson collaboration "Uptown Funk" left off. Packed with hits like "That's What I Like" and "Finesse," it wins the Grammy for Album Of The Year.

July 3, 2016 Maren Morris releases her first major-label album, Hero. It goes to #1 on the Country chart and includes one of her most enduring songs, "My Church."

May 13, 2016 Chance the Rapper puts out his third mixtape, Coloring Book. It's released independently and not available for purchase, but still debuts at #8 on the Billboard 200, the first release to make the chart on streams alone. Chance goes on to win the Grammy for Best New Artist.

July 31, 2015 Drake releases "Hotline Bling," the first single from his album Views. He doesn't rap in the song, but it still wins Grammy Awards in two rap categories, which Drake doesn't show up to accept because he feels it's really a pop song.

May 29, 2015 Florence + the Machine release their third album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. With songs like "What Kind Of Man" and "Ship To Wreck," it leans more into rock than their first two albums. It becomes their first #1 album in America and third in their native UK.

May 5, 2015 After years working in Nashville as a songwriter and as a member of the bands The SteelDrivers and The Jompson Brothers, Chris Stapleton, 37, releases his debut album, Traveller, with a rootsy sound that harkens back to the days of Hank Williams. It wins the Grammy for Best Country Album and both the ACM and CMA awards for Album Of The Year.

July 22, 2014 Weezer release "Back to the Shack," the lead single from Everything Will Be Alright in the End. The song finds the band reminiscing on their rise in the early '90s when they were the hot new band.

July 4, 2014 Sia, the hit songwriter behind Rihanna's "Diamonds" and David Guetta's "Titanium," releases her album 1000 Forms Of Fear, which goes to #1 in America. For a "layer of protection," she wears a wig that covers her face while promoting the album and doesn't appear in the videos for the singles "Chandelier" and "Elastic Heart," which instead feature interpretive dancing by Maddie Ziegler.

December 7, 2012 Bruno Mars releases his second album, Unorthodox Jukebox. Like his first (Doo-Wops & Hooligans in 2010), it's packed with hits, including two chart toppers: the ecstatic-in-love "Locked Out of Heaven" and the piano ballad "When I Was Your Man."

November 19, 2012 Rihanna releases Unapologetic, her seventh album in eight years. The lead single is the #1 hit "Diamonds," written by Sia.

November 13, 2012 Brian Eno releases his first solo album in seven years, LUX, on Warp Records. It marks his first intervention as autonomous composer, compared to his previous purely generative albums.More

September 4, 2012 Imagine Dragons release their debut album, Night Visions, which takes off thanks to bombastic rockers like "Radioactive" and "Demons."