This Week in Music History: October 27th – November 2nd
Happy Monday, BOB FM Listeners! It’s October 27th, 2025, and time to shine a spotlight on the historical moments that defined the music we play. This week brings us powerhouse album debuts, rock star exhaustion, and an iconic duo’s rise to the top!
October 27, 1975: The Boss Lands on Two Covers
Talk about a breakthrough week for a star! Just after the release of his third album, Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen was honored with a rare distinction: simultaneous covers on both Time and Newsweek magazines in the United States.
- The Hype is Real: This unprecedented media blitz—the first time a rock star achieved this—cemented Springsteen as a cultural phenomenon and propelled Born to Run from being a critical success to a commercial juggernaut.
- A Rough Week for Elton: Ironically, on October 27, 1979, Elton John collapsed on stage during a concert in Los Angeles, later telling the audience he was suffering from exhaustion and the flu. The life of a rock legend is a whirlwind!
November 2, 1973: Soul Train Takes the Track
On November 2, 1973, Gladys Knight & The Pips’ classic single “Midnight Train to Georgia” pulled into the station at #1 on the US Pop Singles chart.
- Chart Domination: The soulful track, which evokes a timeless feeling of love, sacrifice, and homecoming, spent two weeks in the top spot and is still considered a defining song of the 1970s.
- The Soundtrack of the ’70s: It’s a perfect example of the sophisticated R&B and Soul that heavily influenced the Adult Contemporary sound of the era.
October 30, 1980: The Man Who Wrote the Hits
This week we celebrate the debut of one of the greatest songwriting partnerships of the 1980s. On October 30, 1980, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers recorded their legendary duet, “Islands in the Stream.”
- The Songwriter’s Touch: The song was written by the Bee Gees (Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb) and released the following year, becoming one of the best-selling country duets of all time and a permanent fixture on the Adult Hits airwaves.
#1 Hits From This Week in Music History
