From Rap to RnB: This week in music history (26th January)

30 January 2026, 11:43

January/February was an iconic time for music releases, celebrity birthdays, and record-breaking artists. But what were the No. 1s through the years? Take a trip down memory lane through the moments that mattered this week.

There has been such great music over the decades that it can be hard to remember what has come before, and where they exist on the timeline.

From Michael Jackson to Beyoncé, there are some artists who had a big week between 26th January and 3rd February.

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But what songs were hits and what records were broken?

Here is what has happened through history this week.

1. 1970 - The Jackson 5 go No.1 with their debut single 'I Want You Back'

   

   The Jackson 5 "I Want You Back" on The Ed Sullivan Show

2. 1973 - Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' hit No.1

   

   Stevie Wonder - Superstition (1974)

   This track was actually Stevie Wonder's second No 1. of all time, his frist being 'Fingertips', released when he was just 13 years old.

   'Superstition' was his first hit in an entire decade.

3. 1985 - J.Cole is born!

   

   J. Cole celebrates turning 41 this year on January 28th.

4. 2005 - 'Goodies' by Ciara hits No.1 in the UK

   

   This was the RnB princess's debut single and set the tone for what was to come.

   Now 20 years on it still gets radio play and is one of Ciara's most iconic tracks.

5. 2016 - Rihanna & Drake's Work was released

   

   Rihanna - Work - Live at The BRIT Awards 2016 ft. Drake

   This is one of the biggest hip-hop songs of our generation with over 1.6 billion streams on Spotify and 1.48 billion views on Youtube.

   The track gave us the iconic Brits performance, fuelling years of dating rumours between Rihanna and Drake.

6. 2016 - Rihanna's 'Anti' drops

   

   This album gave us 'Needed Me', 'Work' and 'Consideration' and is the last project in over 10 years from Rihanna.

   The album is the longest charting album by a black female artist.

7. 2017 - Kehlani Released her debut album 'SweetSexySavage'

   

8. 2018 - Migos release Culture II

   

   This iconic album gave us hits 'Stir Fry', 'Walk It Like I Talk It', and 'Motorsport'.

   It debuted at no.1 on the Billboard 200, despite the group admitting they spent less than 45 minutes on each track!

9. 2018 - Burna Boy drops his third alum, 'Outside

   

   This iconic album marked a turning point in Burna's career, with hits like 'Ye' and 'Rock Your Body'.

10. 2018 - Drake's 'God's Plan' hits No.1 and stays there for 9 weeks

    

    Drake - God's Plan

    This track defined a whole era of the 6 God, it spending 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and setting all-time streaming records.

    'God's Plan' was officially crowned the most-streamed song of 2018.

11. 1998 - 'You Make Me Wanna' Usher hits UK No. 1

    

    Usher - You Make Me Wanna... (Official HD Video)

    This was the lead single off Usher's second album, 'My Way', and marked his first Grammy nomination.

12. 2023 - Beyoncé won 4 Grammys, making her the most decorated artist of all-time

    

    The Queen Bey has been winning Grammys for well over 20 years, with her first being with Destiny's Child for the best R&B Performance by a Group & Best R&B Song.

    In 2023, she was in her 'Renaissance' era, becoming the highest-grossing tour by a female artist ever, as well as highest-grossing tour by a black artist.

    This year she won Best R&B Song for 'Cuff It', Best Dance Album, Best R&B Performance and Best Dance Recording.

13. 2023 - PinkPanthress drops 'Boy's a Liar (pt.2)' with Ice Spice

    

    PinkPantheress, Ice Spice - Boy’s a liar Pt. 2 (Official Video)

    This song propelled both Ice Spice and PinkPanthress to a career peak that neither had experienced prior.

    It was both of the artists' first top-10 entries in the Billboard Hot 100, mixing UK garage, pop, and Bronx drill.

    It went viral on TikTok and later won the Song of the Year at the Rolling Stone UK Awards.

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