Is it normal for a light bulb to break and hang from the light fixture by a wire?

Incandescent bulbs? If so, then yes, they often do that. Turn off the light switch when unscrewing them. If you can’t get the base out, a potato (or in my case a pliers) can assist in getting out the remains.

Did you by any chance buy really cheap bulbs?

Hi, SpatzieLover! Yes, they’re regular incandescent bulbs. They’re what originally came with the apartment. I’m just concerned since it happened twice in week and I’ve never seen a light bulb blow out like that before.

@owenburnett It’s quite normal. If it were my apartment, I’d just go ahead and change out all of the bulbs with a higher quality bulb that I purchased.

Often apartment complexes buy bulbs in bulk. They are cheap, with thin glass.

If it happened in the same fixture, I’d say the fixture was bad…since it’s not, I’d say it’s the bulbs. Has there been a lot of movement in your apartment (maybe a neighbor above you moving-etc?)? That could explain why the bulbs burst.

Any chance of water dripping on it?

I have one light fixture in my house that always does this, so I assume it’s the fixture, not the bulbs. That particular light is the one over my sink, so I wonder if moisture might be part of the problem.

I, in my 60+ years have seen this problem several times and it has never been a result caused by electrical problems, it has always been mechanical. The fact that you had two blow in a similar way probably indicates that they were from the same batch and the seal between the globe an base had a minor fault. The problem would be exacerbated in high traffic/ vibration areas. The light at our back door had that problem. The fixture was built so that the bulb hung upside down, right by where the door slammed (kids don’t just close doors). I changed the fixture so that the bulb is upright and then we changed to industrial bulbs with stronger filaments and glass. Later I plan to use one of the new LED bulbs and never change it again while cutting electrical usage by ¾.

All good answers there. If the light fixture left little room around the bulb for cooling that could affect the bulb. I have only had one bulb do that – - 85 years so far – -
I liked the answer concerning the cheap bulbs best.

Thanks all for the great answers! I’m happy to report that it’s been several weeks (a couple of months) since I’ve had a bulb explode on me. I believe that you guys are right, that they were probably cheap bulbs that were bought in bulk. Again, thanks!