This Day in Top 40 History: March 3
March 3 saw artists such as Roberta Flack and Harry Nilsson win Grammy Awards. Madonna released a soulful album on this day, and the benefit Concert for Bangladesh won Album…
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 20: Singer Jennifer Lopez, winner of Favorite Latin Artist Award, poses in the press room at the 2011 American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on November 20, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesMarch 3 saw artists such as Roberta Flack and Harry Nilsson win Grammy Awards. Madonna released a soulful album on this day, and the benefit Concert for Bangladesh won Album of the Year at the 15th Annual Grammy Awards.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Notable hits and milestones on March 3 include:
- 1973: At the 15th Annual GrammyY Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, Helen Reddy won Best Female Pop Performance for her hit song "I Am Woman." At the end of Reddy's acceptance speech, she stated, “...And I would like to thank God because She makes everything possible.”
- 1973: Harry Nilsson won Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male for his song "Without You," and Roberta Flack won Record of the Year for "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."
- 2000: Tom Jones won Best British Male Artist at the BRIT Awards, beating nominees such as David Bowie and Van Morrison.
Cultural Milestones
Certain events and performances on March 3 helped shape the mainstream music culture, such as:
- 1973: At the 15th Annual Grammy Awards, George Harrison and Friends won Album of the Year for Concert for Bangladesh. This charity event was the precursor to future benefit concerts, such as USA for Africa and Live Aid.
- 1979: The Bee Gees album Spirits Having Flown hit No.1 on the U.S. charts. This was the band's second No.1 album. Their music influenced disco-style music, and for years, their song "Stayin' Alive" was considered the right beat to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation by the American Red Cross.
- 2011: Jennifer Lopez released her "On the Floor" music video on American Idol. Lopez is still one of the hottest Top 40 performers and continues to influence new and upcoming pop stars.
Notable Recordings and Performances
March 3 had interesting recordings, including:
- 1984: The German band Nena's "99 Red Balloons" reached No.1 on the U.K. charts. This song was originally sung in German and titled "99 Luftballons."
- 1998: Pop diva Madonna launched her album Ray of Light. She recorded it after giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, and the album had a somewhat spiritual feel.
- 2002: Pop Idol winner Will Young's single "Evergreen/Anything Is Possible" hit No.1 on the U.K. charts.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The music industry is not immune to challenges. Newsworthy events from March 3 include:
- 2015: The National Transportation Safety Board considered reopening an investigation into the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and the pilot Roger Peterson. This deadly plane crash occurred in February 1959.
- 2023: David Lindley, guitar player for Jackson Browne and Elroy-X, died. Lindley was a major force in the Los Angeles music scene, working with performers such as Linda Ronstadt, and "Acoustic Guitar" magazine referred to him as a "maxi-instrumentalist."
- 2023: Former Disney performer Miley Cyrus reunited with Disney+ for a special performance of Miley Cyrus — Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions). Cyrus was the executive producer for this special, music-focused event.
From Grammy and BRIT Award winners to influential pop divas, various artists made March 3 a notable day in Top 40 music history.
