This Day in Top 40 History: March 12

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1980: Billy Joel released his seventh studio album, Glass Houses. It dominated the Billboard 200 for six weeks and spent over 70 weeks on the chart. Besides, the record spawned several successful singles, including his No. 1 hit, “It's Still Rock And Roll To Me.”
• 1982: The Jam issued their sixth and final LP, The Gift. It attained massive commercial success, peaking at No. 1 in the U.K. and producing two chart-toppers, “Precious” and “Town Called Malice.”
• 2011: Adele topped the Billboard Top 200 chart with her album 21. She remains one of the most recognized pop superstars.
• 2011: Adele's "Someone Like You" was No.1 in the U.K.
• 2019: Shawn Mendes performed at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany. His whirlwind world tour began in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and ended in Mexico City, Mexico.

Cultural Milestones

• 1940: Al Jerreau was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Like most successful musicians, Jerreau's career began at his local church, where he sang with his folks. He then moved on to performing at big clubs and penning his own hits. This paved the way for the release of Top 30 hits such as “We're In This Love Together” and “Mornin'.” Jerreau also bagged multiple awards, including more than five GRAMMYs.
• 1969: Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman exchanged vows at the Marylebone Register Office in London. The couple had four kids, Mary, Stella, James, and Heather — Linda's daughter, whom the “Spies Like Us” singer adopted. Linda and Paul's marriage lasted until April 1998, when the former died of cancer. 
• 1975: Swedish supergroup ABBA began working on the song "Mamma Mia." It later became the soundtrack to the hit movie of the same name, featuring Meryl Streep and Pierce Bronson.
• 2016: Ariana Grande appeared on Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a host. In this episode, the “7 Rings” hitmaker met Pete Davidson, who became her fiancé in 2018. Unfortunately, things didn't work out, and the lovebirds ended up splitting and calling off their engagement. Still, Grande referenced their relationship in her 2018 No. 1 single, “thank u, next.”
• 2021: Pop singer Sam Smith discussed the controversy over gendered categories at the BRIT Awards. He expressed hope that the traditionally gender-oriented awards would one day embrace all of society.
• 2023: One Republic performed at Aware Super Theatre in Sydney, Australia. This GRAMMY-nominated pop-rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado, had several chart-topping songs, including "I Ain't Worried," which featured in the 2022 movie Top Gun: Maverick starring Tom Cruise.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1969: The Beatles performed their No. 1 hit “Hey Jude” at the 11th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which were held at Los Angeles' Century Plaza Hotel. The pool of performers at this event also featured other big names, including Simon & Garfunkel, The Temptations, and Glen Campbell. 
• 2000: Britney Spears delivered an electrifying performance at The Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee, while on her Crazy 2K tour. This trek promoted her first two studio albums, ...Baby One More Time and Oops!...  I Did It Again, which had reached No. 1 and No. 9 in the U.S., respectively. During the show, Spears sang nine songs, including “Born to Make You Happy” and “Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know.”
• 2007: Amy Winehouse appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman. She performed her hit song "Rehab" from her album Back to Black.
• 2016: Madonna set the stage on fire, performing “Iconic,” “Devil Pray,” and “Material Girl,” at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. She was on her 2015 Rebel Heart Tour, which supported her album of the same name. The set, which had peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, featured tracks such as “Ghosttown” and “Living for Love.” 
• 2022: Morgan Wallen performed at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota, as part of his Dangerous Tour. 
• 2024: Singer Powfu had a sold-out show at the Subterranean in Chicago, Illinois. Other performing artists at the show included Cody Lawless and Jomie.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2013: Clive Burr died at 56 due to complications of multiple sclerosis. As the drummer of Iron Maiden, he contributed to their self-titled debut album, Killers, and The Number of the Beast, which reached No. 1 in the U.K.
• 2013: Bob Dylan became the first rock artist to be voted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This honor usually recognizes achievements in music, literature, and visual arts. It acknowledged the “Positively 4th Street” singer's influence on American culture and the diversity of his work. 
• 2021: As COVID-19 swept the world, music venues closed, and performances across all genres were canceled, changing how consumers and fans enjoyed their favorite music.