This Day in Top 40 History: March 17

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1975: Pop diva Cher appeared on the cover of Time Magazine wearing a glittering gown. She would become one of Top 40's most prolific artists.
• 1978: Elvis Costello released his sophomore studio album, This Year's Model. This 13-track project peaked at No. 4 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart and produced multiple Top 40 hits. These include "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea,” “Pump It Up,” and “Radio, Radio.” 
• 1978: Generation X's self-titled debut studio album came out, featuring “Ready Steady Go” and “Kiss Me Deadly.” The set, which stalled at No. 29 in the U.K., was praised for its raw punk energy and catchy melodies. 
• 2018: Rising pop group AJR performed a sold-out show at The Complex in Salt Lake City. This band of brothers hit the pop scene in 2013 and reached Multi-Platinum status.
• 2023: Taylor Swift began her mega Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona. Her three-hour show highlighted her albums, and the tour broke records with sold-out shows worldwide when it finally ended on December 8, 2024.
• 2023: Harry Styles from the boy band One Direction played at the National Stadium in Singapore. The multichart-topping performer is known for his outlandish costumes and songs such as "As It Was" and "Late Night Talking."

Cultural Milestones 

• 1919: Nat "King" Cole was born in Montgomery, Alabama. The GRAMMY winner, who dropped out of school at 15 to pursue music, scored up to 28 Top 40 hits throughout his career, including “Mona Lisa” and "Ramblin' Rose." King is also known as the father of Natalie Cole, who has placed Top 10 singles such as “This Will Be” and “Pink Cadillac” on the Hot 100.
• 1988: Grimes, who has collaborated with The Weeknd, Doja Cat, and other big players in the music industry, was born Claire Elise Boucher in Vancouver, Canada. Her most notable hits include “Flesh Without Blood,” “Medieval Warfare,” and “Shinigami Eyes.” 
• 2016: Mariah Carey took her Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour to Leeds, U.K., and performed “Touch My Body,” “We Belong Together,” “Always Be My Baby,” and other hits at the First Direct Arena. This trek supported her 2015 compilation record, #1 To Infinity, which landed at 29 on the Billboard 200.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1958: The Coasters walked into Atlantic Records' New York studios to record “Yakety Yak.” When they released the song at the end of April the same year, it shot to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and reached No. 12 in the U.K. 
• 1968: The Bee Gees appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. This was their American TV debut, and they had a different look than when they became popular disco icons.
• 2011: Lady Gaga performed at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska, during her Monster Ball Tour. This was Lady Gaga's second world tour to promote her The Fame Monster album.
• 2015: Ariana Grande performed at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, as part of her Sweetener World Tour.
• 2019: “Circles” hitmaker Post Malone headlined the Pot of Gold Music Festival, which took place at the Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix, Arizona. The three-day event featured other performers as well, including Lil Wayne, Cardi B, Tinashe, Young Thug, and Jhené Aiko. 
• 2023: Chris Brown blew the crowd away with his performance of hits such as “Yeah 3X,” “Gimme That,” “Forever,” and “Don't Judge Me” at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. He was on the Under the Influence Tour, which supported his 2022 Top Five album, Breezy.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2009: Singer Amy Winehouse, who died in 2011 of alcohol poisoning, appeared in the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London to face charges of assaulting a woman at a charity ball. She pleaded not guilty.
• 2010: Big Star frontman Alex Chilton, who was also a member of The Box Tops, died in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was 59. The “Jesus Christ” singer was scheduled to perform with his bandmates at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas. But after his death, the concert became a tribute to him.  
• 2016: Prince's ex-wife, Mayte Garcia, teamed up with Owen Husney, his former manager, to auction 95 pieces of the “When Doves Cry” singer's memorabilia through the Los Angeles-based Nate D. Sanders Auctions. Among them were dinnerware, a 2.2-carat diamond engagement ring, and clothing. 
• 2020: California federal judge Christina Snyder decided that Katy Perry's No. 1 hit “Dark Horse” didn't infringe on Flame's “Joyful Noise,” overturning a $2.8 million jury verdict. According to sources, Snyder argued that the track lacked enough original content to warrant copyright protection, so she cleared Perry and her team of liability.  
• 2020: The 2020 Billboard Music Awards were postponed due to COVID. The annual event, one of the biggest awards shows in the music industry, was set to air on April 29, 2020.