This Day in Top 40 History: April 23

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1976: The Rolling Stones issued Black and Blue, featuring “Fool to Cry” and “Hot Stuff.”  The record dominated the Billboard 200 for four non-consecutive weeks and cracked the Top Five on the U.K. Albums chart. 
• 1979: ABBA put out Voulez-Vous, their sixth studio LP. It spent four weeks at the top of the charts in the U.K. and produced multiple Top 40 singles in the region. Some of these were “Does Your Mother Know,” "Chiquitita,” and “I Have a Dream.” Additionally, Voulez-Vous charted in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200.
• 1988: Megastar Whitney Houston's “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This marked Houston's seventh straight No. 1 hit and was a record-breaking achievement.
• 2007: Arctic Monkeys released their second studio effort, Favorite Worst Nightmare. It stalled at No. 7 in the U.S. but climbed to No. 1 in the U.K. Three singles from this set also broke into the Top Five on the U.K. Singles Chart, including "Fluorescent Adolescent" and “Brianstorm.”
• 2016: Pop diva Beyoncé released her sixth studio album, Lemonade. It featured guest vocals by James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, and the Weeknd and received nine nominations for the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
• 2024: Irish pop star Hozier's "Too Sweet" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cultural Milestones

• 1936: Roy Orbison was born in Vernon, Texas. He placed at least 10 Top 10 hits on Billboard's Hot 100. Two of them, “Running Scared” and “Oh, Pretty Woman,” reached the chart's peak. Orbison also bagged multiple GRAMMYs, including a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award. 
• 1997: The Four Tops received the 2,089th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Known for hits such as “I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and "Reach Out (I'll Be There),” the foursome started recording in 1956. They have sold over 50 million album copies worldwide.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1977: Led Zeppelin performed “Trampled Under Foot” and other songs at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. They were on their North American Tour, which, despite being financially successful, was marred by problems. These included violent incidents, including fan riots and backstage altercations, as well as Jimmy Page's heroin addiction. The death of Robert Plant's five-year-old son, Karac, led to the cancellation of seven dates and the tour's end.  
• 2017: On April 23, Coachella headliners included Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, and Future Islands. New Order, Porter Robinson, and Madeon also gave stellar performances.
• 2022: Fans at Coachella sang and danced to performances by Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, and Anitta. Other notable performers included Flume, Disclosure, and Conan Gray.
• 2023: Headliners at Coachella included Frank Ocean, Björk, and Kali Uchis. Fans also enjoyed seeing Chris Lake, Porter Robinson, and Jai Paul perform.
• 2023: Sabrina Carpenter played the Mesa Amphitheater in Mesa, Arizona, for her Emails I Can't Send Tour. She sang her top songs, including "Read Your Mind" and "Already Over."
• 2023: Pop sensation Kane Brown, known for hit songs like "Backseat Driver" and "Body Talk," performed at the Ford Idaho Center Arena in Boise, Idaho. This was a stop on his Drunk or Dreaming Tour with special guests Dustin Lynch and LOCASH.
• 2025: Katy Perry launched her The Lifetimes Tour at the Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico. The trek promoted her 2024 Top 10 album, 123. For this show, Perry had a 24-song setlist featuring hits from her extensive discography, such as “Teenage Dream,” “Dark Horse,” and “ARTIFICIAL.”
• 2025: Kendrick Lamar and SZA performed at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. This show was part of their Grand National Tour, which supported Lamar's GNX and SZA's SOS Deluxe: Lana. The duo sang some of their collaborations and songs from their respective discographies, including “All The Stars,” “luther,” “gloria,” and “Good Days.” 

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1616: William Shakespeare passed away at 52. He was best known for writing the tragic play Romeo and Juliet, which has inspired or been referenced by many Top 40 artists. These include big names such as Sting, Bob Dylan, and The Beatles. Additionally, Taylor Swift's Top Five hit, “Love Story,” transforms Romeo and Juliet's devastating ending into a happy one.
• 2005: The social media platform YouTube uploaded its first video clip called "Me at the Zoo" with the founder of YouTube, Jawed Karim, standing in front of the elephant enclosure. In 2006, Google bought YouTube, and today it's one of the most successful social media platforms where people and musical artists can share music videos.
• 2011: Tom King, founder of The Outsiders, died at 68. According to sources, he was suffering from several health issues, including congestive heart failure. That, plus an injury he had sustained in August 2010, had confined him to a nursing home in Wickliffe, Ohio. King's most notable hit was “Time Won't Let Me,” which soared to No. 4 on the Hot 100.
• 2020: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many artists performed virtual concerts launched through YouTube and TikTok, changing how fans were able to see their favorite performers live without going to a venue.
• 2024: Artificial intelligence (AI) generated music continues to concern artists throughout the music industry. Some artists fear that AI will replace their music, while others are concerned about copyright infringement and creating impersonations.