March 31 has been a significant day in Top 40 music history, featuring performances from stars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Whitney Houston, and Pitbull.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Here are some key Top 40 hits from this day:
– 1962: Connie Francis reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with her hit single, making her the first female artist to achieve three No. 1 songs.
– 1962: As Connie’s song climbed the charts, The Shirelles’ hit entered the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40. It would later hit No. 1 on May 5 and stay there for three weeks.
– 1973: Donny Osmond’s song topped the UK singles chart for one week, marking his second UK No. 1 out of three.
– 1984: Kenny Loggins scored his only No. 1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 with his song, which also topped charts in Canada and Australia.
Cultural Milestones
March 31 also marks important moments for pop icons:
– 1991: Whitney Houston’s TV special, *Welcome Home Heroes*, aired on HBO, honoring 3,500 service members returning from the Gulf War.
– 1995: Singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was tragically murdered. Her album *Entre a Mi Mundo* spent 18 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart.
– 2014: Lady Gaga kicked off her concert residency at Roseland Ballroom in NYC.
– 2021: Paul Simon sold his entire catalog to Sony Music Publishing for about $250 million.
Notable Performances
– 2014: Miley Cyrus wowed fans at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto during her Bangerz Tour.
– 2014: Pitbull performed on *The Today Show* at Rockefeller Center in NYC.
– 2023: Taylor Swift took the stage at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for her Eras Tour.
– 2024: Drake, Lil Wayne, and Lil Durk performed at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State for Drake’s It’s All a Blur Tour.
