May 11 has been an eventful day in the Top 40 music world. Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake both had hugely successful tours and major hits on the Billboard Hot 100, while Lady Gaga, The Chainsmokers, The Weeknd, and more performed on tour.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
May 11 is associated with influential songs and performances, including:
- 2013: “Stay” by Rihanna and Mikky Ekko went from No. 6 to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake went from No. 7 to No. 5.
- 2016: Selena Gomez’s “Good for You” received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
- 2019: Taylor Swift’s song “ME!” featuring Brendon Urie skyrocketed from No. 100 to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Sucker” by the Jonas Brothers climbed to No. 4 on the chart, and “Eastside” by Benny Blanco, Halsey, and Khalid reached No. 17.
- 2024: Justin Timberlake, also known as the Prince of Pop, performed at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of “The Forget Tomorrow World Tour.” As of January 2025, the tour has brought in $191,706,105 in ticket sales, and it will end in July 2025, which will increase those numbers.
- 2024: May 11 was Taylor Swift’s third night performing at the Paris La Défense Arena in Paris, France, which is where she kicked off her European leg of the Eras tour on May 9. This tour brought in over $2 billion in ticket sales during its 152-date tour over five continents.
Notable Recordings and Performances
These massively popular performances had fans singing and dancing on May 11:
- 2010: Lady Gaga performed at the Uber Arena, previously called O2 World, in Berlin, Germany, as part of The Monster Ball Tour. Fans enjoyed watching her sing “LoveGame” and “Bad Romance.”
- 2017: Electronic disc jockey and production duo The Chainsmokers hosted a show at The Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas. The duo has been nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the GRAMMYs and has won a GRAMMY for Best Dance Recording.
- 2017: The Weeknd performed at the Amerant Bank Arena, previously known as the BB&T Center, in Sunrise, Florida, for his Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour. Songs at this show included “Starboy” and “In the Night.”
- 2024: Tones and I joined singer/rapper Macklemore at his show at The Horden Pavilion in Sydney, Australia. They performed “CHANT” and “Good Old Days” together.
- 2024: Pop/country star Kane Brown thrilled fans with a show at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, as part of his In the Air Tour.
The Top 40 music industry is starting to see a shift in genres, with many artists such as Kane Brown, Miley Cyrus, and Morgan Wallen blending pop, country, and R&B to create a new era of Top 40 music. Their songs are often played on radio stations of various genres, as cross-genre listeners enjoy this latest music style.
