This Day in Top 40 History: March 17
Kevin Winter via Getty Images
As we move toward the Spring Equinox, we embrace the sun and longer days through the celebration of music. On March 17, one of today’s biggest pop stars, Taylor Swift, launched her ground-breaking Eras Tour, singer Cher appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, and the Billboard Music Awards were canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
The following events made March 17 a day to remember in Top 40 history:
- 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.
- 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.”
Notable Recordings and Performances
Memorable performances on stage and television from March 17 include:
- 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 Sweetner World Tour.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Influential events on March 17 include:
- 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.
- 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.
Pop stars such as Taylor Swift, who donates generously to her team and charitable causes, show us that fame can be used for good, especially in the aftermath of a pandemic. Top 40 artists have a positive influence on the music i
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