This Day in Top 40 History: March 11

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1970: At the 12th Annual GRAMMY Awards, pop singer Harry Nilsson won Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male, for his version of “Everybody's Talkin'” from the soundtrack of the movie Midnight Cowboy.
• 1975: 10cc released their third studio album, The Original Soundtrack. It charted on the U.K. Official Albums Chart for up to 40 weeks, peaking at No. 3. The record produced one of the band's most popular songs, “I'm Not in Love,” which reached No. 1 on the U.K. Singles chart. 
• 2011: The Vaccines unveiled their debut studio album, What Did You Expect From the Vaccines? It stalled at No. 4 in the U.K. and spawned several Top 40 singles in the region, including “Post Break-Up Sex” and “If You Wanna.”
• 2022: Pop superstar Billie Eilish performed at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, as part of her Happier Than Ever, The World Tour. Eilish has earned 32 GRAMMY nominations and nine wins and continues influencing the pop music scene.
• 2023: DaBaby performed at a post-pandemic event in Hong Kong with NICKTHEREAL, Tyson Yoshi, and MC Cheung. The PUNCH Live 2023 tour helped celebrate life after COVID-19.

Cultural Milestones

• 1981: LeToya Luckett was born in Houston, Texas. She was a founding member of Destiny's Child and contributed to their Top 10 album, The Writing's On The Wall. However, after falling out with their manager, Mathew Knowles, she left the group. In 2006, LeToya released her self-titled debut album, which reached No. 1 on both the Hot 100 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, kick-starting her successful solo career. 
• 1994: The Supremes received their Hollywood Walk of Fame star at 7060 Hollywood Blvd. This honor came 17 years after the vocal group, which comprised Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Florence Ballard, split. Their time in the music scene had seen them score an impressive 12 No. 1 hits in the U.S., including “You Keep Me Hangin' On” and “I Hear A Symphony.” 
• 2009: Pop diva Britney Spears performed at the  Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Her presentation was remarkable as it featured glamor, multiple costume changes, dazzling light shows, and excited fans singing along to her songs.
• 2018: Superstar sensation Bruno Mars took the stage at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. Mars supposedly grossed nearly $200 million on his 24K Magic World Tour, grossing $2.1 million each night.
• 2018: Camila Cabello performed at the Forum in Los Angeles, California. The Cuban-born Cabello was a member of the girl pop group Fifth Harmony, one of the best-selling all-girl groups ever.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 2000: 311 performed at the State Palace Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was the first 311 Day event, and it marked the beginning of an annual tradition in which the band has performed on the same date or on nearby weekends in March. Notable hits on the concerts' 47-song setlist were “Freak Out,” Life's Not a Race,” and “Down,” which cracked the Top 20 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay charts.
• 2000: Kiss performed “Detroit Rock City,” “Beth,” “100,000 Years,”  and other songs during the first show of their Farewell Tour at Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix, Arizona. The band intended this to be their final trek, but they ended up hitting the road again and welcoming new band members along the way. 
• 2017: Singers Bebe Rexha and Spencer Ludwig performed at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California.
• 2017: The South Korean all-boy K-pop band BTS headed to Chile on The Wings Tour. They played four South American dates, with two in Brazil.
• 2022: Benee performed at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North, New Zealand, during her Benee 2022 World Tour. After New Zealand, she played shows in Australia.
• 2024: During Madonna's Celebration Tour, she brought her daughter Estere and fellow pop star Cardi B to the stage for a fun and upbeat performance.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1997: At London's Buckingham Palace, countless fans waited outside as Queen Elizabeth II knighted Paul McCartney of the Beatles, recognizing his impact on the music industry. McCartney's wife, Linda, didn't accompany him as she was battling cancer, but their four children attended the ceremony. 
• 2004: Edmund Sylvers died from lung cancer at 47. As a member of The Sylvers, he sang lead on their biggest hit, “Boogie Fever,” which sold more than two million copies and hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and R&B charts. Sylvers also pursued a solo career, releasing singles such as “That Burning Love” and “Have You Heard the News.”
• 2011: A pregnant Jewel was involved in a car accident in Stephenville, Texas, after a volunteer fire truck struck the passenger side of her vehicle. Thankfully, the “Who Will Save Your Soul” singer was rushed to the hospital, where doctors confirmed she and her unborn baby were in good health. 
• 2020: The Treeford Music Festival, featuring indie performers and pop stars, was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
• 2020: Madonna canceled the last two shows of her popular Madame X tour in Paris, France. The Paris Office of Police canceled all shows and gatherings of over 1,000 people.