This Day in Top 40 History: April 2

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1964: The Beach Boys recorded their first-ever No.1 hit, "I Get Around," at Western Recorders in Hollywood, California. The song was then released on May 11 of that same year and reached the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 a few months later, in July.
• 1977: Swedish band ABBA reached the top of the UK singles chart with their hit single "Knowing Me, Knowing You." It was their fifth UK No. 1 and also reached the top spot in multiple other countries, including Mexico, Germany, Ireland, and South Africa.
• 1977: While ABBA was dominating in Britain, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album got No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it spent a remarkable 31 non-consecutive weeks. It displaced the Eagles' Hotel California from the top spot and has sold over 40 million copies worldwide since.
• 2006: Gnarls Barkley's song "Crazy" started a nine-week run at No. 1 on the UK singles chart. It was the first-ever single to reach the top spot on the UK singles chart solely based on digital sales, marking a new era in music distribution.
• 2011: Singer Selena Gomez attended Nickelodeon's 2011 Kids' Choice Awards at the Galen Center at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. Justin Bieber won Favorite Male Singer.
• 2023: As part of her mega Eras Tour, Taylor Swift had a huge show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. She had guests Gracie Abrams, MUNA, beabadoobee, and GAYLE with her on this ground-breaking tour.
• 2024: Olivia Rodrigo performed at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 2 with special guest Chappelle Roan on the Guts World Tour. Today, Chappell Roan is a Grammy-nominated singer known for her campy drag-queen style, and Olivia Rodrigo was once a Disney star.

Cultural Milestones

• 1939: Legendary R&B singer Marvin Gaye was born in Washington, D.C. He had an astonishing 60 singles reach the R&B charts Top 40 throughout his career, with 38 of them also making it into the Top 10 and 13 reaching the top spot.
• 2024: Taylor Swift was officially included in Forbes' billionaire list. Unlike other artists who have made the list, Swift reached this milestone solely from her songwriting and performing proceeds, instead of lucrative side ventures.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 2023: Pop star The Kid LAROI performed and interacted with fans at his Bleed For You tour held at Colonial Life Arena, at the University of South Carolina. The Kid LAROI is known for hits such as "Without You" and "Thousand Miles."
• 2023: Singer Sabrina Carpenter performed at the Revolution Concert House and Event Center in  Garden City, Idaho. This was a stop on her Short N Sweet Tour. 
• 2023: Drake and J. Cole headlined the Dreamville Fest in Raleigh, North Carolina. Drake had the crowd singing with him on "I Will Always Love You," a song written by country star Dolly Parton and made famous by Whitney Houston for the movie The Bodyguard.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2020: Crooner Michael Buble had to reschedule his tour, which included a performance on April 2, due to restrictions from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2024: Indie band AJR suddenly canceled a show at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Virginia. The group said the venue was too small for their show and the expected size of the audience, and the City of Norfolk stated that they were disappointed with AJR's decision to cancel.