This Day in Top 40 History: April 15

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 2003: Kelly Clarkson issued her debut studio LP, Thankful. It sold nearly 300,000 copies in its opening week and cruised to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Additionally, the project produced hits such as “Low” and “Miss Independent.” The latter cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. 
• 2016: PJ Harvey dropped The Hope Six Demolition Project, her ninth studio effort, via Island Records. The album would become her first No. 1 record in the U.K., although it spent only a week at the top. Mention-worthy hits from the set include “The Wheel” and “The Community of Hope.”
• 2022: Headliners at Coachella on April 15 included Harry Styles, Lil Baby, and Phoebe Bridgers. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Baby Keem, and Damian Lazarus were among the supporting artists who performed. 
• 2023: GRAMMY Award-winning pop superstar Taylor Swift performed in Tampa, Florida, during The Eras Tour. During this series of concerts, Swift sold out stadiums globally, created a community of "Swifties," and became one of the highest-paid performers of her generation.

Cultural Milestones

• 1978: Chris Stapleton was born in Lexington, Kentucky. Stapleton's big break arrived in 2015 when his debut studio effort, Traveller, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. As of this writing, he is now a 12-time GRAMMY winner with chart-toppers such as “You Should Probably Leave,” “Tennessee Whiskey,” and “Starting Over” to his name.
• 1978: Luis Fonsi was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His most notable song is “Despacito,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and featured Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart. Fonsi has placed more successful singles, including “Aquí Estoy Yo,” “No Me Doy Por Vencido,” and over 10 other Top 10 hits. 
• 2016: Musicians from various genres, including Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, Chance the Rapper, and DJ Khaled, met with then-President Barack Obama to discuss ways to continue the administration's My Brother's Keeper initiative. This program was designed to support schemes that help young men of color address the imbalances created by racial injustice.
• 2022: Bad Bunny's El Último Tour del Mundo 2022 became the fastest-selling tour since 2018, according to Ticketmaster.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1972: Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" started a six-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart. Flack died on February 24, 2025, in New York.
• 2012: A virtual version of “I Get Around” hitmaker Tupac Shakur delivered memorable performances of “2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted” and “Hail Mary” at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. This was during the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, where a string of other artists took the stage. These include Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, The Weeknd, and Avicii. 
• 2018: At the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards, Carrie Underwood blew the crowd away with her first live performance of “Cry Pretty.” The song, which she had launched on April 11 of the same year, peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Note that this was the American Idol star's first time on stage since her December 2017 accident that had left her with a severe facial injury. 
• 2024: Pop singer SZA performed at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, to support her album SOS. SZA is best known for her hits "Kill Bill" and "Snooze."

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1982: Billy Joel was involved in a motorcycle accident in Long Island, New York. The “Tell Her About It” hitmaker sustained serious injuries, including a broken leg, a dislocated wrist, and a crushed thumb. This raised concerns about his ability to play the piano again, but thankfully, after months of rehabilitation and therapy, he even improved his playing skills.
• 1996: Disgraced pop star Rob Pilatus from Milli Vanilli was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 180 days of drug rehabilitation for assault charges. Milli Vanilli were stripped of their GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist after admitting they never sang on their album Girl You Know It's True and only lip-synced. 
• 2003: The Wilhelmina Artists agency sued pop diva Beyoncé, claiming the artist did not fulfill her obligations for her cosmetic endorsement of L'Oreal. Beyoncé defended herself, refusing to pay the commission originally brokered, and there were no further comments from the artist or her representative.
• 2014: After years of struggling with alcohol addiction, Sum 41's frontman Deryck Whibley collapsed in his kitchen due to kidney and liver failure. This forced doctors to put him in a coma for about a week to speed up detoxification. Whibley and his band are behind the release of U.K. Top 40 singles such as “Fatlip” and “Still Waiting.”
• 2019: Les Reed passed away in Petersfield, Hampshire. He was 83. Reed was best known for penning hits that soared to the top of charts in various regions. For instance, he wrote Tom Jones' “Delilah” and “It's Not Unusual,” which reached No. 2 and No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart, respectively.