This Day in Top 40 History: March 31

March 31 has been an eventful day in Top 40 music history, with performances by superstars such as Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Whitney Houston, and Pitbull. Cultural Milestones Whitney Houston and Lady Gaga are two of the most influential pop stars of all time, and these cultural milestones on March 31 solidified them as Top 40 greats: 1991: Legendary pop singer Whitney Houston's TV special, Welcome Home Heroes, aired on HBO. This special welcomed home 3,500 service members from the Gulf War in the Middle East. Houston aired this honorary show live from the Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia. 2014: Lady Gaga performed at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City as part of her first concert residency of seven shows. Notable Recordings and Performances Some notable concerts that took place on March 31 include: 2014: Miley Cyrus performed at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as part of her Bangerz Tour. Cyrus opened the show by sliding down a giant pink tongue, and there were many dazzling lights and dancers. 2014: Rapper and singer Pitbull performed on The Today Show at Rockefeller Center in New York City. This dance-centric performance was a success for Pitbull. 2023: Pop superstar Taylor Swift sang at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as part of The Eras Tour. 2024: Drake, Lil Wayne, and Lil Durk performed at Bryce Jordan Center at the University Park campus of Pennsylvania State University for Drake's It's All a Blur Tour. Industry Changes and Challenges March 31 is associated with technological innovations and odd talk show appearances in the Top 40 music industry: 1949: The way the world listened to music singles changed when the first 7-inch, 45 rpm record was released. Before this, only large-format vinyl records were available. Among the first singles released on the 7-inch, 45 rpm record was "Texarkana Baby" by Eddy Arnold. 1994: Pop star Madonna appeared as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman. Her behavior on the show was highly controversial, as she used profanity and refused to leave the set. Despite this, it was one of Letterman's highest-rated shows. The last day of March has witnessed many memorable changes, challenges, and performances in Top 40 music history.