This Day in Top 40 History: March 6
Pop stars touring with rock stars, free concerts in Cuba, awards for women, and a stunning red dress make March 6 a notable day in Top 40 history. Breakthrough Hits…
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Pop stars touring with rock stars, free concerts in Cuba, awards for women, and a stunning red dress make March 6 a notable day in Top 40 history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Pop albums were released and tours were announced on March 6.
- 1982: All-girl group The Go-Go's reached No.1 on the Billboard 200 with their album Beauty and the Beat. This was the first time an all-girl band had reached No.1 with an album.
- 2014: Pop star and American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert announced his tour with rock band Queen. Lambert turned from pop to rock as frontman for this milestone tour.
- 2015: Pop queen Madonna released her 13th studio album Rebel Heart. The album got mixed reviews, with Rolling Stone giving it a 3.5 rating.
Cultural Milestones
Artists and events that had an impact on culture on March 6:
- 2016: Diplo and Major Lazer performed a free gig in Havana, Cuba, to 400,000 people in Jose Marti Anti-Imperialist Plaza. This was the first time a major U.S. musical act had played in Cuba since the normalization of the two countries' diplomatic relations.
- 2021: Lou Ottens, inventor of the cassette tape, died on this day. Ottens' invention changed how we listened to music, with cassette tapes replacing large reel-to-reel tapes and vinyl records.
- 2024: Kylie Minogue won the Billboard Women in Music Icon Award at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, California. Katy Perry presented at the awards in a head-turning red dress, Karol G was voted Woman of the Year, and Victoria Monet received the Rising Star Award.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Songs and tours worth highlighting from March 6 through the years include:
- 1958: The Everly Brothers recorded their famous song "All I Have To Do Is Dream."
- 2017: Travis Scott announced his Bird's Eye View tour dates. The tour started on March 10 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and ended on July 9 in Turku, Finland.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Here are some challenges and changes the music industry saw on March 6:
- 1994: Crooner Frank Sinatra collapsed while performing at a concert in Richmond, Virginia. He was singing "My Way" when it happened. After doctors at a local hospital performed tests, Sinatra was released and flew home to Palm Springs, California, on his private plane.
- 2011: Heartthrob David Cassidy got fired from the reality TV show The Celebrity Apprentice. Cassidy was the first celebrity to be fired from this show by Donald Trump.
- 2020: The music festival South by Southwest was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. After this, many major music festivals were canceled, and the way people enjoyed music had to change for a while, with only radio or streaming services publicly available.
While some artists continued to make music, tour, and perform, COVID-19 gripped the world in 2020, bringing major changes to the music industry, many of which are still being felt today.
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