This Day in Top 40 History: March 11
From Grammy Award ceremonies to canceled events and notable performances, March 11 marks an important day in Top 40 music. Breakthrough Hits and Milestones We saw some ground-breaking hits and…

From Grammy Award ceremonies to canceled events and notable performances, March 11 marks an important day in Top 40 music.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
We saw some ground-breaking hits and milestones on March 14, including:
- 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.
- 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
From record-breaking ticket sales to sold-out performances, March 11 saw several cultural milestones:
- 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
We nod our heads to these inspiring performances from around the world:
- 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
COVID-19 caused serious restrictions and cancelations for performers, including for these Top 40 artists:
- 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.
Top 40 artists and music continue to evolve and influence up-and-coming artists. While we saw setbacks from the pandemic, we moved past it; music prevailed and lifted us up.