This Day in Top 40 History: October 11

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1968: Aretha Franklin's "I Say a Little Prayer" was certified Gold, showing her reach beyond soul into mainstream hits.
• 1986: Janet Jackson scored her first U.S. No. 1 with "When I Think of You."
• 1988: Sarah McLachlan released her debut album, Touch. This record marked the start of a career that shaped '90s pop.
• 1997: Elton John's "Candle in the Wind '97" hit No. 1 in the U.S. This tribute to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, became one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Cultural Milestones

• Music shaped culture, TV, and identity on Oct. 11:
• 1950: Andrew Woolfolk, saxophonist and flautist with Earth, Wind & Fire, was born in Texas.
• 1975: NBC's Saturday Night (soon renamed Saturday Night Live) debuted on NBC, with Janis Ian and Billy Preston each performing two songs. From the beginning, the show tied comedy to pop music history.
• 2003: Justin Timberlake did double duty as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live. It was the first of many appearances and cemented him as a versatile pop entertainer.
• 2011: Esquire named Rihanna the Sexiest Woman Alive.
• 2013: Lady Gaga made her film debut as a shape-shifting assassin in Machete Kills. It was her first taste of movie stardom.
• 2016: Rod Stewart was knighted at Buckingham Palace, becoming Sir Roderick David Stewart.
• 2024: Pharrell Williams' animated LEGO biography Piece by Piece hit theaters, with Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake, and Snoop Dogg appearing as LEGO avatars.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1955: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins launched an 11-date Southern tour.
• 1981: Prince opened for The Rolling Stones at the LA Coliseum for the second time but was booed off the stage.
• 1983: KISS played their first show without makeup in Lisbon. The gamble reinvented the group's brand and proved they could still pull a crowd.
• 1990: Dave Grohl played his first gig with Nirvana in Olympia, Washington. The lineup that changed the sound of the '90s was officially in place.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1995: Tupac Shakur was released on bail shortly after signing a deal with Death Row Records.
• 2018: The Music Modernization Act became law, updating royalties for streaming and granting protections to pre-1972 songs. This marked a long-overdue win for artists and writers.