This Day in Top 40 History: March 26

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1976: Paul McCartney and Wings dropped Wings at the Speed of Sound, their fifth studio LP, in the U.K. This was a day after releasing the record in the U.S. Still, it was well-received in both regions, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the U.K. Official Albums chart. The project also produced two Top Five singles, “Silly Love Songs” and "Let 'Em In.”
• 1980: Van Halen issued their third studio LP, Women and Children First, featuring “And the Cradle Will Rock…,” “Romeo Delight,” and "Everybody Wants Some!!” This set stalled at No. 15 in the U.K., but soared to No. 6 in the U.S. 
• 1986: Madonna's "Live to Tell" was released by Sire Records. This single was the theme song for the movie At Close Range with Madonna's then-husband, Sean Penn, and actor Christopher Walken.
• 1996: Busta Rhymes' The Coming came out, including guest contributions from Rampage, Zhané, Redman, and other artists. The album reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200. It also enabled Busta to add to his list of Top 40 hits, thanks to “Woo-Hah!! Got You All In Check,” which cracked the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100.
• 2019: Ariana Grande opened her Sweetener world tour at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Special guests Normani and Social House joined this now multi-award-winning performer.
• 2023: Pop star Adele announced that she would extend her Las Vegas, Nevada, residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace with 34 new Weekends With Adele shows. She is known for chart-topping hits such as "Hello" and "Set Fire to the Rain."

Cultural Milestones

• 1944: Diana Ross was born in Detroit, Michigan. She shot to fame when her group, The Primettes, signed with Motown Records and changed their name to The Supremes. Together, they would place up to 12 No. 1 hits on the Hot 100. Ross would later leave the group to pursue a solo career, which saw her achieve six more chart-toppers, including “Ain't No Mountain High Enough” and “Endless Love,” her collaboration with Lionel Richie. 
• 1968: Kenny Chesney was born in Luttrell, Tennessee. His pool of notable feats includes scoring more than 50 Top 10 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Some of these are “There Goes My Life” and “How Forever Feels,” which reached their summit. Additionally, the Country Music Hall of Famer has sold over 30 million albums and won many accolades, including Country Music Association (CMA) awards and six GRAMMY nominations.
• 2024: Australian Tones and I won the Rolling Stone Global Award at the Shure Rolling Stone Australia Awards, beating out Kylie Minogue and Tame Impala. Tones and I is best known for her smash hit single "Dance Monkey."  Other Australians to win included pop singer Peach PRC for the Best Single for "Perfect For You" and DJ and songwriter Dom Dolla for Best New Artist.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 2023: K-pop girl band BLACKPINK played to a loud crowd at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, Philippines, as part of their BORN PINK world tour. The fans loved their show as they sang along and danced to BLACKPINK's catchy songs.
• 2024: Puerto Rican-born singer Bad Bunny performed at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, as a stop on his Most Wanted 2024 Tour. His Latin-influenced songs include “Yo Perreo Sola” and “SOLO DE MI."
• 2024: Pop superstar Nicki Minaj played to a sold-out show at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The "Super Freaky Girl" singer performed in Charlotte for the first time since 2015 as part of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour.
• 2025: Dua Lipa performed at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, while on the Radical Optimism Tour. This trek promoted her Top Five album of the same name, so she sang some songs from the project, including “Houdini” and “Training Season.” Other songs on the setlist were “Levitating” “New Rules,” and “Don't Start Now.” 
• 2025: “Dancing in the Dark” singer Bruce Springsteen lit up the stage at Carnegie Hall in New York during the People Have the Power: A Celebration of Patti Smith concert. On the list of performers were other big names, including Kim Gordon, Karen O, and Courtney Barnett. Proceeds from the show supported various music education initiatives. 

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1986: Despite their chaotic behaviour and substance abuse, Geffen Records signed Guns N' Roses. This decision would lead to the band's future success, which included scoring two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200: Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion II. 
• 1995: Eazy-E, who was known for founding Ruthless Records and delivering hits such as “We Want Eazy” and “Boyz-N-The Hood” died of AIDS. He had been diagnosed with the disease in February 1995 and shared the sad news with his fans on March 16. Note that Eazy-E was also part of N.W.A, which also included Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.
• 2017: Panic! At The Disco performed at the Viejas Arena in San Diego, California. Frontman Brendon Urie said that they ended their run as a band in 2023 so he could focus on his family.
• 2022: New Zealand pop star BENEE canceled her Australian show at the Red Hill Auditorium in Perth, Western Australia. She wrote a message to her fans apologizing for cancellations due to a COVID-19 outbreak in New Zealand, issued refunds, and promised to return to performing once it was safe to do so.