This Day in Top 40 History: May 5

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1997: Paul McCartney released Flaming Pie in the U.K. The album soared to No. 2 on the Official Album Chart. Additionally, it spawned “Young Boy” and “The World Tonight,” both of which broke into the Top 40 on the Singles chart. 
• 2008: Nine Inch Nails launched The Slip, their seventh studio LP. This album, which delivered “1,000,000,” “Discipline,” and “The Four of Us Are Dying,” peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2010: Pop diva Lady Gaga was a guest performer for the results show of American Idol. She sang "Alejandro" at this show, and judge Harry Connick Jr. also performed.
• 2017: Chris Stapleton issued his sophomore album, From a Room: Volume 1. It landed at No. 2 and No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums chart, respectively. Top 40 tracks from this record included “Either Way” and “Broken Halos,” which charted on the Hot Country Songs chart. 
• 2023: Pop sensation Taylor Swift performed at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on an early stop of her popular Eras Tour. Swift spent years in Nashville in her early career as a country music star, and she's now one of the most influential Top 40 artists of all time.
• 2023: Sabrina Carpenter held a concert at Meridian Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as part of her Emails I Can't Send tour. Carpenter is now a GRAMMY Award-winning star, reaping Best Pop Vocal Album for Short n' Sweet and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Espresso" at the 2025 GRAMMYs.

Cultural Milestones

• 1981: Craig David was born to Tina Loftus and George David in Southampton, London. As of this writing, he has scored up to 26 U.K. Top 40 singles, including “Fill Me In” and “7 Days,” which is arguably his biggest song. The Hampshire native has also racked up multiple prizes throughout his career, including five Music of Black Origin (MOBO) awards. 
• 1984: Jim Kerr of Simple Minds and Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders got married in New York. Unfortunately, their union wasn't meant to last. The couple finalized their divorce in 1990, but they remained friends. In 2018, they played their first concert together, three decades after their split. 
• 1988: Mega pop queen Adele was born on May 5. The "Set Fire to the Rain," "Hello," and "Someone Like You" singer hit the Top 40 scene when she was only 19, and she took the world by storm with numerous BRIT Awards and GRAMMYs.
• 1989: Chris Brown, who's behind “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” “Don't Wake Me Up,” and 15 other U.S. Top 10 hits, was born in Tappahannock, Virginia. Drawing inspiration from Michael Jackson, Usher, and Stevie Wonder, the father of three would go on to become one of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B.
• 2014: Rihanna attended the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for that year's Charles James: Beyond Fashion theme. Additional stars at this glamorous event included Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, and Taylor Swift, who are also powerhouses in the Top 40 and adult contemporary music genres.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1968: At California's Long Beach Arena, Buffalo Springfield delivered their historic final performance. Among the hits on the event's setlist were their Top 10 hit "For What It's Worth," "Rock & Roll Woman," "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing,” and “Uno Mundo.”
• 2009: Tina Turner sang “What You Get Is What You See” and “What's Love Got to Do With It,” and other tracks at the Sheffield Arena in England. This performance wrapped up her Tina! 50th Anniversary Tour, which spanned at least 90 shows across Europe and North America. It also marked the end of Turner's performing career, as she retired afterward.
• 2018: Lizzo played at the famous Radio City Music Hall in New York City as part of HAIM's Sister Sister Sister tour. She was the opening act for most of the North American dates of this tour, and on May 5, the songs she sang included "Can't Nobody Love Me the Way I Do" and "Good as H*ll."
• 2018: Sam Smith thrilled fans at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands, as part of his The Thrill of It All tour. Smith started the show with songs including "Lay Me Down" and "Money on My Mind" and wrapped up the encore with his smash hit "Stay With Me."
• 2024: The annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival ended on May 5, with headliners Hozier, Vampire Weekend, Queen Latifah, and Jon Batiste. Hundreds of other artists were at this music festival, including The Wallflowers, The Killers, and The Revivalists.
• 2024: Pop star Megan Trainor appeared as a guest performer on American Idol. Fans were delighted to hear her sing "Been Like This" and "To the Moon."

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1986: The Hall of Fame Foundation announced that Cleveland, Ohio, would be the permanent site of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. This came after a competitive bidding process in which other cities, including New York, Philadelphia, and Memphis, competed against The Forest City to earn this honor. Today, the institution still stands on the shore of Lake Erie, hosting exhibits, interactive displays, and induction ceremonies of many Top 40 artists. 
• 2020: The music industry lost Millie Small, who died at 72 following a stroke. Her most notable hits were “Sweet William” and “My Boy Lollipop,” which charted in the Top 40 on the Hot 100 and the U.K. Singles Chart.