This Day in Top 40 History: March 4

Dua Lipa performs at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia

Photo by Don Arnold/Getty Images

March 4 has proven to be a significant day in Top 40 history, marked by hit album releases, unforgettable tour performances, exclusive magazine interviews, and even runway modeling moments.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

Here are a few of the hits and milestones we saw on March 4.

1974: Swedish pop group ABBA released their album Waterloo in Sweden. ABBA was one of the most popular and best-selling musical pop groups of all time, and the release of the album launched their international career.
1991: The Farm released their debut and only No. 1 album in the U.K., Spartacus. A number of tracks from this record landed in the Top 40 on the U.K. Singles chart, including “Groovy Train” and “All Together Now.”
2003: Evanescence launched their debut album, Fallen. The project featured “Bring Me To Life” and “My Immortal,” which charted in the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100. In addition, Fallen stalled at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
2013: Bastille dropped their debut studio LP, Bad Blood. While it reached No. 11 in the U.S., it peaked at No. 1 in the U.K. This record delivered several Top 40 singles, such as “Pompeii,” “Things We Lost in the Fire,” and “Flaws.”
2020: Post Malone performs at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, for his Runaway Tour.
2023: Katy Perry performed at the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of her Play residency. During her residency, she performed 80 shows.

Cultural Milestones

Music artists often have an influence on pop culture, such as:

1932: Miriam Makeba, nicknamed Mama Africa, was born in South Africa. She is credited with popularizing African music in the U.S. Her most notable hit is “Pata Pata,” which she released in 1957. About a decade later, it charted on the Hot 100, reaching No. 12.
2004: Beyoncé posed for the cover of the music magazine Rolling Stone. In her cover story, she talked about her fame and future plans as a pop star.
2011: Lady Gaga performed at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York, for The Monster Ball Tour. Fans and music industry analysts have praised the concert tour and noted Lady Gaga's influence on future pop stars.
2020: Garth Brooks received the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. At 58, the “What's She Doing Now” singer became the youngest artist to earn that honor. The list of former recipients includes “I Just Called to Say I Love You” singer Stevie Wonder and Carole King.
2024: Singer Sam Smith walked the runway for Vivienne Westwood's fashion show in Paris, France. Smith modeled two looks from the fashion house's rebellious line of wear.

Notable Recordings and Performances

March 4 has witnessed notable performances in Top 40 music history, including:

1987: Tina Turner brought the house down at the Olympiahalle in Munich, West Germany. This concert marked the beginning of her Break Every Rule world tour that spanned five continents, including Europe and North America. The trek promoted her album of the same name, which eventually stalled at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
2003: Bruce Springsteen performed Hank Ballard's "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Illinois. The “Dancing in the Dark” singer was honoring Ballard, who had died a couple of days earlier.
2023: Adele held a show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas as part of her Weekends with Adele residency.
2022: Dua Lipa performed at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. This was part of her Future Nostalgia Tour.
2021: Ashe and Finneas sang "Till Forever Falls Apart" on Jimmy Kimmel Live. This notable performance was filmed using the stunning backdrop of Malibu, California.
2022: The Weeknd held a performance at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, during his 104-date global tour.

Industry Changes and Challenges

Addiction and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) have challenged the music industry:

1993: Pop star Whitney Houston and her husband, Bobby Brown, welcomed their daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown. Both Houston and Brown battled addiction throughout their marriage.
1994: While in Rome, Italy, Kurt Cobain was rushed to a hospital after slipping into a drug-induced coma. He regained consciousness after an estimated 20 hours but died by suicide about a month later. Cobain was the frontman of Nivarna, known for hits such as “Something in the Way” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which broke into the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
2015: Daryl Hall and John Oates, best known as Hall & Oates, filed a lawsuit against Early Bird Foods & Co for calling its granola bars “Haulin' Oats.” The “Private Eyes” hitmakers accused the cereal producer of trademark infringement, claiming that the name “Haulin' Oats” was a phonetic play on their band name, which they wanted to take advantage of.
2020: Barbara Martin passed away at 76. She was a founding member of The Supremes and contributed vocals to their debut record, Meet the Supremes. However, she left the group in 1962, a few years before they blew up and scored No. 1 hits such as “Baby Love” and “You Can't Hurry Love.”
2022: Pop star Britney Spears shared on her Instagram account a happy birthday message to her then-husband Sam Asghari, stating she wanted to start a family with him.