This Day in Top 40 History: March 21

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1983: Pink Floyd released The Final Cut. The album featured “Not Now John” and “When the Tigers Broke Free,” both of which cracked the Top 40 on the U.K. Singles chart. Additionally, it reached No. 1 and No. 6 in the U.K. and the U.S., respectively. 
• 1995: Stevie Wonder's 22nd studio album, Conversation Peace, came out. Tracks from this set included “Tomorrow Robins Will Sing,” “For Your Love,” and “Edge of Eternity.” This album peaked at No. 16 in the U.S. 
• 2014: Shakira issued her self-titled 10th studio album, featuring guest vocals from Rihanna, Blake Shelton, and MAGIC! This album reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, making it her highest-charting release in the U.S. as of this writing. It delivered “Can't Remember to Forget You,” which stalled at No. 15 on Billboard Hot 100. 
• 2016: After her breakthrough album 25, Adele soared to stardom. She embarked on her Adele Live European tour and played five nights at the O2 Arena in London, England, including March 21.
• 2023: Morgan Wallen, country music's crossover star, performed at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, during his One Night At A Time World Tour.
• 2024: Superstar Niall Horan, a former member of the boy band One Direction, performed at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy, as part of his world tour, which took the artist from Belfast, Ireland, to Phoenix, Arizona.

Cultural Milestones 

• 1967: Jonas Berggren, also known as Joker, was born in Gothenburg, Sweden. He is a founding member of Ace of Base. As such, he has contributed to the group's Top 40 singles, which include “All That She Wants” and “The Sign.” 
• 2005: The final episode of The Osbournes aired, marking the end of the four-season reality TV series that had offered fans a glimpse of Ozzy Osbourne's life. The show zeroed in on the Patient Number 9 artist's daily activities as well as those of his wife, Sharon, and their two children, Kelly and Jack. 

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1939: Kate Smith recorded her rendition of “God Bless America” for RCA Victor. It would become her signature song and a hit in the U.S., where it peaked at No. 10 upon release in early April 1939. When the track was reissued in 1940, it climbed higher on the charts and landed at No. 5. 
• 1989: Madonna released her Like a Prayer album, which she wrote and produced with Patrick Leonard, Stephan Bray, and Prince.
• 1994: At Los Angeles' Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Bruce Springsteen performed his Top 10 hit “Streets of Philadelphia” during the 66th Academy Awards. This song, which he sang for Jonathan Demme's 1993 movie Philadelphia, earned the Born in the U.S.A. artist an Oscar during the ceremony. Tom Hanks, who starred in the film alongside Denzel Washington, also bagged an accolade for his remarkable portrayal of Andrew Beckett.
• 2008: The Jonas Brothers performed live on CBS News' The Early Show, at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City. They delighted fans with songs such as "Hold On" and "When You Look Me in the Eyes."
• 2010: Former teen heartthrob David Cassidy performed at the Disney World America Gardens Theatre in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. He toured with special guest Davy Jones, a member of the pop band The Monkees.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1976: David Bowie and “Real Wild Child” singer Iggy Pop were arrested in Rochester, New York, on charges of marijuana possession. This was just after the “Let's Dance” hitmaker had performed at the Community War Memorial Arena while on his Isolar Tour, which supported his Top Five album, Station to Station. 
• 1991: Leo Fender died in Fullerton, California, at 81. This came after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Fender was best known as the founder of Fender Musical Instruments, which has provided high-quality basses and electric guitars for countless Top 40 artists. That pool features renowned names such as Jimi Hendrix and “Tears in Heaven” artist Eric Clapton.
• 2004: Johnny Bristol died at 65. One of his most notable hits was “Hang On in There Baby,” which cracked the Top 10 on both the U.K. Singles chart and Billboard's Hot 100. As a producer for Berry Gordy's Motown, Bristol worked with a long list of successful musicians, including The Supremes and Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye.
• 2020: Zion & Lennox postponed their ICONIC TWENTY20 Tour due to COVID restrictions and vowed to honor purchased tickets for the new dates.
• 2021: In an interview with the TV show CBS Sunday Morning, pop star Demi Lovato reflected on her recovery from a heroin overdose in 2018. She talked about her struggles with substance abuse and how overcoming them allowed her to regain control of her life.