This Day in Top 40 History: March 19

Author Kristina Hall

March 19th 2:54 AM

Top 40 music has seen many great performances on March 19. This was a big day in music history with memorable moments from Adele, P!NK, Taylor Swift, and more.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

March 19 has had its share of big hits and milestone performances, including:

2015: The two-time BRIT Award-winning pop singer Ed Sheeran broke records by selling the 2 millionth copy of his second album X in the U.K. Other artists who hold similar sales records include Adele, Emeli Sande, Take That, and Michael Bublé.
2016: Mega pop star Adele performed at the O2 Arena in London, England, as part of her Adele Live Tour.Today, Adele is one of the Top 40’s biggest stars and recently finished her Las Vegas, Nevada, residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Cultural Milestones

Bands and performers can cheer people up and have a lasting impact with just one song:

2022: Shawn Mendes and Sebastián Yatra performed together during the Samsung Galaxy + Billboard Present at THE STAGE at the South by Southwest music festival. During the show, Mendes warmed the crowd with upbeat songs and even invited a fan on stage to sing with him.
2024: Pop singer Meghan Trainor appeared on the Live Kelly & Mark TV show. Trainor is best known for her megahit “All About That Bass,” which topped the for eight weeks and was widely played on TV shows and radio stations across the U.S.

Notable Recordings and Performances

We saw these recordings and performances on March 19:

2010: A young Justin Bieber released his debut album My World 2.0.
2024: Pop star P!NK performed at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, during her P!nk Summer Carnival 2024 tour.

Industry Changes and Challenges

From leaked album releases to in-home concerts, March 19 saw the following challenges:

2012: Madonna’s new studio album MDNA was leaked online via an illegal file-sharing website a week before its official release, exemplifying challenges those in the modern music industry face due to easy access to the internet and hackers.
2020: Niall Horan, formerly of One Direction, performed a virtual concert as part of the Together, At Home: WHO-Global Citizen Solidarity Sessions. Many other artists performed these sessions when COVID-19 restrictions forced venues to close.

We are continually amazed at the lasting impact and influence of Top 40 music stars. From lifting people’s spirits through songs to sharing goodwill, the music industry continues to shine.