This Day in Top 40 History: March 14
March 14 has been a day for music events over the years. The Grammy Awards took place after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and artists such as Billie Eilish and Megan Thee Stallion won awards. A Top 40 artist performed for the Queen of England and the Royal Family, and the Jonas Brothers began a residency on Broadway.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Some of the nominees and winners included:
- 2021: Billie Eilish won Record of the Year for her song “everything i wanted,” which was produced by her brother, Finneas O’Connell.
- 2021: Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, and HAIM’s Women in Music Pt. III were all nominated for Album of the Year.
- 2021: Megan Thee Stallion won Best New Artist, Harry Styles won Best Pop Solo Performance for his song “Watermelon Sugar,” and Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Rain on Me.”
Cultural Milestones
Certain artists have made an impact on the music industry. Here are some of the cultural milestones that have occurred on March 14:
- 1933: Multitalented music producer and composer Quincy Jones was born. Jones arranged and conducted music for Frank Sinatra and Count Basie and produced three albums for Michael Jackson. He started his own record label, Qwest Records, in 1980.
- 2001: Madonna held open auditions for new dancers to perform with her on her Drowned World Tour. This was the highest-grossing concert tour of 2001 by a solo artist.
- 2014: Singer Chris Brown was arrested for violating his probation. He was originally charged with felony assault against singer Rihanna in 2009.
- 2016: English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding sang Sting’s “Fields of Gold” before the Queen of England and the Royal Family. Goulding performed this song at the Commonwealth Day service at London’s Westminster Abbey.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Memorable recordings and performances that took place on March 14 include:
- 2014: Calvin Harris’ new song “Summer” played for the first time on the U.K.’s hit music radio station, Capital.
- 2018: Saweetie performed at the South by Southwest conference and festival in Austin, Texas.
- 2023: The Jonas Brothers began their five-night residency at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre. Nick Jonas has performed on Broadway in the past, with roles in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Annie Get Your Gun.
Organizers of musical events faced many challenges during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. However, artists rescheduled shows and continued writing and singing music in preparation for when the world would reopen.
