This Day in Top 40 History: March 8
On March 8, 1988, Benny Blanco was born in Reston, Virginia. He’s an award-winning producer and songwriter known for penning hits such as Justin Bieber’s “Lonely,” Kesha’s “TiK ToK,” and…
On March 8, 1988, Benny Blanco was born in Reston, Virginia. He's an award-winning producer and songwriter known for penning hits such as Justin Bieber's “Lonely,” Kesha's “TiK ToK,” and Selena Gomez's “Same Old Love.”
Blanco shared his birthday with Randy Meisner of The Eagles. Meinser helped the band score multiple Top 40 singles in the U.S., including “Take It to the Limit,” on which he sang lead vocals. If you're interested in discovering more Top 40 history events from March 8, you're on the right page.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Notable releases from March 8 include:
- 1994: Soundgarden's fourth studio album, Superunknown, came out. Exceeding nine million sales and hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200, this was hailed as their most successful and innovative record. It spawned a couple of successful singles that landed in the Top 40 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, such as “Fell On Black Days” and “Black Hole Sun.”
- 2013: David Bowie dropped his 24th studio album, The Next Day. It peaked at No. 1 on the U.K. Albums chart, but missed the top spot on the Billboard 200, where it reached No. 2. The project delivered one U.K. Top 10 hit, “Where Are We Now.”
Cultural Milestones
Here are memorable Top 40 cultural milestones from March 8:
- 1964: The Dave Clark Five appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time and performed the U.K. No. 1 hit, “Glad All Over.” The Catch Us If You Can artists graced the show more than 15 other times.
- 1968: The Fillmore East opened at 105 Second Avenue in New York City. It would later be nicknamed the Church of Rock and Roll, hosting a string of big names, including Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and The Grateful Dead.
Industry Changes and Challenges
While some events from March 8 have marked the beginning of successful solo careers, others have negatively impacted the lives of some artists.
- 1970: About two months after leaving The Supremes, Diana Ross delivered her first performance as a solo artist in Framingham, Massachusetts. This gave fans a glimpse of what she had in store for them, and, as many expected, she didn't disappoint. Ross would later place more than 10 Top 10 hits on the Hot 100 in the years that followed, such as “Love Hangover” and “Upside Down.”
- 1973: Paul McCartney pleaded guilty to a charge of growing cannabis on his Campbelltown farm in Scotland and was fined at least £100. The “Wonderful Christmastime” singer, who has been arrested multiple times for marijuana possession, claimed that fans gifted him seeds, but he didn't know what they were when planting them.
- 1973: Ron "Pigpen" McKernan was found dead in his Corte Madera home in California. He was 27. According to sources, Pigpen's cause of death was gastrointestinal haemorrhage that may have resulted from liver failure. He was best known as the original vocalist and keyboardist of the Grateful Dead, whose “Touch of Grey” cracked the Top 10 in the U.S.
These Top 40 historical events from March 8 make it crystal clear that this date has impacted various aspects of the music industry.
