This Day in Top 40 History: June 11

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1991: Delivering “Wasted Time” and “In a Darkened Room,” Skid Row's sophomore album, Slave to the Grind, came out. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart.
• 2019: On the TV show Songland, which gave singer-songwriters a chance to pitch new music to stars and record producers, Kelsea Ballerini chose to record and release "Better Luck Next Time." Today, she's a five-time GRAMMY Award-winning performer.
• 2021: Garbage issued their seventh studio effort, No Gods No Masters, featuring “The Men Who Rule the World,” “No Horses,” and “Girls Talk.” The album peaked at No. 5 and No. 33 in the U.K. and the U.S., respectively. 
• 2023: Before her shift into country music, Beyoncé was already a global pop icon. On June 11, during her Renaissance World Tour, she played at the Orange Velodrome in Marseille, France, to the delight of her fans. This tour started on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden, and ended on September 27, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• 2024: Global pop sensation P!NK kicked off her Summer Carnival World Tour in Cardiff, Wales, on June 11. Due to overwhelming demand from her fans, she added shows for June 20 and 21.  

Cultural Milestones

• 1950: Graham Russell was born in Nottinghamshire, England. He's the co-founder of Air Supply, which has scored at least eight Top 10 hits in the U.S. That list includes “Every Woman In The World,” “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All,” and “The One That You Love.”
• 1988: As a tribute to imprisoned South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, numerous superstars gathered to honor his 70th birthday at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Pop stars at this cultural event included Whitney Houston, George Michael, and Tracy Chapman.
• 1997: Dieuson Octave, better known as Kodak Black, was born in Pompano Beach, Florida. After landing a record deal with Atlantic Records, he released his first LP, Painting Pictures, in 2017. The record peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. In the years that followed, Black placed other successful albums on the chart, including the chart-topping Dying to Live. 
• 2002: American Idol, originally hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman, premiered with judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul. Kelly Clarkson won the first season, quickly becoming a household name.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 2011: The No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 on this date was Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," which stayed on the chart for 21 weeks. Also peaking at No. 1 that year were "E.T." by Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, which remained on the chart for 16 weeks, and Rihanna's "S&M" featuring Britney Spears, on the Hot 100 for 20 weeks. 
• 2013: Imagine Dragons performed at the Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon, Portugal. They were on the Night Visions Tour, which supported their album of the same name. Upon release in September 2012, Night Visions produced Top 10 hits such as “Demons” and “Radioactive,” eventually peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2013: The Killers played “Human,” “When You Were Young,” and “Mr.  Brightside” at the Ippodromo delle Capannelle in Rome, Italy. This show was part of their Battle Born Tour, which promoted their 2012 album of the same name. The record, which featured over 15 songs, had stalled at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2019: Twenty One Pilots took The Bandito Tour to the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. This trek, which supported their No. 2 album, Trench, included over 100 shows across North America, South America, Europe, and Oceania. For this concert, the duo had a 23-track setlist featuring “Ride,” “Heathens,” “Stressed Out,” and “Pet Cheetah.” 
• 2022: The hit song "As It Was" by pop sensation Harry Styles, formerly of the boy band One Direction, was already at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; it spent 15 nonconsecutive weeks in the top spot. Lizzo's "About Damn Time" was at No. 4 on this date but later peaked at No. 1.
• 2024: Nicki Minaj thrilled fans at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, for her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, performing hits such as "Press Play," "Pink Birthday," and "Everybody."

Industry Changes and Challenges 

• 1990: Olivia Newton-John, known for Top 40 singles such as “Deeper Than the Night” and “Magic,” became a United Nations' Goodwill Ambassador, a role that required her to promote the goals and activities of the organization's Environment Program. According to sources, Newton-John's daughter, Chloe, inspired her to support environmental causes. 
• 2022: In a social media post, Lady Antebellum revealed that they had changed their name to “Lady A,” owing to the fact that the name "Antebellum" is associated with slavery and the pre-Civil War era. The trio, whose “Need You Now” and “We Owned the Night” reached the summit of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, also apologized to their fans for not considering the name's negative connotations earlier. 
• 2025: Brian Wilson passed away at 82. Wilson was the Beach Boys' co-founder, songwriter, and leader. He penned some of the band's biggest hits, including “Good Vibrations” and “Help Me, Rhonda.” As a solo artist, Wilson achieved various notable feats as well, such as winning two GRAMMY Awards and placing SMiLE and That Lucky Old Sun in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200.