This Day in Top 40 History: August 11

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1962: Tony Bennett released a double-sided track, "Once Upon a Time" and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." The latter single didn't receive recognition until radio DJs started playing the B-side, but once they did, Bennett won a GRAMMY for Record of the Year.
• 1992: Babes in Toyland issued their sophomore album, Fontanelle, featuring “Bruise Violet,” “Handsome & Gretel,” and “Bluebell.”  The record spent two weeks on the U.K. Official Albums Chart, peaking at No. 24. The record spent two weeks on the U.K. Official Albums Chart, peaking at No. 24, and earned critical praise for its thematic depth and authenticity. 
• 1995: The movie soundtrack for Dangerous Minds was released. Coolio's hit single "Gangsta's Paradise" was the leading track on the soundtrack, and it topped the Billboard Hot 100.
• 2009: Lady A released "Need You Now," which was a massive crossover hit that reached both pop and country markets. It achieved No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• 2009: Train released the hit single "Hey, Soul Sister," ending a six-year hiatus. The song peaked at No. 3 on the pop charts and is one of the band's most famous tracks.
• 2014: Sinéad O'Connor's tenth and last studio effort, I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss, was released. This project delivered 15 tracks, including “8 Good Reasons,” “Take Me To Church,” “How About I Be Me,” and “James Brown,” which featured guest vocals from Seun Kuti. It reached the Top 40 on Billboard's Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and Top Rock Albums charts. 
• 2017: Billie Eilish dropped don't smile at me, her debut extended play (EP). The record reached No. 12 on the U.K. Albums Chart and No. 14 on the Billboard 100. It also delivered a number of hits, including “ocean eyes,” “idontwannabeyouanymore,” and “Bellyache.”

Cultural Milestones

• 1943: Michael James "Jim" Kale was born in Canada. He is best known as a member of The Guess Who, a band that has scored multiple U.S. Top 40 singles, as of this writing. That pool includes hits such as “These Eyes,” “No Time,” and “American Woman,” which spent three weeks at the summit of Billboard's Hot 100.
• 1964: At the height of Beatlemania, The Beatles' iconic movie A Hard Day's Night premiered in the U.S. The pre-released soundtrack was already at No. 1 at the time of the premiere.
• 1969: At a party in Beverly Hills, Motown Records introduced The Jackson 5 to a crowd full of music aficionados. The group soared to popularity the following year.
• 2000: Madonna and Guy Ritchie welcomed their son, Rocco Ritchie, in Los Angeles, California. The “Papa Don't Preach” singer and Guy divorced in 2008, but continued to co-parent Rocco. Madonna has five children altogether: Lourdes Leon, whom she shares with Carlos Leon, adopted children David Banda and Chifundo 'Mercy' James, and twins Stella and Estere Ciccone. 
• 2011: At 6652 Hollywood Boulevard in California, right outside The Masque, the club where they played their first live concert, The Go-Go's became the recipients of the 2,444th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The GRAMMY-nominated band hit it big in the 1980s when they placed up to five Top 40 singles in the U.S., including “Head Over Heels” and “We've Got The Beat.”
• 2016: President Barack Obama's second set of summer playlists became available. Obama has since made sharing his playlists an annual tradition.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1976: In a frenzy, Neil Young recorded an entire album in a single night. However, the album, Hitchhiker, was held back by the record label until 2017.
• 2016: Rihanna's Anti World Tour stopped at Óbudai-Sziget in Budapest, Hungary. During this concert, the Barbadian performed a 23-song setlist that featured fan favorites such as “Love On The Brain,” “Stay,” “Work,” and “Needed Me.” This tour, which spanned 75 shows across Europe, North America, and Asia, supported Rihanna's chart-topping eighth studio LP, ANTI. 
• 2018: J. Cole performed “No Role Modelz,” “Kevin's Heart,” and other songs at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. This show was part of his KOD Tour, which promoted his No. 1 album of the same name. Notably, this trek featured more than 30 dates across North America, with Young Thug, Jaden Smith, and EarthGang on the list of supporting acts.
• 2018: Shakira lit up the stage at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., where she played songs such as “Hips Don't Lie,” “Whenever, Wherever,” and “Can't Remember to Forget You.” She was on her El Dorado World Tour supporting her 11th studio record of the same name. Issued in May 2017, the 13-track El Dorado reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and dominated the Top Latin Albums Chart for five weeks. 
• 2023: At Yankee Stadium, hip-hop artists such as Snoop Dogg, Run-D.M.C., and Lauryn Hill performed for the Hip Hop 50 Live concert. The show celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and honored the genre's origins. 
• 2024: To wrap up the Paris Olympics, Phoenix performed an exhilarating show for the athletes and spectators. The concert ended with lead singer Thomas Mars crowd surfing through a sea of Olympic athletes.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1966: John Lennon publicly apologized while in Chicago for his remarks about The Beatles' popularity. Many fans had reacted poorly to his claim that his band was "more popular than Jesus."
• 2014: The band 5 Seconds of Summer became the first Australian musical act to reach No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. Not only were they the first, but they accomplished this feat with their self-titled debut album.