This Day in Top 40 History: March 28

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1973: Led Zeppelin released Houses of the Holy, their fifth studio album. It attained significant commercial success, reaching the summit of both the Billboard 200 and the U.K. Official Albums Chart. Notable singles from this set included “D'yer Mak'er,” “Over the Hills and Far Away,” and “The Ocean.”
• 1995: Real McCoy dropped Another Night, their third studio album. It cracked the Top 10 in the U.K. and produced several Top 20 hits in the region. Some of these were “Run Away,” “Love & Devotion,” and “Come and Get Your Love.”
• 2006: T.I.'s fourth studio LP, King, came out, flaunting guest contributions from Common, Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, and Jamie Foxx. In addition to debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the record sold more than 500,000 copies in its opening week. It also produced “What You Know” and “Why You Wanna,” which reached No. 1 and No. 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, respectively. 
• 2020: "Slide" by H.E.R. spent 15 weeks in the Top 40 on March 28. Lil Baby's "Whoa" spent 12 weeks, and Future's "Life is Good" spent eight weeks.
• 2022: All songs on Cardi B's debut album, Invasion of Privacy, received a platinum or higher rating from the Recording Industry Association of America. According to Billboard, she's the first female artist to have this many songs achieve this honorary rating.
• 2024: Niall Horan, a former member of the all-boy band One Direction, performed at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands, as a wrap for his two-night stint at this venue. 

Cultural Milestones

• 1955: Reba McEntire was born to Clark and Jacqueline McEntire in McAlester, Oklahoma. Nicknamed “The Queen of Country,” she has placed an impressive 60 Top 10 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, as of this writing. These include chart-topping hits such as “Consider Me Gone” and “The Heart Won't Lie.” 
• 1975: Barbra Streisand attended Elvis Presley's midnight show at The Hilton in Las Vegas. She met the “If I Can Dream” singer backstage and offered him the lead role in her movie A Star Is Born. However, Kris Kristofferson eventually landed and played the part. Word has it that Presley may have demanded a large sum, forcing Streisand to choose Kristofferson. 
• 1986: Lady Gaga was born on March 28 in New York City as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She rose to fame after performing at nightclubs and writing music for stars such as Britney Spears and New Kids on the Block. She remains one of the Top 40's greatest singers, songwriters, and performers.
• 2024: Superstar Drake played at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, as part of the Big as the What? leg of his It's All a Blur tour. Drake is one of the most influential musicians ever, even though he began as a child actor on the television show Degrassi.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1967: Van Morrison recorded “Brown Eyed Girl” at New York City's A&R Studios. When he released the track in June of the same year, it peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 and spent 16 weeks on the chart. Many critics praised the song because of its nostalgic lyrics and upbeat melody. 
• 1972: Elvis Presley recorded “Burning Love” at RCA's Hollywood studios. Upon release, the song peaked at No. 7 in the U.K. and No. 2 in the U.S., making it his last Top 10 hit in America. Some of the aspects that made it a standout track include the King of Rock & Roll's passionate vocal performance and dynamic musical energy. 
• 2023: Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran performed at the Ovo Hydro arena in Glasgow, Scotland. This appearance was a stop on his tour to support his new and sixth studio album, Subtract. Sheeran is best known for his hit single “Shape of You.”
• 2024: Multiplatinum award-winning singer Kane Brown played the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia, for his In the Air tour. Brown is known for his hits “Miles on It” and “Bury Me in Georgia.”
• 2024: Bad Bunny, with his Latin-inspired music, played the first night of three at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. These appearances were part of his Most Wanted tour.
• 2025: Carrie Underwood owned the stage at the Resorts World Theater in Las Vegas. This show was part of her three-year Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency, which celebrated the American Idol winner's successful music career. As of this writing, she has four No. 1 records to her name, including Play On and Blow Away. 

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1971: The final original episode of The Ed Sullivan Show aired on TV. Notable artists who appeared on the variety show during its 23-year run include Tony Bennett, Petula Clark, Bobby Darin, and Paul Anka.
• 1991: The funeral for Eric Clapton's son, Conor, was held in Ripley, England. The four-year-old's death on March 20 inspired Clapton's “Tears in Heaven,” which reached No. 2 in the U.S and No. 5 in the U.K. 
• 1994: Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain checked into Exodus, a Recovery Center in Marina del Rey, California, after intense intervention from his wife, Courtney Love, and bandmates, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl, and Pat Smear. At the time, he was battling depression and drug addiction. Unfortunately, he left the program after three days and went to Seattle, where he died by suicide on April 4 of the same year. 
• 2013: Singer Justin Bieber ran into trouble at German customs when his monkey, Mally, was seized. The pint-sized capuchin monkey was eventually transferred to the German state on May 21 as Bieber surrendered ownership of her.