This Day in Top 40 History: April 16
With spring in the air, the Coachella Music Festival dominated the music scene on April 16. Each year saw different headliners, including Billie Eilish and Megan Thee Stallion. Pop queen…
With spring in the air, the Coachella Music Festival dominated the music scene on April 16. Each year saw different headliners, including Billie Eilish and Megan Thee Stallion. Pop queen Barbra Streisand made a generous donation for women's heart health to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and Adele had to postpone her Las Vegas residency due to COVID-19.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
The eclectic Coachella Music Festival saw major pop stars perform on April 16:
- 2017: Headliners included Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, and New Order.
- 2022: Billie Eilish and Megan Thee Stallion headlined, and additional artists included Rich Brian, Caroline Polachek, and girl in red.
- 2023: Headliners this year included Bjork, Frank Ocean, and Porter Robinson.
Cultural Milestones
Pop divas have had a huge influence on culture on this day:
- 2008: The queen of pop, Barbra Streisand, donated $5 million to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. The staff said this generous gift would create permanent funding for the Barbra Streisand Women's Cardiovascular Research and Education at Cedars-Sinai program.
- 2021: Pop diva Lady Gaga switched gears for her Lady Gaga's Jazz & Piano residency at the Park MGM's Dolby Live in Las Vegas, with dates including April 16. She performed covers of popular songs such as "Luck Be a Lady," Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love," and "Fly Me to the Moon."
Notable Recordings and Performances
These performances on April 16 were notable and exciting:
- 2016: King of pop Justin Timberlake, former member of NSYNC, performed in Zurich, Switzerland. The crowd cheered him on as he performed songs such as "Rock Your Body" and "Sexy Back."
- 2018: Harry Styles, from the boy band One Direction, performed at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Fans were treated to hits such as "Only Angel" and "What Makes You Beautiful."
- 2022: Lizzo hosted and performed on the TV show Saturday Night Live.
- 2024: The Jonas Brothers performed at the Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil, for their "Five Albums. One Night. The World Tour." They sang hits including "Goodnight and Goodbye" and "That's Just the Way We Roll."
Industry Changes and Challenges
All industries have changes and challenges, including these Top 40 ones from April 16:
- 1994: Crooner Harry Connick Jr. married his sweetheart, Jill Goodacre. The two met at a pool in Los Angeles, California, and married soon after. They are still together and have three children.
- 2022: Adele had to postpone her Las Vegas residency, Weekends With Adele, with an April 16 date, because her crew was hit with COVID-19. She posted an emotional video saying, "I'm so sorry, but my show ain't ready."
During the cold winter months, fans look forward to getting outside to see live music, and the annual Coachella Music Festival in Southern California did not disappoint on April 16. Seeing stars give generous donations is heartwarming, and even in 2022, COVID-19 still affected live performances.
