It’s March 11th and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 2006, the soundtrack to High School Musical was No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making it the first TV soundtrack to top the chart since Miami Vice in 1985-86. After being bumped from No. 1 for two weeks, HSM returned to the top for one more week.
- In 1997, Paul McCartney became a “Sir” when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his “services to music.”
- In 1972, Canada’s Neil Young went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for the first of two weeks with his fourth album, Harvest. Featuring the hit “Heart Of Gold,” it became the year’s best-selling album in the U.S.
- In 1968, Lisa Anne Loeb was born in Maryland. As a child she studied piano and guitar and later launched a music career, topping the charts in 1994 with “Stay (I Missed You).” In 2018 she won her first Grammy Award – for Best Children’s Album.
- In 2018, American Idol made its debut on ABC after 15 seasons on Fox. Ryan Seacrest returned as host while Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan served as judges. The eventual winner was Maddie Poppe.
- In 2006, British singer James Blunt went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “You’re Beautiful.” Despite the song’s ubiquity, it topped the chart for only one week.
- In 2017, Joni Sledge of Sister Sledge was found dead in her Phoenix, Arizona home by a friend. She was 60. A coroner determined Sledge died of natural causes.
And that’s what popped on this day.