This Day in Top 40 History: April 18
On April 18, the Coachella Music Festival has had major headliners over the years, from The Weeknd to Ellie Goulding. On this day, Mavis Staples had a big birthday event…
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – FEBRUARY 02: Bruno Mars performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium on February 2, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
On April 18, the Coachella Music Festival has had major headliners over the years, from The Weeknd to Ellie Goulding. On this day, Mavis Staples had a big birthday event with several pop stars performing, and we saw digital Top 40 music performances support frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Music fans have flocked to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, since 1999 to see their favorite performers at the Coachella Music Festival. Many major performers have headlined on April 18, including:
- 2014: Pop singer Bruno Mars returns to his hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, to thrill fans for a two-day concert at the Blaisdell Arena, as part of his Moonshine Jungle Tour. Today, Mars is a wealthy pop musician with a net worth of about $175 million.
- 2014: On April 18, the Coachella Music Festival 2014 headlined Outkast, Ellie Goulding, Broken Bells, and HAIM. Fans also enjoyed seeing Neko Case, Zedd, and Girl Talk.
- 2015: On April 18, the 2015 Coachella Music Festival saw headliners The Weeknd, Hozier, alt-J, and Belle and Sebastian in the Southern Californian desert. Other artists who performed on this day were Jack Black, War on Drugs, and Glass Animals.
Cultural Milestones
Cultural milestones that occurred on April 18 include:
- 2018: The Jonas Brothers announced on April 18 that they were going to play three special shows at unannounced venues across the United States. This unusual approach to announcing a tour teased fans in Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Baltimore to look forward to the announcement of the venues in these cities.
- 2020: Lady Gaga and other music superstars presented a digital performance called One World: Together At Home to support frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The show, organized by Global Citizen and the World Health Organization, aired on major television networks, and it was streamed online on April 18.
- 2024: Mavis Staples celebrated her 85th birthday at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, California, with a star-studded cast of musicians. Stars included Hozier, Grace Potter, the Black Pumas, and Norah Jones.
Notable Recordings and Performances
There were some fun performances on April 18, including:
- 2014: Pop prince Justin Timberlake performed at the Gelredome in Arnhem, Netherlands, during his 20/20 Experience Tour. Timberlake sang his popular hits "Rock Your Body" and "Until the End of Time."
- 2017: The Glass Animals performed at the Fox Theater Pomona in Pomona, California. They played many hits, including "Black Mambo" and "Take a Slice."
- 2019: Kelsea Ballerini had a sold-out show at the Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee, for her Miss Me More Tour. Ballerini is a Grammy-nominated pop/country star known for songs such as “Cowboys Cry Too” and “Love Me Like You Mean It."
- 2024: Nicki Minaj, best known for her high-octane performances with costume changes and vibrant sets, performed at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This was a stop on her mega tour: Pink Friday 2 World Tour.
April 18 was a significant day with the One World: Together At Home project highlighting the power of sharing performances, even virtual ones, especially supporting those who worked hard on the frontlines of the pandemic. Music so often lifts people's souls and binds them together for a common goal.
