Pick a Day

Bruno Mars is born Peter Hernandez in Honolulu, Hawaii. His dad calls him Bruno because as a toddler he's chunky like the wrestler Bruno Sammartino. He becomes one of the most popular artists of the streaming era in the 2010s with a run of hits that includes "Grenade," Locked Out of Heaven and "Uptown Funk."

Flo Rida's "Right Round" hits #1 on the Hot 100 for the first of six weeks. An unknown singer named Kesha Sebert provides the hook. She soon becomes a star under the moniker Ke$ha, with the $ in her name included for ironic purposes as she claims money isn't very important to her (which explains why she isn't too upset about getting paid very little for her contribution to this song). The song has another soon-to-be famous name attached to it as well: Bruno Mars, who co-wrote and co-produced it.

"Nothin' On You" by the rapper B.o.B hits #1 in America. It features vocals from Bruno Mars, who also co-wrote and co-produced the song. He lands his own #1 hit a few months later with his debut single as a lead artist: "Just The Way You Are."

Bruno Mars, already known for his features on "Nothin' On You" (B.o.B) and "Billionaire" (Travie McCoy), and for co-writing the Flo Rida hit "Right Round," releases his first single as a lead artist, "Just The Way You Are." It goes to #1 and establishes him as an artist.

Bruno Mars releases his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, with the #1 hits "Grenade" and "Just The Way You Are."

Bruno Mars releases his second album, Unorthodox Jukebox. Like his first (Doo-Wops & Hooligans in 2010), it's packed with hits, including two chart toppers: the ecstatic-in-love "Locked Out of Heaven" and the piano ballad "When I Was Your Man."

28-year-old Bruno Mars becomes the youngest solo headliner in Super Bowl halftime show history, delivering a hit-packed performance with a lot more excitement than the game, which is a 43-8 rout of the Denver Broncos by the Seattle Seahawks. The Red Hot Chili Peppers pop in as special guests, joining Bruno on "Give It Away." It's the most-watched halftime show in history to this point, with 115 million viewers.

Smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy: "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson (with vocals by Bruno Mars) goes to #1 and stays for an amazing 14 weeks, making it the biggest hit of 2015. Hanging around the chart at #36 is "Riptide" by Vance Joy, which also mentions the actress Michelle Pfeiffer in the lyric.

Coldplay and football (the American kind) come together when the band headlines the halftime show of Super Bowl 50 between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. It is an odd pairing, but after a set that includes "Viva La Vida" and "Paradise," Bruno Mars appears, followed by halftime show savior Beyoncé, who blasts out her new song, "Formation."

Bruno Mars releases his third album, 24K Magic, a party record that picks up where his Mark Ronson collaboration "Uptown Funk" left off. Packed with hits like "That's What I Like" and "Finesse," it wins the Grammy for Album Of The Year.

Bruno Mars kicks off his 24K Magic World Tour in Antwerp, Belgium. His opening act is Anderson .Paak, whom he meets for the first time. They become fast friends and decide to form a duo that becomes Silk Sonic, an homage to '70s soul that has one of the biggest hits of 2022 with "Leave The Door Open."

Bruno Mars goes six for six at the Grammys, winning every award he's nominated for, including Album Of The Year for 24K Magic and Song Of The Year for "That's What I Like" (he gets a trophy for that one because he co-wrote the song). Best New Artist goes to Alessia Cara.

Silk Sonic, where Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak reimagine themselves as debonair R&B singers from the '70s (think Marvin Gaye), release their debut single, "Leave The Door Open," a song that embodies their vibe. It goes to #1 and takes home the Grammys for Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year.

Silk Sonic, the retro-R&B duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, release their only album, An Evening With Silk Sonic. The single "Leave The Door Open" goes to #1 and snarfs up four Grammy Awards. After a Vegas residency, .Paak and Mars put the project to bed, making Silk Sonic the most successful one-off side project in music history.

Jon Batiste and Silk Sonic are the big winners at the Grammy Awards, where Batiste takes Album Of The Year for We Are, and Silk Sonic win Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for "Leave The Door Open."

The Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga duet "Die With a Smile" goes to #1 in America on its way to landing as Billboard's top song of 2025. It's the ninth chart-topper for Mars and the sixth for Gaga.

Bruno Mars releases The Romantic, his first solo album since 24K Magic 10 years earlier. The first single is the banger "I Just Might," which debuted at #1; the rest of the album is filled with songs that explore what happens when you lead with your heart, going all-in on romance.