History Highlight:

Today in 1980, David Bowie released Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), featuring "Ashes To Ashes." The song referenced Bowie's Major Tom character from his 1969 song, "Space Oddity." Bowie described the song as a "nursery rhyme" and also as his way of "wrapping up the 70s" for himself. A number one UK hit, "Ashes To Ashes" was also noted for its very innovative (for the time) music video, featuring Bowie in different costumes including one resembling the Italian renaissance character of Punch the clown.

Also, Today In:

1969 - The man in black, Johnny Cash, began a four-week run at the top of the album chart with the live album, Johnny Cash At San Quentin.

1969 - The Rolling Stones had the #1 song in the U.S. with the rock classic, "Honky Tonk Women."

1970 - Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground performed together for the last time at Max's Kansas City in New York.

2005 - Les McKeown, the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers, appeared in court charged with drugs offences.

Birthdays:

Keith Moon, the self-destructive drummer for The Who (and the man who practically invented the fine art of hotel room destruction), was born today in 1946.