History Highlight:

Today in 1979, The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" was released. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric, "I said a hip hop, the hippie, the hippie to the hip-hip-hop and you don't stop" is world-renowned. The song is ranked #251 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #2 on both About.com's and VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.

Also, Today In:

1967 - Are You Experienced?, the first Jimi Hendrix record, entered the album charts.

1970 - Led Zeppelin displaced The Beatles as the UK's most popular band. The Fab Four had been tops since 1963. The poll was conducted by Melody Maker magazine.

1972 - Featuring the soon-to-be #1 single "Papa Was A Rolling Stone," All Directions by The Temptations entered the album charts.

1977 - Pioneer Brit pop legend Marc Bolan of T. Rex died in an automobile crash in England.

2006 - Bob Dylan was at No.1 on the US album chart with Modern Times. Entering the U.S. charts at No.1, making it Dylan's first album to reach that position since 1976's Desire, 30 years prior.

Birthdays:

Bilinda Butcher, vocalist and guitarist for My Bloody Valentine, is 53 today.