History Highlight:

Today in 1978, The Sex Pistols made their U.S. debut at the Great Southeast Music Hall in Atlanta. The band formed in London in 1975 and although they lasted just a few years, they initiated a punk movement and were one of the most influential acts in the history of popular music. In their one studio album they tackled heavy subjects such as the music industry, consumerism, abortion, violence, apathy, anarchy, fascism, the British Royal Family and the Holocaust.

Also, in:

1959 - "It Doesn't Matter Any More" b/w "Raining in My Heart," Buddy Holly's final single before his untimely demise, was released. The former was one of the few he recorded that he didn't write; Paul Anka was the author.

1967: Paul McCartney recorded his vocal track for The Beatles' "Penny Lane" at Abbey Road Studios in London.

1968 - Nine months after its release, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits went Gold.

1973: Bruce Springsteen released his debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ.

1975 - The Wiz, an overhauled, black/soul version of The Wizard of Oz, opened at the Majestic Theater on Broadway.

1979 - Briefcase Full Of Blues by The Blues Brothers went to #1 and achieved Platinum status on this day.

1980, Donna Summer scored her third U.S. No. 1 album with On The Radio- Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & II.

1980, KC and the Sunshine Band had their fifth U.S. No. 1 single and scored the first No. 1 of the 80's when "Please Don't Go" went to No. 1 in the U.K.

1991 - Madonna went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Justify My Love", a song co-written with Lenny Kravitz.

1991 - Iron Maiden went to number one on the U.K. Singles Chart for the first and only time with "Bring Your Daughter...to the Slaughter" which spent one week on top.

1998 - Sonny Bono was killed in a skiing accident at a South Lake Tahoe, Nevada, resort.

2003 - Little Richard made a guest appearance on The Simpsons.

2008 - Josh Groban was at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with his Christmas album Noel.

Birthdays:

Grady Thomas of Funkadelic is 75 today.

George Brown of Kool & The Gang is 67 today.

Chris Stein of Blondie is 66 today.

Grant Young of Soul Asylum is 53 today.

Kate Schellenbach of Luscious Jackson is 50 today.

Marilyn Manson is 47 today.

Troy Van Leeuwen of Queens of the Stone Age and A Perfect Circle is 46 today.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Paul Shaffer's Day in Rock, and Wikipedia.