History Highlight:

Today in 1970, John Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed his new single "Instant Karma!" all in one day. It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history, recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios and arriving in stores only ten days later. The song reached the top five in the British and American singles charts, competing with the Beatles' "Let It Be" in America, where it became the first solo single by a member of the band to sell a million copies.

Also, in:

1956 - Elvis Presley's single, "Heartbreak Hotel" was released by RCA Records, who had just purchased Presley's contract from Sun Records for $35,000.

1958 - Little Richard entered The Oakwood Theological College in Huntsville, where he was ordained as a seventh day Adventist Minister.

1961 - Frank Sinatra played a benefit show at Carnegie Hall in New York City for Martin Luther King.

1967 - The Beatles signed a new nine-year contract with EMI Records.

1971 - David Bowie arrived in the U.S. for the first time but was not allowed to play anywhere due to work permit restrictions. However, he did manage to turn some heads when he wore a dress to a promotional event.

1973 - Stevie Wonder had his first No. 1 hit in a decade with "Superstition" from the Talking Book album.

1988 - James Brown was charged with possession of marijuana and unlawful use of a firearm when police were called to his South Carolina home.

1990 - Tom Petty Day was declared in Petty's birthplace of Gainesville, FL. Petty also peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with "Free Fallin'" which was Petty's only top ten single as a solo artist in the U.S.

1990 - Eric Clapton peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with Journeyman which went on to sell two million copies in the U.S. and was heralded as a return to form.

1994 - Oasis made their live debut in London at King's Cross Water Rats.

Birthdays:

Elmore James, blues guitarist and singer, known as the King of the Slide Guitar, was born today in 1918.

Nick Mason, drummer for Pink Floyd, is 72 today.

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