History Highlight:

Today in 1967, Pink Floyd released their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, on which most songs were penned by Syd Barrett. In subsequent years, the record has been recognized as one of the seminal psychedelic rock albums of the 1960s.

Also, Today In:

1958 - Billboard introduced The Hot 100 Singles Chart, on which Ricky Nelson was at No. 1 with "Poor Little Fool."

1966 - The Rolling Stones recorded their longest title yet - and one of the longest song titles ever: "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?". The artwork for the single's U.S. distribution, released on Sept. 23, 1966, generated some controversy: It featured the lads in drag, posing for a photo outside 124 East 24th Street in New York, between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue.

1967 - A female Monkees fan stowed away on the band's plane between shows in Minneapolis and St Louis. The girl's father threatened to bring charges for transporting a minor across state lines.

1971 - Ringo Starr picked up a Gold record for "It Don't Come Easy," an unlikely but catchy hit which he wrote and George Harrison produced.

1975 - Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and his wife were both badly injured when the rental car he was driving spun off the road and crashed on the Greek island of Rhodes. Plant smashed both his ankle and his elbow, and it took nearly two years for Plant to fully recover from his injuries.

1984 - Prince started a 24-week run at the top of the U.S. album charts with Purple Rain. The album, which features hits "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy" and the title track, has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, making it the seventh best-selling soundtrack album of all time.

1990 - Mariah Carey started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Vision Of Love," her debut release.

Birthdays:

Louis Armstrong was born today in 1901.

Paul Reynolds of A Flock of Seagulls is 54.

Boo Radleys' drummer Rob Cieka is 48.

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