History Highlight:

Today in 1971, Imagine by John Lennon was released. Lennon's second solo album after the dissolution of The Beatles, Imagine is considered more commercial and less "primal" than his previous album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. The title track is probably Lennon's best-known song as a solo artist, but the album also contains such familiar Lennon songs as "Oh Yoko!", "Jealous Guy" and "Gimme Some Truth."

Also, Today In:

1956 - On his first of three appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS, Elvis created a sensation performing "Love Me Tender," "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," and "Ready Teddy."

1965 - The Hollywood Reporter ran the following advertisement: "Madness folk & roll musicians, singers wanted for acting roles in new TV show. Parts for 4 insane boys." From that advertisement, The Monkees were eventually born.

1967 - The Sam & Dave classic "Soul Man" was released. It was later successfully revived by the Blues Brothers.

1978 - A Taste Of Honey started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Boogie Oogie Oogie."

1989 - New Kids On The Block hit No. 1 in the U.S. album chart with Hangin' Tough; the title track hit No. 1 in the singles chart the same day.

1992 - Nirvana's Krist Novoselic cut his forehead during the MTV music and video awards after being hit by his own bass after throwing it in the air. As paramedics bandaged the wound backstage, Queen's Brian May offered Novoselic a chilled glass of champagne, which Novoselic gladly accepted.

1995 - Coolio scored his first U.S. No. 1 single with "Gangsta's Paradise." The song, which sampled the chorus of the 1976 Stevie Wonder song "Pastime Paradise," was used in the 1995 movie Dangerous Minds (starring Michelle Pfeiffer). Coolio was awarded a Grammy Award for the song.

1999 - Fatboy Slim scored a hat trick at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York when he won awards for best direction, breakthrough artist and choreography.

2004 - Guitar maker Ernie Ball died after a long illness. In the late 1950s in Tarzana, Calif., Ball opened a guitars-only music store — unusual for the time. Ball developed the guitar strings called "Slinkys," which are specifically designed for rock 'n' roll electric guitar.

Birthdays:

Otis Redding was born today in 1941.

Iron Butterfly lead vocalist Doug Ingle is 71.

Crooner Michael Bublé is 41.

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