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 - Buddy Holly released his final single - "It Doesn't Matter Any More", backed with "Raining in My Heart". 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, a soul version of The Wizard of Oz, opened at the Majestic Theater on Broadway. It stars future disco diva Stephanie Mills ("Never Knew Love") as Dorothy. In 1978, the production is turned into a movie starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.

1979 - Briefcase Full Of Blues by The Blues Brothers went to No. 1 and achieved Platinum status.

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

1980 - "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang became the first rap song to hit the Top 40 when it reached No. 37 on the chart.

1980 - KC and the Sunshine Band had their fifth U.S. No. 1 single and scored the first No. 1 of the 80s 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.

2004 - Ray Davies of The Kinks was shot in the leg when he pursued two men who snatched his girlfriend's purse.

2005 - Danny Sugerman, second manager for The Doors who wrote a number of books about the band, died of lung cancer at age 50.

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

2015 - Taylor Swift was at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with her fifth studio album 1989 which was the best-selling album of 2014 in the U.S. market with over 5.5 million copies sold.

Birthdays:

Grady Thomas of Funkadelic is 77.

George Brown of Kool & The Gang is 69.

Chris Stein of Blondie is 68.

Grant Young of Soul Asylum is 55.

Kate Schellenbach of Luscious Jackson is 52.

Marilyn Manson, born born Brian Hugh Warner, is 49.

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