History Highlight:

Today in 1983, The Clash peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with "Rock the Casbah" which was their first and only top ten single in the U.S.

Also, in:

1959 - Buddy Holly made his last recordings in his New York City apartment, alone, with an acoustic guitar and tape recorder. He recorded "Peggy Sue," "Crying, Waiting, Hoping," "That's What They Say," "What to Do," "Learning the Game" and "That Makes it Tough." The recordings were embellished and overdubbed, and released posthumously by Coral Records.

1966 - The Beatles peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with "Day Tripper".

1966 - The Beach Boys went into the studio to record "Wouldn't It Be Nice", which would be the opening track on their forthcoming album Pet Sounds.

1966 - Nancy Sinatra entered the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for the second time with what would be her biggest hit, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'". The tune went No. 1 the following week and would spend 14 weeks altogether on the singles chart. The second single taken from her debut album Boots, and follow-up to the minor hit "So Long, Babe," the song became an instant success.

1967 - The Monkees performed live for the very first time at The Cow Palace in San Francisco to a sell-out crowd.

1977 - Wings went No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Wings Over America, Paul McCartney's sixth U.S. No. 1 after The Beatles.

1977 - Stevie Wonder went No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "I Wish", his fifth U.S. No. 1.

1983 - The new 24-hour music video network MTV started broadcasting to the West Coast after being picked up by Group W Cable in Los Angeles. The station is not what it once was, when it focused on music video programming. Now it's aimed toward teenagers, with a focus on reality, comedy and drama programming and some syndicated programs and films, with limited music video programming.

2004 - Ryan Adams broke a wrist after falling during a gig at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool.

2012 - Adele broke an American chart record that has stood for years after being set by The Beatles and Pink Floyd. The singer's second album 21 clocked up 16 weeks at number one on the U.S. chart, matching the success of the Titanic soundtrack.

2017 - English bass guitar player Pete Overend Watts and founding member of the 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople died from throat cancer aged 69.

Birthdays:

Gospel/soul singer Sam Cooke was born on this day in 1931.

Addie Harris, singer from The Shirelles, was born today in 1940.

Steve Perry, singer for Journey, is 69.

Michael Hutchence, of INXS, was born today in 1960.

Steven Adler, drummer for Guns N' Roses, is 53.

DJ Jazzy Jeff is 53.

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