History Highlight:

Today in 1969, Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People" soared to No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart, where it remained for four consecutive weeks. The song is one of Sly Stone's pleas for peace and equality among different races and social groups, a major theme and focus for the band. Musically and lyrically, the song incorporates various means to express its message; for instance, using the cadence of the playground taunt, "na na-na boo boo," to emphasize the ridiculousness of people hating each other for simply being who they are. Also in the lyrics is the phrase, “Different strokes for different folks,” and the band sing in chorus, “I am everyday people,” to show solidarity with everyone everywhere. In May 1969, Sly and the Family Stone released the album, Stand!, and “Everyday People” was included on the record, which peaked at No. 13 on Billboard’s U.S. album chart. In 1992, hip-hop group Arrested Development interpolated “Everyday People” for their hit single, “People Everyday.”

Also, Today In:

1964 - The Beatles scored their first U.S. No. 1 album with Meet The Beatles! The album stayed at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

1965 - The much loved and respected crooner, jazz singer and pianist Nat King Cole died of complications following surgery for lung cancer in Santa Monica, California. He was 48. First famous for his jazz piano stylings, he also had an unforgettable voice and was one of the first African Americans to host a national television variety program, The Nat King Cole Show.

1969 - Rolling Stone's front cover features an article on "groupies" — introducing a new term to the popular lexicon.

1971 - The Who debuted a new rock opera called Lifehouse at the Young Vic Theatre in London. The project was shelved after a short run of shows, but some of the songs, including "Baba O'Riley," "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Behind Blue Eyes" became Who standards after being included on the album Who's Next.

1977 - Sid Vicious replaced Glen Matlock on bass with the Sex Pistols.

1980 - Elvis Costello and the Attractions released Get Happy!! It features “I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down,” “High Fidelity,” and “New Amsterdam.”

1980 - The Selecter released their debut album, Too Much Pressure. It features “Three Minute Hero” and “Missing Words.”

1981 - Juice Newton released her sixth studio album, Juice. It features the singles "Angel of the Morning," "Queen of Hearts," "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)," and "Ride 'Em Cowboy."

1987 - Ben and Jerry's introduced a new flavor: Cherry Garcia, named after the Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia.

1993 - Duran Duran released their seventh studio album, Duran Duran. It features the singles "Ordinary World," "Come Undone," and "Too Much Information."

1994 - A federal court jury ruled Michael Jackson did not steal the idea for his hit song "Dangerous" from a Denver woman who had sent him a demo tape.

1994 - Sarah McLachlan released her third studio album, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, in the U.S. It features the singles "Possession," "Hold On," and "Good Enough."

1999 - Blondie released their seventh studio album, No Exit. The band’s first album in 17 years yielded the hit “Maria.”

2000 - The Cure released their 11th studio album, Bloodflowers.

2003 - Gotye released his debut studio album, Boardface. It features the single "Out Here in the Cold."

2010 - Marina and the Diamonds released their debut album, The Family Jewels. It features “Hollywood,” "I Am Not a Robot," "Oh No!" and "Shampain."

2011 - Bright Eyes released their ninth studio album, The People's Key. It features the single "Shell Games."

2011 - Yuck released their debut studio album, Yuck. It features the singles "Rubber," "Georgia," "Holing Out," "Get Away," "The Wall," and "Shook Down"/"Milkshake."

2013 - Chubby Checker launched a $500,000 lawsuit against Hewlett-Packard for including an app on its phones and tablets that was not only named after the 71-year-old musician, but measured a man's manhood based on his shoe size.

2016 - In her Grammy acceptance speech for Album of the Year, Taylor Swift warned of "people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame." This was in response to Kanye West, who rapped about Swift in his song "Famous."

2016 - Denise Katrina Matthews, better known as Vanity, died at the age of 57 after years of health problems. Vanity was the lead singer of the female trio Vanity 6 from 1981 until it disbanded in 1983, and the group was known for their song "Nasty Girl." She also had two solo albums and a film career and was connected professionally and romantically to Prince after meeting him in 1982 when she was Rick James' date at the American Music Awards.

Birthdays:

Country singer and songwriter Hank Locklin ("Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" and "Please Help Me, I'm Falling") was born today in 1918.

Brian Holland of Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting/production team is 85.

Mick Avory, drummer for The Kinks, is 82.

John Helliwell, saxophonist with Supertramp, is 81.

Singer Melissa Manchester, whose hits include “Don’t Cry Out Loud” and “You Should Hear How She Talks About You,” is 75.

Ali Campbell, singer with UB40, is 67.

Mikey Craig, bassist with Culture Club, is 66.

Canadian singer Jane Child, who had a big hit in 1990 with “Don’t Wanna Fall in Love,” is 59.

Birdman is 57.

Brandon Boyd of Incubus is 50.

Ronnie Vannucci Jr., drummer with The Killers, is 50.

Adam Granduciel, frontman for the War on Drugs, is 47.

Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, Desaparecidos, Monsters of Folk, and Better Oblivion Community Center is 46. Oberst was born Feb. 15, 1980, in Omaha, Nebraska. A precocious and prolific songwriter, Oberst began his music career in his teens in a talent-rich local scene. He quickly became the featured artist on Saddle Creek Records, which has become one of the preeminent indie labels in the U.S. Over his career, Oberst has built a reputation as one of the most-unique voices and heartfelt writers in modern music. He embraces a wide range of styles in his work, including folk, punk, country, and synth-pop.

Matt Hoopes, lead guitarist of Relient K, is 45.

Gary Clark Jr. is 42.

Megan Thee Stallion is 31.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Song Facts, Billboard, and Wikipedia.