History Highlight:

Today in 1968, The Monkees movie 'Head' was released. The studio that commissioned the film expected something light and funny but got a trippy commentary on the manipulation of The Monkees, complete with a scene where the group jumps to their death off a bridge. The film bombed when it was released, but later became a cult classic. Some guest appearances in the movie include Victor Mature, Nicholson, Teri Garr, Carol Doda, Annette Funicello, Frank Zappa, Sonny Liston, Timothy Carey, Percy Helton, Ray Nitschke, Dennis Hopper and film choreographer Toni Basil. 

Today In: 

1961 - Jimmy Dean started a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Big Bad John." 

1965 - The Rolling Stones started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Get Off Of My Cloud," their second top single in America. 

1967 - During a three-hour session Bob Dylan recorded "All Along The Watchtower" and "John Wesley Harding" at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville. 

1970 - Aerosmith performed their first-ever gig when they played at Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon, Massachusetts. They went on to become the best-selling American hard rock band of all time, selling over 150 million albums worldwide. They also hold the record for the most gold and multi-platinum albums by an American group. 

1971 Isaac Hayes' soundtrack LP Shaft hits #1. 

1972 - During a U.K. tour, Billy Murcia of The New York Dolls died after choking on his coffee following a drug overdose. 

1973 - Gram Parsons' manager, Phil Kaufman, was fined $300 for stealing Parsons' body from the Los Angeles International Airport, contrary to Parsons' family's wishes to deliver the body to Louisiana for a funeral. Parsons' remains were eventually buried in Garden of Memories Cemetery near New Orleans. 

1975 - The Sex Pistols made their live debut at St Martin's School Of Art in central London, supporting a band called Bazooka Joe, which included Stuart Goddard (the future Adam Ant). The Pistols' performance lasted 10 minutes. 

1976 - The Steve Miller Band went to No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Rock'n Me," the group's second No. 1 hit. 

1976 - Blue Oyster Cult landed their biggest hit as "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" peaked at No. 12 in the U.S. The song is about reuniting with loved ones in the afterlife. 

1979 - Running on a platform that includes making businessmen wear clown suits, Jello Biafra of the punk band Dead Kennedys comes in fourth in his run for mayor of San Francisco. Dianne Feinstein is the winner. 

1979 - Paul Simon kicks off his latest British tour at London's Hammersmith Odeon by offering to buy everyone in the audience a drink. The tab comes to about $2,000. 

1982 - The Soft Cell hit, "Tainted Love," logged a record 43 weeks on Britain's Top 100. 

1982 - The Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes song "Up Where We Belong," from the film An Officer And A Gentleman, went No. 1 in America. 

1990 - Madonna releases "Justify My Love," which stirred controversy when MTV banned the video. The drama piqued interest in the song, which became her ninth No. 1 hit in the U.S. 

1993 - Pearl Jam went to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Vs, selling 950,378 copies in one week. 

1993 - Meat Loaf hits #1 in America with "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)." The version that opens his album Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell is over 12-minutes long, but the single is cut to 5:13. 

1995 - Queen release Made In Heaven, an album pieced together from recordings made before Freddie Mercury's 1991 death. It debuts at #1 in the UK. 

1999 - Bill Miller takes home top honors at the second annual Native American Music Awards, presented at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque. Miller wins five honors, including artist of the year, songwriter, male artist, and song ("Ghostdance"). 

2000 - Madonna played her first show in eight years when she performed a short 20 minute set at New York's Roseland Ballroom. Madonna wore a tight black vest bearing the sequinned name of 18 year-old Britney Spears. 

2001 - Less than a year after the breakup of the Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan re-emerged with a new band called Zwan. The new Chicago combo featured former Pumpkins' drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. 

2003 - Justin Timberlake wins for Best Male Artist, Best Pop Act and Best Album (Justified) at the 10th annual MTV Europe Music Awards. 

2005 - The Four Seasons musical Jersey Boys opened on Broadway to rave reviews. 

2007 - Country singer Hank Thompson, whose life inspired the 1987 Thomas Cobb novel Crazy Heart and the 2009 Jeff Bridges film of the same name, dies of lung cancer at age 82. 

2007 - Meat Loaf cancelled his European tour after being diagnosed with a cyst on his vocal cords. The 60-year-old had already scrapped two gigs on doctor's orders. Speculation had surrounded the tour after he cut short a gig in Newcastle, telling the audience it is "the last show I may ever do in my life". 

2008 - Thanks to internet voting, Rick Astley won Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Music Awards. "We've been well and truly Rickrolled," the show's producer says. 

2012 - Living up to their name, The Civil Wars cancel the rest of their tour dates after a performance in London, citing "internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition." They release one more album but never perform again. 

2014 - Taylor Swift's album 1989 debuted at No. 1 on America's Billboard albums chart, selling 1.287 million copies in its first week. 

2014 - Rick Rosas died at age 65. He was one of the most sought after studio session musicians in Los Angeles. Throughout his career, he played with Neil Young, Joe Walsh, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ron Wood and many others. 

2018 - English cellist Hugh McDowell died of cancer at age 65. McDowell performed with the first live line-up of ELO in 1972 while only 19 years old. He also worked with Roy Wood in Wizzard. 

2020 - System Of A Down release two songs - "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz" - supporting their home country of Armenia in a war that has broken out in the region. It's the first new material from the band since their album Hypnotize in 2005. 

Birthdays: 

George Young of The Easybeats was born today in 1946. 

Glenn Frey of The Eagles was born today in 1948. 

Guy Clark was born today in 1941. 

Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big is 57. 

Greg Graffin of Bad Religion is 59. 

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