History Highlight:

Today in 2021, Lauryn Hill's 1998 album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill was certified Diamond for 10 million sales in the U.S., making Hill the first woman hip-hop artist to earn that certification. Worldwide, the album has sold over 20 million copies, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time, the best-selling album by a woman rapper, and the best-selling neo-soul album of all time. The album is also included in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, Harvard University's Loeb Music Library, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American history, and the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. It remains Hill's only studio album.

Also, Today In:

1969 – Country singers George Jones and Tammy Wynette got married. They ended up divorcing in 1975, but the hit-making duo always remained a part of each other's personal and professional lives; they even said they got on better after divorcing than before. When Wynette died in 1998, Jones said, “We were very close friends, and now I have lost that friend. And I couldn’t be sadder." Jones died in 2013.

1974 - Bob Dylan reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart for the first time with his 14th studio album, Planet Waves, which spent four weeks at the top of the chart.

1975 - Cher started her own weekly music and comedy show on CBS television. The singer had co-hosted The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour with her former husband, Sonny Bono (see Birthdays, below). Cher's new show featured a woman guest each week.

1982 - Simon & Garfunkel released their first live album, The Concert in Central Park. It features the single "Wake Up Little Susie."

1985 - Bruce Springsteen went to No. 1 on the U.K. Album Chart for the first time with Born in the U.S.A. The album produced a record-tying string of seven Top 10 singles.

1985 - "Careless Whisper" started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. charts, credited to Wham! and featuring George Michael, a precursor to Michael’s solo career.

1988 - The Church released their fifth studio album, Starfish. It features the singles "Under the Milky Way," "Reptile," "Destination," and "Antenna."

1991 - The Simpsons went No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with "Do The Bartman". The song was written by Michael Jackson and Bryan Loren, and The Simpsons became the first cartoon characters to go No. 1 since The Archies’ hit, "Sugar Sugar," in 1969. Jackson was a massive fan of The Simpsons and had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a No. 1 single and to do a guest spot on the show.

1991 - David Lee Roth peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with A Little Ain't Enough, which went gold in the U.S.

1993 - Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones reunited for an impromptu Faces reunion at the Brit Awards. Bill Wyman filled in on bass for Ronnie Lane who was battling Multiple Sclerosis at the time.

2003 - 50 Cent was at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.

2005 - Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) was awarded substantial damages from The Sunday Times and The Sun, after they printed articles alleging he was involved in terrorism. Both newspapers apologized for the "false and highly defamatory allegations." The papers also paid his legal bills and pledged not to repeat the allegations. The money awarded was given to tsunami relief projects.

2007 - Britney Spears shaved her head at a hair salon, then got some fresh ink at a tattoo parlor. It was the beginning of a public meltdown for Spears, who filed for divorce from Kevin Federline months earlier and was negotiating custody arrangements for their two children.

2011 - Lady GaGa's "Born This Way" made history, becoming the Billboard Hot 100 chart's 1000th No. 1 single.

2015 - Lesley Gore died of lung cancer at the age of 68. Gore was known for the 1963 U.S. No. 1 single "It's My Party," which she recorded at the young age of 16, and for her No. 2 hit "You Don't Own Me," recorded when she was just 17. Gore was nominated for an Oscar in 1983 along with her brother for writing "Out Here On My Own" from Fame, and hosted several episodes of an LGBTQ-oriented public television show, In the Life.

2018 - Brandi Carlile released her sixth studio album, By the Way, I Forgive You. It features the singles "The Joke" and "Party of One."

Birthdays:

James Baskett (who portrayed Uncle Remus and sang "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in the 1946 Disney feature film Song of the South, now decried for its racist portrayals of Black people) was born today in 1904.

Bill Doggett, pianist for Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots, was born today in 1916.

Otis Blackwell, American songwriter and producer who wrote “All Shook Up,” “Return To Sender,” “Don't Be Cruel,” “Great Balls Of Fire,” and “Fever,” was born today in 1931.

Singer, songwriter and later, Congressman, Sonny Bono was born today in 1935.

Singer, songwriter and record producer James Ingram was born today in 1952.

John “Brad” Bradbury, drummer for the Specials, was born today in 1953.

Ice-T (Tracy Lauren Marrow) is 68.

Pete Willis, founding guitarist of Def Leppard, is 66. Willis was replaced by Phil Collen in 1982.

Andy Taylor, guitarist with Duran Duran, is 65.

Dave Lombardo, drummer from Slayer, is 61.

Damon Reece, drummer from Spiritualized, is 59.

Lupe Fiasco is 44.

Danielle Haim of Haim is 37.

The Weeknd (Abel Makkonen Tesfaye) is 36.

Marie Ulven Ringheim, who performs as girl in red, was born today in 1999 in her home country of Norway, making her 27. Her name comes from her identifying herself in a crowd to a friend via text. She discusses her queer identity in many of her songs. After a series of EPs, she released her debut album, If I Could Make It Go Quiet, in 2021. An honest exploration of mental health, the single “Serotonin” became a hit from that album. Ringheim’s latest performance in the Twin Cities was in 2023 as an opening act on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Her second album, I’m Doing It Again Baby!, will arrive on April 12. It features the single, “Too Much.”

Koffee is 26.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Song Facts, E! News, Biography, and Wikipedia.