History Highlight
On this day in 1951, Chrissie Hynde was born, making her 74 today. She is best known as the founding member and lead guitarist/vocalist of The Pretenders, who released 10 albums and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. The band has cycled through many members, with Hynde being the only constant member since 1978. 

Also, Today In: 

1957 - Sam Cooke releases "You Send Me." 

1959 - Craig Douglas was at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with his version of the Sam Cooke hit "Only Sixteen". Terence Perkins was employed as a milkman before becoming a professional singer and was known as the 'Singing Milkman'. 

1963 - The Beatles recorded an appearance on the BBC radio program 'Saturday Club', at the Playhouse Theatre in London. They performed "I Saw Her Standing There", "Memphis", "Happy Birthday Saturday Club", "I'll Get You", "She Loves You", and "Lucille". 

1968 - Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham made their live debut as Led Zeppelin but billed as The New Yardbirds at Teen Club in Gladsaxe (a suburb in the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark). 

1976 - ABBA was at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with "Dancing Queen", the group's fourth U.K. No. 1 single and their only U.S. No. 1 chart-topper. The song was a No. 1 hit in over a dozen countries and stayed at the top of the Swedish charts for 14 weeks. 

1978 - Keith Moon, drummer with The Who, died of an overdose of heminevrin prescribed to combat alcoholism. Moon had attended a party the night before organized by Paul McCartney for the launch of the "The Buddy Holly Story" movie. He played on all The Who albums from their debut, 1965's My Generation, to 1978's Who Are You, which was released two weeks before his death. Fun fact: Moon was a prankster - check out some of his greatest pranks. 

1979 - Gary Numan released his solo debut album, The Pleasure Principle. It features “Cars,” “Metal,” and “Complex.”

1979 - The Slits released their debut album, Cut.

1979 - Siouxsie and the Banshees released their second studio album, Join Hands. It features “Playground Twist.”

1979 - Cliff Richard released his 22nd studio album, Rock ‘n’ Roll Juvenile. It features “We Don’t Talk Anymore.”

1985 - David Bowie and Mick Jagger were at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with their version of the Martha Reeves and The Vandellas 1964 hit "Dancing In The Street". The song had been recorded as part of the Live Aid charity appeal. 

1987 - Pet Shop Boys released their second studio album, Actually. It features “It’s a Sin” and “What Have I Done to Deserve This?”

1987 - Michael Jackson releases "Bad," the title track to his first album since Thriller. The song was supposed to be a duet with Prince, who turned down the offer. 

1987 - In the UK, Pink Floyd release A Momentary Lapse of Reason, their first album without founding member Roger Waters. 

1987 - Pet Shop Boys release their album 'Actually'. 

1988 - INXS, the new sensation from Australia, are the big winners at the MTV Video Music Awards, taking five trophies, including Video Of The Year, for "Need You Tonight/Mediate." The songs are separate tracks on the album but combined for the video; the "Mediate" part is an homage to Bob Dylan's 1965 "Subterranean Homesick Blues" film. 

1993 - Archers of Loaf released their debut studio album, Icky Mettle.

1994 - Fifteen-year-old Brandy releases her self-titled debut album, which goes on to sell over 4 million copies and establish her as an R&B star. Hits from the album include "I Wanna Be Down" and "Baby." 

1994 - Weezer release their breakthrough single, "Buddy Holly," named for the rock and roll icon on what would have been his 58th birthday. It's featured on the band's debut album, Weezer (aka The Blue Album). 

1996 - Rap star Tupac Shakur is shot five times in a drive-by following a boxing match in Las Vegas. He dies six days later at age 25. 

1997 - Fleetwood Mac went to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with "The Dance". The album went on sell over 5 million copies in the U.S. alone. 

1998 - Belle & Sebastian released their third studio album, The Boy With the Arab Strap.

2000 - Rage Against The Machine bass player Tim Commerford interrupts the MTV Video Music Awards when he climbs up the backdrop on stage, baffling the crew as well as Limp Bizkit, who are accepting the Best Rock Video award for "Break Stuff." Rage was nominated in the category for "Sleep Now in the Fire." 

2001 - Michael Jackson was reunited onstage with The Jackson 5 at his 30th Anniversary Celebration in New York City's Madison Square Garden. It ended Jackson's 11-year hiatus from performing in the U.S. Jackson was joined by Eminem, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Britney Spears, and Destiny's Child to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his singing career. 

2001 - The movie Rock Star, starring Mark Wahlberg as the lead singer of a tribute band who ends up joining his favorite group, hits theaters. A number of musicians have roles in the film, including Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind and Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe, whose song "Colorful" Wahlberg lip-synchs at the end of the film. 

2003 - Warren Zevon, singer-songwriter and musician, died at his home in Los Angeles. 

2004 - The Black Keys released their third studio album, Rubber Factory. It features “10 A.M. Automatic,” “Till I Get My Way,” and “Girl Is On My Mind.”

2007 - A new study revealed that rock stars were twice as likely to die early as the rest of us. Researchers said that the problem was so bad the industry should be labeled a 'high risk' profession. 

2009 - Frank Turner released his third studio album, Poetry of the Deed.

2010 - Interpol released their self-titled fourth studio album. It features “Barricade,” and “Try It On.”

2010 - The xx take home the 2010 Mercury Prize. 

2010 - Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody was voted the greatest 'lighter in the air song of all time' by lighter company Zippo. Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway To Heaven', was voted in at No. 2 and Meat Loaf's 'I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)' was at No. 3 in the survey.

2011 - Neon Indian released his second studio album, Era Extraña. It features “Polish Girl” and “Hex Girlfriend.”

2012 - King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard released their debut studio album, 12 Bar Bruise.

2015 - Prince released his 38th studio album, Hit n Run Phase One. It features "Fallinlove2nite" and “This Could B Us.”

2016 - The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey were No. 1 on the US charts with 'Closer'. The song would stay at the top of the charts for 12 weeks and would also top the charts in more than 10 other countries. 

2018 - Hozier released his third EP, Nina Cried Power. It features the title track with Mavis Staples.

2018 - Rapper Mac Miller died of an apparent drug overdose. 

2018 - Lenny Kravitz releases his 11th studio album, Raise Vibration, which features guest vocals from the late Michael Jackson on the single "Low." Kravitz collaborated with the King of Pop on Jackson's track "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" from the posthumous album Michael. 

2019 - After the song was featured on the Netflix film Someone Great, "Truth Hurts" by Lizzo goes to No. 1 in the U.S. nearly two years after it was first released.  

Birthdays: 

Jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins is 95.

Little Milton (“We’re Gonna Make It”) was born today in 1934.

Buddy Holly was born today in 1936. He passed in 1959. 

Blues singer Latimore is 86.

Gloria Gaynor is 82. 

Benmont Tench of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers is 72. 

Diane Warren is 69. 

Jermaine Stewart (“We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off”) was born today in 1957.

Brad Houser of Critters Buggin and Edie Brickell & New Bohemians was born today in 1960.

LeRoi Moore of Dave Matthews Band was born today in 1961. 

Eazy-E, rapper with NWA, was born today in 1964. He passed in 1995. 

Jimmy Urine of Mindless Self Indulgence is 56. 

Chad Sexton of 311 is 55. 

Sean “Slug” Daley from Atmosphere is 53. 

Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy — who has recorded and collaborated with Stars, Grizzly Bear, Arcade Fire, and many others — is 46.

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