History Highlight:

Today in 2004, The Libertines released their second studio album, the self-titled The Libertines. The album emerged at a very tumultuous time for the band; bandmates and co-songwriters Carl Barât and Pete Doherty had a stormy friendship and had been feuding for a long while, and the songs on the album are autobiographical about the friends’ growing estrangement. As evidence of that, the first track and hit single from the album is “Can’t Stand Me Now.” As further evidence, the album’s cover photo is of Barât and Doherty, taken on the day Doherty was released after serving a two-month prison sentence for burglary — of Barât’s apartment. Despite the album’s fractious origins, it made a splash on release and debuted at No. 1 in the U.K. albums chart. That said, The Libertines stopped playing together in 2004 and would not reunite until 2010.

Also, Today In: 

1966 - The Mamas and the Papas released their self-titled album.

1968 - The Byrds, joined by Gram Parsons, released their sixth studio album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Though the band had dabbled with a country sound on previous albums, Sweetheart of the Rodeo was a full send and became the first album widely recognized as “country rock.” It brought Parsons - the newest addition to the band at the time - into the mainstream, where he would help usher country music into a new era. (He did, however, leave the band before the album was even released.) And though it was met with some resistance by the country music establishment in Nashville, who perceived it as a bunch of hippies subverting country music, it was a seminal album that helped clear the way for non-traditional expressions of the genre.  

1969 - Birmingham, England, band Earth changes its name when lead singer Ozzy Osbourne announced on stage that the band's new name is Black Sabbath. 

1969 - Santana release their self-titled debut album, with standout tracks "Evil Ways" and "Soul Sacrifice." 

1971 - The Beach Boys released the album Surf's Up. 

1972 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono played Madison Square Gardens to raise money for the One to One charity. Stevie Wonder, Sha Na Na and Roberta Flack also appeared at the event. Lennon personally bought $60,000 worth of tickets which were given to volunteer fund-raisers. Several of the performances were later included on Lennon's, Live in New York City album. 

1975 - James Taylor's remake of Marvin Gaye's 1965 hit "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" made the Top 5. 

1975 - KC and the Sunshine Band went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Get Down Tonight." The song was the first of their five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The band is also best known for "That's the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", and "Boogie Shoes". 

1980 - Barclay James Harvest perform "A Concert For The People" next to the Berlin Wall to an audience of approximately 250,000. 

1988 - Danzig released their self-titled debut album. It features “Mother.”

1989 - Izzy Stradlin from Guns N' Roses was arrested for making a public disturbance on a U.S. air flight. Stradlin had urinated on the floor, verbally abused a stewardess and smoked in the non-smoking section of the aircraft. 

1993 - Billy Joel is the first musical guest on David Letterman's first show after moving to CBS. 

1993 - The Breeders released their second studio album, Last Splash. It features “Cannonball” and “Divine Hammer.”

1994 - The Jesus Lizard released Down.

1994 - Peter Gabriel released his second live album, Secret World Live.

1994 - Boyz II Men released their third studio album, II.

1995 - Carly Simon and James Taylor performed live together in front of 10,000 fans on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. It was the first time they appeared live on the same stage since 1979. The former couple played their own solo sets before combining their efforts in raising money for the local agricultural society. 

1995 - Sleeps With Angels by Neil Young & Crazy Horse was a Top 10 album on this day. The record was Neil's reaction to the suicide death of Kurt Cobain. 

1995 - Sterling Morrison, the guitar player for The Velvet Underground, died of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma the day after his 53rd birthday. 

1997 - The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Mo Money Mo Problems". 

2002 - Bruce Springsteen released The Rising, his first album with the E Street Band since 1987 and his first material since 9/11. 

2004 - Bjork releases Medúlla, an album made up almost entirely of human voices. 

2005 - Death Cab for Cutie released their fifth studio album, Plans. It features "Soul Meets Body," "Crooked Teeth," and "I Will Follow You into the Dark."

2005 - OK Go released their second studio album, Oh No. It features “Here It Goes Again,” “Invincible,” and “A Million Ways.”

2005 - Kanye West released his second studio album, Late Registration. It features "Touch the Sky," "Heard 'Em Say," and "Gold Digger."

2007 - Lil Wayne was sued by a woman for $1 million who claimed she was crushed at one of his concerts after a large amount of cash was thrown into the audience. Tyrique Layne, then 17, said she lost consciousness after being trampled by the crowd at a gig in Maryland in October 2006, and had suffered memory loss and severe headaches. \

2007 - B.B. King, Al Green, and Etta James performed at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand.

2008 - The Black Keys performed at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand as the opening act for the Black Crowes.

2011 - Mike Doughty released his fourth studio album, Yes and Also Yes.

2011 - Beirut released their third studio album, The Rip Tide. It features “East Harlem” and “Goshen.”

2011 - Alleging that Elvis Presley "was unjustly exploited during his lifetime by his record company," his estate announced a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Arista Music, formerly RCA Records, demanding proper payment over new media income such as ringtones, downloads and entertainment apps. 

2013 - The Minnesota State Fair Grandstand hosted MN Music On-A-Stick featuring Trampled By Turtles, The Suburbs, Mason Jennings, P.O.S, and The Chalice (featuring Lizzo, Sophia Eris, and Claire de Lune).

2013 - Nine Inch Nails released their eighth studio album, Hesitation Marks. It features “Came Back Haunted,” “Copy of a,” and “Everything.”

2014 - The Minnesota State Fair Grandstand hosted MN Music On-A-Stick featuring Brother Ali, Doomtree, Bob Mould, Cloud Cult, Har Mar Superstar, and The Cactus Blossoms. More on that event here.

2014 - Kate Bush followed her stage comeback by becoming the first woman to have eight albums in the U.K. charts at the same time. Two of the singer's albums were in the top 10, and eight overall in the top 40. It came after she returned for her first live concerts for 35 years. The only artists ahead of Bush are Elvis Presley, who had 12 entries in the top 40 after his death in 1977 and The Beatles who had 11 in 2009. 

2016 - The 2017 edition of Guinness World Records said that Ringo Starr's copy of The Beatles' White Album was officially the most expensive LP ever sold at an auction. Guinness confirmed that a December 2015 sale set a new high for album prices when the first-edition copy with the catalog number 0000001, which was kept in a vault in perfect condition by Starr for more than 35 years, sold for $790,000. 

2019 - Tool released their first album in 13 years, "fear inoculum." 

2019 - Lana Del Rey released her sixth studio album, Norman F**king Rockwell!

2020 - Lady Gaga was a big winner at the MTV VMAs. 

Birthdays: 

Kitty Wells was born on this day in 1919. She passed away in 2012. 

John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas was born today in 1935.

Influential British DJ John Peel was born today in 1939. He passed away in 2004.  

John McNally of the Searchers is 84.

Horace Panter of the Specials is 72.

Jamie Moses — of The Brian May Band, Queen + Paul Rodgers, Mike & the Mechanics, and Broken English — is 70.

Martin Jackson — drummer for Magazine, Swing Out Sister, the Chameleons, and the Durutti Column — is 70.

Dave Brockie of Gwar was born today in 1963.

Paul Oakenfold is 62. 

Lars Frederiksen of Rancid is 54.

Rachael Price of Lake Street Dive is 40. 

Ryan Ross of Panic! At the Disco is 39.

Bebe Rexha is 36.

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