History Highlight

On this day in 1996, The Fugees — comprising Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill — released their landmark and final album, The Score. Although the Fugees’ previous album had been unsuccessful, The Score proved a hit right out of the gate, topping the R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart for eight weeks and going on to be the third-best-selling album of the year. The Score features hallmarks of hip-hop production, including samples and interpolations. For example, the hit song “Ready or Not” interpolates the chorus of the Delfonics’ 1968 song “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)” while sampling heavily from Enya’s 1987 track “Boadicea” (Enya received a co-writing credit for the Fugees’ song). Other hits on the album include the Fugees’ covers of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and the song “Killing Me Softly,” which had been a massive hit for Roberta Flack in 1974. The Score would go on to win a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in February 1997.

Also, Today In:

1967 - The Monkees announced that from now on they would be playing on their own recordings instead of session musicians.

1967 - The Beatles released the double A sided single “Strawberry Fields Forever”/”Penny Lane” on Capitol Records in the U.S. The single spent 10 weeks on the chart peaking at No. 1.

1969 - Bob Dylan recorded versions of "Lay, Lady, Lay" at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The song was originally written for the soundtrack of the movie Midnight Cowboy, but wasn't submitted in time to be included in the finished film. The song has gone on to become a standard and has been covered by numerous bands and artists over the years, including The Byrds, The Everly Brothers, Neil Diamond, The Isley Brothers, Duran Duran, and Isaac Hayes, to name a few.

1970 - Black Sabbath released their debut self-titled studio album on Vertigo records in the U.K. Peaking at No. 8 on the charts, the album has been recognized as the first album to be credited with the development of the heavy metal genre.

1971 - The Osmonds started a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "One Bad Apple".

1978 - Squeeze released their debut studio album, Squeeze. It features the singles "Take Me I’m Yours" and "Bang Bang."

1980 - Police raided the home of former Sex Pistols John Lydon who greeted them waving a ceremonial sword. The only illegal item they found was a canister of tear gas, claimed to be for defence against intruders.

1981 - Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of Moon became the longest-running rock record on the Billboard album chart, concluding its 402nd week.

1981 - Phil Collins released his debut solo album, Face Value. It features the singles "In the Air Tonight," "I Missed Again," "If Leaving Me Is Easy," and "Thunder and Lightning."

1986 - Screaming Trees released their debut studio album, Clairvoyance. It features the songs "Orange Airplane," "I See Stars," and "Clairvoyance."

1990 - The Black Crowes released their debut studio album, Shake Your Money Maker. It features "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels."

1993 - RuPaul becomes the first drag queen to make the Hot 100 when "Supermodel (You Better Work)" entered the chart at No. 91. It rose to No. 45 in April.

1996 - Tupac Shakur's All Eyez on Me is released. The first rap double-album on a major label, it sells over 10 million copies in the United States.

1996 - Gin Blossoms released their third studio album, Congratulations I'm Sorry. It features “Follow You Down.”

2001 - Stephen Malkmus released his debut solo album, Stephen Malkmus. It features the singles "Jo Jo's Jacket," "Discretion Grove," and "Jenny and the Ess-Dog."

2002 - Country music maverick and American icon Waylon Jennings died from diabetes-related health problems. He was 64. Although he disliked the term, Jennings had been one of the major figures in the so-called "outlaw country" movement — artists who bucked the commercial trends of 1970s Nashville, who also included Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson.

2004 - Led Zeppelin were awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys. Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham all attended. Robert Plant did not, since he was working on a new album and tour.

2007 - Lucinda Williams released her eighth studio album, West. It features the singles "Are You Alright?," "Come On," and "Unsuffer Me."

2011 - Arcade Fire's The Suburbs won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, beating Eminem's hotly tipped comeback, Recovery. Many had not heard of the Canadian band, prompting the internet meme, "Who Is Arcade Fire?" In the same ceremony, Esperanza Spalding beat out Justin Bieber for Best New Artist, becoming the first jazz artist to win the award.

2012 - Adele won all six categories she was nominated for at the Grammy Awards, making her the second female artist in Grammy history, after Beyonce, to win that many categories in a single night. That 2012 awards ceremony also featured her live comeback after having throat surgery and canceling two tours. And quite the comeback it was, as her album 21 achieved the biggest weekly sales increase following a Grammy in recorded history.

2012 - Emeli Sandé released her debut studio album, Our Version of Events. It features the singles "Heaven," "Daddy," "Next to Me," "My Kind of Love," and "Clown."

2012 - President Barack Obama awarded the National Medal of Arts to country western star Mel Tillis at the White House in Washington, D.C. Tillis was honored for his contributions to country music, having recorded more than 1,000 songs and 62 studio albums in his career.

2013 - Lady Gaga was forced to postpone her world tour after sustaining an injury which left her unable to walk. The singer had severe inflammation of the joints, known as synovitis.

2015 - Elle King released her debut album, Love Stuff. It features "Ex's & Oh's" and “Under the Influence.”

2015 - Drake released his fourth mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. It features “Preach” and “Energy.”

2019 - In a New York Times story, seven female musicians accuse Ryan Adams of inappropriate and sometimes abusive behavior. His accusers include Phoebe Bridgers and his ex-wife, Mandy Moore. Adams' upcoming album release is cancelled, and he's dropped from his label.

2022 - Dr. Dre anchors the first hip-hop-heavy Super Bowl halftime show, performing with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent.

Birthdays:

Tennessee Ernie Ford was born today in 1919.

Boudleaux Bryant — who wrote “Love Hurts” and “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” and co-wrote “Rocky Top,” “Bye Bye Love,” and “Wake Up Little Susie” with his wife Felice — was born today in 1920.

Peter Tork of The Monkees was born today in 1942.

King Floyd (“Groove Me”) was born today in 1945.

English musician Peter Hook was born on this day in 1956, making him 69 today. He is best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Joy Division and New Order. He is currently the lead singer and one of the bassists for the band Peter Hook and the Light. With Joy Division and New Order, Hook is currently a nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

Peter Gabriel is 75.

Ed Gagliardi, bassist for Foreigner, was born today in 1952.

cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy is 64.

Henry Rollins is 64.

Freedom Williams of C+C Music Factory is 59.

Matt Berninger of the National is 54.

Robbie Williams is 51.

Fonzworth Bentley — formerly Sean Combs’ personal assistant, songwriter for Kanye West, and OutKast collaborator — is 51.

Leslie Feist, who releases music as Feist, was born today in 1976 in Nova Scotia, Canada. She is 48. Her early musical endeavors in the 1990s include fronting a punk band called Placebo (not the English band), playing guitar and bass in indie rock bands Noah’s Arkweld and By Divine Right, and performing with electro-punk musician Peaches. She later began a solo career, and contributed vocals to several Broken Social Scene songs. Featured in an iPod Nano ad, “1234” became a breakout worldwide hit in 2007 and later earned her a trip to Sesame Street. Feist received four Grammy nominations in 2008, and has won 11 Juno Awards. She released her latest solo album, Multitudes, in 2023.

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