History Highlight:

On this day in 1975, David Bowie released his ninth studio album, Young Americans, which contained his first number one hit in the U.S., "Fame." It also features the hit title track and a cover of the Beatles’ “Across the Universe.”

Also, Today In:

1966 - Brian Wilson released his debut solo single "Caroline, No." It would later peak at number thirty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart and be included on The Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds.

1970 - Creedence Clearwater Revival peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with "Travelin' Band" which was their fifth top ten single in the U.S.

1970 - Simon and Garfunkel's album Bridge Over Troubled Water started a ten-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. chart. The duo had split up by the time of release. The album includes two of Simon and Garfunkel's most critically acclaimed and commercially successful songs: "Bridge over Troubled Water" and "The Boxer", and topped the charts in over ten countries and received two Grammys, plus four more for the title song. It sold around 25 million records was No. 51 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The making of the album is told in the 72-minute documentary The Harmony Game, featuring interviews with both artists and various collaborators.

1973 - A song from the movie "Deliverance" called "Dueling Banjos" by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandel became one of the few 1970s instrumentals to be awarded a Gold record.

1976 - Elton John was immortalized at Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London. John was the first rock star to receive this honor since The Beatles.

1980 - The Psychedelic Furs released their self-titled debut album. It features “Sister Europe.”

1980 – The Loretta Lynn biopic Coal Miner’s Daughter — named after her No. 1 hit — made its theatrical debut. The film details Lynn’s rise from a humble upbringing in rural Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, to become one of country music’s biggest stars. Lynn chose Sissy Spacek to portray her in the movie, and Spacek later won an Oscar for the role.

1983 – Tears for Fears’ debut album, The Hurting, was released. it features “Mad World,” “Pale Shelter (You Don’t Give Me Love),” and “Suffer the Children.”

1985 - The song "We Are the World" is released as a single, soon achieving massive chart success all around the world. The song, written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, is recorded for charity to help battle famine in Africa. The supergroup USA for Africa brought together for the recording features a stunning list of big names in music - everyone from Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan to Ray Charles, Cyndi Lauper and Dionne Warwick.

1987 - Peter Gabriel reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for the second and final time with "Big Time" which peaked at number eight. The song featured Stewart Copeland from The Police on drums.

1987 - The Beatles' first five studio albums were released on CD. This was the first time the original mono mixes of the first four albums were released in the U.S.

1987 - Beastie Boys became the first rap act to have a No. 1 album in the U.S. with their debut album, Licensed To Ill. It was also one of Columbia Records' fastest-selling debut records to date, eventually selling over 9 million copies in the United States. In 2003, the album was ranked number 217 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It features hits such as "Brass Monkey", "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) and "Girls".

1988 - The Beatles released Past Masters, a two-disc compilation album. It features non-album singles, B-sides, EP tracks, and rarities.

1989 - Love and Rockets released their fourth studio album, Love and Rockets. It features the singles "Motorcycle," "So Alive," "Rock & Roll Babylon," and "No Big Deal."

1991 - The readers of Rolling Stone voted George Michael the best male singer and sexiest male artist.

1994 - The U.S. Supreme Court decided that rap group 2 Live Crew's parody of Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" did not break federal copyright laws.

1995 - Adam Ant released his fifth solo studio album, Wonderful. It features the title track.

2000 - Flogging Molly released their debut studio album, Swagger. It features “Salty Dog.”

2001 - The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reveal their list of the top 365 "Songs Of The Century" (some of which are not songs, but albums). "Over The Rainbow" is No. 1, followed by "White Christmas" and "This Land Is Your Land."

2004 - The Smiths' song "I Know It's Over" topped a poll of tunes, which people turn to when they are miserable in "The Songs That Saved Your Life" poll by BBC radio station 6 Music. REM's "Everybody Hurts" and Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees" also made the Top 10.

2005 - Kaiser Chiefs released their debut studio album, Employment. It features “Oh My God” and “I Predict a Riot.”

2006 - Neko Case released her fourth studio album, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. It features the singles "Hold On, Hold On," "Maybe Sparrow," and "Star Witness."

2011 - R.E.M. released their fifteenth and final studio album, Collapse into Now. It features the singles "It Happened Today," "Mine Smell Like Honey," "Überlin," "Oh My Heart," and "Discoverer."

2011 - Lupe Fiasco released his third studio album, Lasers. It features the singles "The Show Goes On," "Words I Never Said," "Out of My Head," and "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now."

2015 - Drake places an astounding 14 songs in the Hot 100, thanks to the release of his mixtape If You're Reading This It's Too Late. The Beatles are the only other act to accomplish this, with 14 songs on the tally for a week in April 1964. Drake goes on to place 27 songs on the chart dated July 14, 2018.

Birthdays:

Chris White, bassist for The Zombies, is 82.

Singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt was born today in 1944.

Arthur Lee, frontman for Love, was born today in 1945.

Peter Wolf, lead vocalist for the J. Geils Band, is 79.

Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers is 73.

Taylor Dayne is 63.

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