History spotlight:

Today in 1959, The Cure’s lead vocalist and primary songwriter Robert Smith was born, making him 66. Smith was born in the resort town of Blackpool, England, but grew up in communities south of London. Formed by Smith and his school friends in the 1970s, The Cure found themselves at the forefront of the emerging post-punk and new wave movements, dropping their first album, Three Imaginary Boys, in 1979. Since that time, The Cure have released 14 studio albums, including 2024’s universally acclaimed Songs of a Lost World. “A Fragile Thing,” the second single off Songs of a Lost World, was inducted into the Chart Show Hall of Fame on January 9, 2025, after 10 consecutive weeks of votes from The Current’s listeners.

Also, today in:

1960 - For about 20 years, it had been common practice for record companies to pay DJs to play songs on the radio, but the U.S. government began to crack down on what it called "payola." Dick Clark testified before Congress and admitted that he took money and gifts to play records — estimating 27 percent of his playlist to be paid. Clark emerged more powerful than ever, selling off conflicting interests and expanding his music empire. On the other hand, another prominent DJ and TV host, Alan Freed, refused to admit that he took payola, insisting that he was a consultant to the industry. His career never recovered despite his massive influence and success.

1961 - The Beatles debuted at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.

1962 - Elvis Presley started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Good Luck Charm," his fifth U.S. No. 1 of the 1960s.

1967 - Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles completed the sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

1975 - ABBA release their self-titled third studio album. It features the hits "SOS," "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do," and "Mamma Mia."

1978 - Sandy Denny, best known as the lead singer of British folk-rock band Fairport Convention, died. Music publications Uncut, Mojo and the Sunday Express have all called Denny Britain's finest female singer-songwriter. Her composition, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" has been recorded by artists as diverse as Judy Collins, Nina Simone, 10,000 Maniacs and Cat Power.

1979 - Amii Stewart's "Knock On Wood" hits No. 1.

1982 - The Clash had to cancel a tour when Joe Strummer disappeared for three weeks. He was eventually found living on the streets in Paris.

1984 - Bananarama released their self-titled second album. It features “Cruel Summer.”

1984 - "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)" went to No. 1 on the Hot 100, giving Phil Collins his first solo chart-topper. He would have six more.

1986 - Siouxsie and the Banshees released their seventh studio album, Tinderbox. It features the singles "Cities in Dust" and "Candyman."

1990 - Sinead O'Connor started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with her version of the Prince song, "Nothing Compares 2 U."

1990 - Paul McCartney appeared before 184,000 fans in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the time, it was the largest audience ever to attend a performance by a single rock act.

1992 - Beastie Boys released their third studio album, Check Your Head. It features "So What'cha Want."

1992 - Sophie B. Hawkins released her debut studio album, Tongues and Tails. It features the singles "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" and "California Here I Come."

1992 - The Cure released their ninth studio album, Wish, featuring the hit song “Friday I’m in Love.” It’s the most commercially successful album of the band’s career.

1992 - The Soup Dragons released their third studio album, Hotwired. It features the singles "Divine Thing" and "Pleasure."

1997 - The Charlatans released their fifth studio album, Tellin’ Stories. It features the singles "One to Another," "North Country Boy," and "How High."

1997 - Supergrass released their second studio album, In It for the Money. It features the singles "Richard III," "Sun Hits the Sky," and "Late in the Day."

2001 - Peter Buck, guitarist for R.E.M., was arrested for being drunk on an aircraft and for accosting British Airways personnel following a flight from Seattle to Heathrow Airport in London. He would be acquitted nearly a year later.

2003 - Madonna released her ninth studio album, American Life. It features the singles "American Life," "Hollywood," "Nothing Fails," "Love Profusion," and "Die Another Day."

2003 - EMI and Universal Music sued the file-sharing service Napster for copyright violations.

2003 - Nina Simone died at age 70 after a long battle with breast cancer. Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on Feb. 21, 1933, Simone was a singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and civil rights activist who worked in a broad range of musical styles. Simone's music fused gospel and pop with classical music — particularly the work of Johann Sebastian Bach — and accompanied expressive, jazz-like singing in her contralto voice. Throughout her career, Simone assembled a collection of songs that would later become standards in her repertoire. Some she wrote some herself, while others were new arrangements of other standards, and others had been written especially for her. Simone's first hit came in 1958, with her rendition of George Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy," from the musical Porgy & Bess. In all, Simone would record more than 40 albums between 1958 and 1993. Simone spent her final decade in France, her adopted home.

2004 - Future EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson gets voted off season three of American Idol, where she finishes in seventh place.

2008 - Soul singer and songwriter Al Wilson died of kidney failure at the age of 68. Wilson had a number of U.S. hits, including “The Snake” in 1968 and “Show and Tell” in 1974.

2008 - Flight of the Conchords released their debut studio album, Flight of the Conchords. It features the singles "Ladies of the World" and "Hurt Feelings."

2009 - The Horrors released their second studio album, Primary Colours. It features “Sea Within a Sea.”

2013 - Christina Amphlett (frontwoman of The Divinyls) dies after a long battle with breast cancer at age 53.

2014 - Big Sean becomes the first rapper to perform at the White House when he duets with Ariana Grande on "Right There" at the annual Easter Egg Roll.

2015 - Passion Pit released their third album, Kindred. It features “Lifted Up (1985).”

2016 - Rock, blues and country singer-guitarist Lonnie Mack died of natural causes in hospital near his log-cabin home, 70 miles east of Nashville, Tennessee.

2016 - We lost our hometown hero and music legend Prince. As Jay Gabler wrote on April 21, 2016: "Prince, a multi-talented musician who came out of the Minneapolis scene and changed the world of music forever, has died at age 57. One of the greatest stars in rock history, Prince bridged rock and R&B to fuse a 'Minneapolis Sound' that helped define the music of the 1980s. With over 100 million albums sold worldwide, Prince is one of the best-selling artists of all time, widely cited as an influence by artists from the worlds of pop, R&B, rock, hip-hop, and beyond."

2017 - Greta Van Fleet released their debut EP, Black Smoke Rising. It features the singles "Highway Tune" and "Safari Song."

Birthdays:

Don Cornell (“Hold My Hand,” “I’m Yours,” “Room Full of Roses”) was born today in 1919.

Ira Louvin — who formed the Louvin Brothers with brother Charlie — was born today in 1924.

Iggy Pop of The Stooges is 78.

John Weider, bassist for the Animals and Family, is 78.

Singer/songwriter Paul Davis ("I Go Crazy"; "'65 Love Affair") was born on this day in 1948. He died of a heart attack in 2008, one day after his 60th birthday.

Patti LuPone is 76.

Robert Smith, the lead singer of The Cure, is 66.

John Maher, Buzzcocks drummer, is 65.

Michael Franti is 59.

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