History highlight:

On this day in 1985, Prince released his seventh studio album, Around the World in a Day. Even with the massive success of the Purple Rain album, recording sessions for Around the World in a Day were already underway before the film had even opened, illustrating Prince’s overflowing creative output. Around the World in a Day took on new sonic direction than Prince’s preceding albums, incorporating more psychedelic sounds and Middle Eastern instrumentation. “I think the smartest thing I did was record Around the World in a Day right after I finished Purple Rain,” Prince told Rolling Stone magazine in 1985. “I didn't wait to see what would happen with Purple Rain. That's why the two albums sound completely different.” Around the World in a Day features the tracks “Raspberry Beret,” “Paisley Park” (the first time that name appeared in Prince’s work) and “Pop Life.”

Also, today in:

1966 - The Troggs' cover of "Wild Thing" (originally performed by The Wild Ones) was released in the U.S. on both the Atco and Fontana labels. The song would eventually reach No. 1 in June of that year; the Troggs' version of "Wild Thing" became a major influence on garage rock and punk rock.

1969 - During a brief legal proceeding conducted on the roof of the Apple Records building in London, John Lennon changed his middle name from Winston to Ono.

1969 - The Who gave their first unabridged live performance of the rock opera Tommy at the Bolton Institute of Technology (now the University of Bolton) in England.

1978 - Bob Marley and the Wailers performed at the "One Love Peace Concert" in Jamaica. It was Marley's first public appearance in Jamaica since being wounded in an assassination attempt a year and a half earlier.

1978 - John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd performed as the Blues Brothers for the first time on Saturday Night Live, opening the show with "Hey Bartender."

1979 - As part of reparations for his 1977 Canadian drug bust, Keith Richards played a benefit concert in Oshawa, Ont., for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

1989 - Madonna started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Like A Prayer,” the singer's seventh U.S. No. 1, which also hit No. 1 in the U.K.

1991 - The Dave Matthews Band played their first-ever live show when they appeared at the Earth Day festival in Charlottesville, Virginia.

1996 - Mark Morrison released his debut studio album, Return of the Mack. It features the singles "Return of the Mack," "Crazy," and "Trippin’."

1997 - Yo La Tengo released their eighth studio album, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. It features the singles "Sugarcube" and "Autumn Sweater."

1997 - The Jayhawks released their fifth studio album, Sound of Lies. It features the singles "The Man Who Loved Life" and "Trouble."

1997 - Mary J. Blige released her third studio album, Share My World. It features the singles "Love Is All We Need," "I Can Love You," and "Everything."

1999 - Sinead O'Connor was ordained in Lourdes, France, as the first woman priest in the Latin Tridentine Church, a dissident Roman Catholic group.

2003 - Kaki King released her debut studio album, Everybody Loves You. It features the singles "Carmine Street" and "Night After Sidewalk."

2003 - Songwriter Felice Bryant died of cancer. She wrote many hits with her husband Boudleaux, including the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” and “Wake Up Little Susie,” plus Buddy Holly’s hit “Raining In My Heart.” Other acts to record their songs include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Tony Bennett, Simon and Garfunkel, Sarah Vaughan, Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello, Count Basie, Dean Martin, Ruth Brown, Cher, R.E.M. and Ray Charles.

2008 - Atmosphere released their sixth studio album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That S**t Gold. It features the singles "Guarantees" and "You."

2013 - The Neighbourhood released their debut studio album, I Love You. It features the singles "Sweater Weather" and "Afraid."

2013 - Frank Turner released his fifth studio album, Tape Deck Heart. It features the singles "Recovery" and "The Way I Tend to Be."

2013 - Richie Havens, the folk singer who opened the legendary 1969 Woodstock rock festival, died of a heart attack at 72.

2020 - X released their eighth studio album, Alphabetland.

Birthdays:

Jazz great Charles Mingus was born in 1922. One of the 20th century’s leading bassists and bandleaders, Mingus grew up in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles and performed alongside musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. He composed explicitly political music, and after experiencing and witnessing racial discrimination, he founded his own label — one of the first musicians ever to do so. According to pianist and music journalist Leonard Feather, Mingus linked “older, half-forgotten [jazz] styles” with “the free improvisation of the ‘60s.” After being diagnosed with ALS, Mingus died of a heart attack in 1979.

Bettie Page was born today in 1923.

Laurel Aitken, the “godfather of ska,” was born today in 1927.

Glen Campbell was born today in 1936.

Jack Nitzsche — collaborator with Phil Spector, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Buffy Sainte-Marie (“Up Where We Belong”), and more — was born today in 1937.

R&B singer Mel Carter (biggest hit was “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me”) is 86.

John Waters is 79.

Peter Frampton is 75.

Pete Carr, best-known as part of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, was born today in 1950.

Kenny Lyon of the Lemonheads is 69.

Shavo Odadjian of System of a Down is 51.

Daniel Paul Johns of Silverchair is 46.

Machine Gun Kelly is 35.

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