History Highlight:

Today in 1965, Bob Dylan recorded "Like A Rolling Stone" at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City, in the sessions for the forthcoming Highway 61 Revisited album. The song marked Dylan’s artistic evolution from folk musician to an artist who was growing in musical scope and influence — but it almost didn’t see the light of day. Coming in at more than six minutes, executives in Columbia Records’ sales and marketing teams wanted to quash the release, but Shaun Considine, who oversaw new releases, sneaked a pressing of the track to an influential New York nightclub DJ. The crowd reaction was powerful, and two New York radio DJs phoned Columbia Records the next day to ask for “the new Bob Dylan single,” and the song took off from there. “Like a Rolling Stone” would peak at No. 2 in the Billboard singles chart, held from the No. 1 position by the Beatles’ “Help.” In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine declared “Like a Rolling Stone” the greatest rock and roll song of all time. Bruce Springsteen, describing the first time he heard “Like a Rolling Stone,” said it was “like somebody’d kicked open the door to your mind.”

Also, Today In: 

1792 - Francis Johnson, an African American musician and composer during the Antebellum era, was born. Johnson became the first Black artist to publish sheet music (well over 200 published pieces) and the first Black band leader from the U.S. to take a band to Europe. 

1967 - The Monterey Pop Festival began in Monterey, California. Within three days, 50,000 people saw the first major appearances of Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Janis Joplin. Additional performers included The Byrds, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Buffalo Springfield. 

1969 - Experimental avant-garde/free-jazz artist Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, releases Trout Mask Replica, a polyrhythmic, polytonal collection of noise that is either an unlistenable mess or a work of genius. 

1972 - Roxy Music released their self-titled debut album. With obtuse lyrics from Bryan Ferry and futuristic synth soundscapes by Brian Eno, it's a tough nut to crack for many listeners but is later hailed as a triumph. 

1972 - David Bowie released his fifth studio album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The concept album tells the story of a fictional rock star (Bowie's alter ego) named Ziggy Stardust who acts as a messenger for extraterrestrial beings. The album includes songs such as "Suffragette City", "Ziggy Stardust", and the unforgettable "Starman". It peaked at No. 5 on the U.K. Albums Chart and No. 75 in the United States on the Billboard 200, then improved to a No. 21 position in the wake of Bowie's death. 

1975 - War released their seventh studio album, Why Can’t We Be Friends? It features “Low Rider” and the title track.

1975 - Singer Adam Wade becomes the first African-American game show host when Musical Chairs debuts on CBS. The short-lived series is created by noted record producer Don Kirshner, and features a slew of musical guests, including The Tokens, The Spinners, and Sister Sledge. 

1976 - The Jackson 5's four-week summer variety television show premiered on CBS. The program featured the group, plus sisters Latoya, Rebbie and Janet. 

1978 - The movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, opened in U.S. theaters. Grease became one of the most popular movie musicals of all time, spawning a hit soundtrack and an Academy Award nomination for the Olivia Newton-John tune "Hopelessly Devoted To You." The ballad was one of four new songs written for the Randal Kleiser-directed film, including "You're The One That I Want," "Sandy," and the title opener "Grease," performed by Frankie Valli.  

1979 - Donna Summer's album, Bad Girls, hit No. 1 in the US. Bad Girls is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer. Originally issued as a double album, Bad Girls became a best-selling critically acclaimed album and reached the top of the US Billboard 200, where it stayed for six weeks. Containing hits like "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls", it is considered by many one of the best disco albums of all time.  

1980 - "The Blues Brothers", starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, premiered in Chicago. Directed by John Landis, the film follows two ne'er-do-well Chicago-area brothers who are suddenly inspired to perform a philanthropic act, putting their musical talent to good use as the source of their generosity and redemption. The music-infused film features cameo appearances by such artists as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker, among others. 

1982 - Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, 25, died of a heroin overdose in London. Chrissie Hynde subsequently dedicated "Back On The Chain Gang" to him. 

1986 - The Smiths released their third studio album, The Queen Is Dead. It features "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side," "Bigmouth Strikes Again," and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out."

1990 - The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black," re-released in the Netherlands as a single, climbs to the top of the charts 24 years after its initial release. 

1992 - Faith No More released their fourth studio album, Angel Dust. It features “Midlife Crisis,” “Easy,” and “A Small Victory.”

1993 - The U.S. Postal Service released a set of seven stamps featuring rock and blues legends such as Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Dinah Washington and Elvis Presley. 

1994 - Kristen Pfaff of Hole died of an overdose. Prior to Hole, Pfaff was the bassist and backing vocalist for Minneapolis-based band Janitor Joe. 

1996 - Rage Against The Machine, Beastie Boys, Smashing Pumpkins, Fugees, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Lee Hooker, Beck, Sonic Youth, Yoko Ono, De La Soul and Richie Havens all appeared at the two-day Tibetan Freedom Concert in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. A sell-out crowd of more than 100,000 made it the largest U.S. benefit concert since Live Aid in 1985. 

1997 - Spiritualized released their third studio album, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space. It features “Electricity,” “I Think I’m in Love,” and “Come Together.”

2002 - A remixed version of Elvis Presley's 1968 single "A Little Less Conversation" hit No. 1 in the U.K., released as part of a plan by his estate to regain the U.K. record for number ones from The Beatles. 

2004 - The three surviving original members of the New York Dolls performed together for the first time since 1975 at the first of two shows at London Royal Festival Hall. The concerts were spearheaded by The Smiths' frontman, Morrissey, who was once the president of the Dolls' U.K. fan club. The band continued to record and perform in various incarnations after the reunion. 

2006 - The White Stripes win a lawsuit brought on by Ghetto Recorders studio owner Jim Diamond. Diamond claimed he produced the band's first two albums and that the band owed him royalties for his work. In reality, Jack White was the sole producer of those records and Diamond wasn't entitled to any more money as the band had already given him credit as engineer. 

2007 - Muse become the first band to sell out the rebuilt Wembley Stadium in London, when about 90,000 fans see them perform. 

2009 - Major Lazer released their full-length debut album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do. It features “Pon de Floor” and “Keep It Goin’ Louder.”

2010 - Gary Shider passed away from cancer. He was musical director of the P-Funk All-Stars and as a member of Parliament-Funkadelic he scored the hit "One Nation Under A Groove". 

2010 - Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax play on the same bill, marking the first time the "Big Four" of thrash metal do a show together. 

2015 - Nate Ruess of Fun. released his debut solo studio album, Grand Romantic. It features “Nothing Without Love.”

2017 - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit released the album, The Nashville Sound. It features "If We Were Vampires," “White Man’s World,”and “Cumberland Gap.”

2017 - Lorde released her second studio album, Melodrama. It features “Green Light” and “Perfect Places.”

2017 - Fleet Foxes released their third studio album, Crack-Up.

2017 - Beth Ditto of Gossip released her solo album debut, Fake Sugar.

2017 - Big Boi released his third studio album, Boomiverse.

2017 - Portugal. The Man released their eighth studio album, Woodstock.

2017 - Ride released their fifth studio album, Weather Diaries.

2018 - The Carters (Jay-Z and Beyoncé) release their first single, "Apes--t," with an opulent video shot at the Louvre in Paris. 

Birthdays: 

Billy "Crash" Craddock, rockabilly/country singer, is 86. 

Motown producer and songwriter Lamont Dozier was born today in 1941. 

O' Jays lead vocalist Eddie Levert is 83. 

Iain Matthews (singer for Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort) is 79.

Tom “Bones” Malone — brass musician for the Blues Brothers and Saturday Night Live — is 78. 

Soul singer James Smith (of The Stylistics) is 75. 

Grammy-nominated Canadian crooner Gino Vanelli is 73. 

Garry Roberts (lead guitarist for The Boomtown Rats) was born in 1954. 

Tupac Shakur was born in 1971. 

Ben Kweller is 44. 

Gnash is 32.

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