History Highlight:

Today in 2020, Phoebe Bridgers released her second studio album, Punisher. The album was produced by Tony Berg, whose résumé includes working with such artists as Michael Penn, Edie Brickell, Public Image Ltd., and Aimee Mann. Bridgers recorded the album with her longtime bandmates Marshall Vore (drums), Harrison Whitford (guitar), Emily Retsas (bass) and Nick White (keys), and she also included a raft of featured guests, including her boygenius pals Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, as well as Christian Lee Hutson, Conor Oberst, Nathaniel Walcott (of Bright Eyes), Nick Zinner (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Jenny Lee Lindberg (of Warpaint), Blake Mills and Jim Keltner. Punisher includes the tracks "Garden Song," "Kyoto," "ICU," "I Know the End" and "Savior Complex." The single, “Kyoto,” went on to land at No. 3 in the Top 89 of 2020, as voted by The Current’s listeners.

Also, Today In:

1948 - Columbia Records started the first mass production of the 33-RPM long-playing record (or "LP"). The new format could contain up to 23 minutes of music per side versus the three-minute capacity of a 78-RPM disc.

1974 - Rare Earth drummer Peter Rivera (whose real name is Peter Hoorelbeke) was arrested after a concert for throwing his drumsticks into the crowd.

1975 - Elvis Presley had a facelift at Mid South hospital in Memphis.

1976 - Abba gave a special live performance in Stockholm for Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath on the eve of their wedding.

1977 - Fleetwood Mac went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Dreams", from their eleventh studio album Rumours, and the group's first and only U.S. No. 1 single. Nicks said she wrote the song at the Record Plant studio in Sausalito, California, in about 10 minutes. In the U.S., the song sold more than a million copies.

1977 - Johnny Rotten and Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols were stabbed and beaten when they were attacked in a parking lot by thugs who apparently objected to the Pistols' anti-monarchist song, "God Save the Queen." The next day, another member of the Pistols, Paul Cook, was beaten by a gang armed with iron pipes.

1984 - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released their debut studio album, From Her to Eternity.

1984 - Elvis Costello and the Attractions released Goodbye Cruel World. It’s his eighth with the Attractions and ninth overall. It features “I Wanna Be Loved” and “The Only Flame in Town.”

1985 - “Weird Al” Yankovic released his third studio album, Dare to Be Stupid. It features “Like a Surgeon.”

1993 - A&M Records chairman Jerry Moss and vice-chairman Herb Alpert announced they were leaving the company they founded more than 30 years earlier. In 1990, Moss and Alpert had sold A&M to Polygram Records for $500 million. The label was home to such acts as The Police, Bryan Adams, Joan Baez, Flying Burrito Brothers, The Carpenters, Joe Cocker, Supertramp and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.

1996 - Beck released his fifth studio album, Odelay. It features "Where It's At," "Devils Haircut," and "The New Pollution."

1996 - Nada Surf released their debut studio album, High/Low. It features “Popular.”

1996 - Primitive Radio Gods released their debut album, Rocket. It features "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand."

1996 - Patti Smith released her sixth studio album, Gone Again. It features “Summer Cannibals.”

2002 - Guided by Voices released their 13th studio album, Universal Truths and Cycles. It features “Everywhere with Helicopter.”

2002 - Wyclef Jean released his third studio album, Masquerade.

2007 - Art Brut released their second studio album, It’s a Bit Complicated. It features “Direct Hit.”

2010 - John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to The Beatles song, "A Day In The Life," sold for $1.2 million at an auction at Sotheby's in New York.

2010 - Sia released her fifth studio album, We Are Born. It features “Clap Your Hands.”

2010 - Eminem released his seventh studio album, Recovery.

2013 - Kanye West released his sixth studio album, Yeezus.

2013 - Mac Miller released his second studio album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off.

2013 - Sigur Rós released their seventh studio album, Kveikur, in the U.S.

2015 - Van Morrison, Cyndi Lauper and Toby Keith were among the inductees into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia was also inducted posthumously alongside the band's lyricist Robert Hunter.

2016 - Adele was named songwriter of the year at the Ivor Novello Awards, which recognizes achievement in songwriting. The singer was honored for her multi-million selling album, 25, which emerged after the artist struggled with writer's block.

2018 - Rapper XXXTentacion died due to multiple gunshot wounds at the age of 20.

2020 - English singer, songwriter and entertainer Vera Lynn died at her home in East Sussex aged 103. She was popular during the Second World War and was widely referred to as the "Forces' Sweetheart" giving outdoor concerts for the British troops overseas. The songs most associated with her are “We'll Meet Again,” and “(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover.” On their 1979 album The Wall, Pink Floyd released a song titled "Vera," referencing Vera Lynn and the song “We'll Meet Again.”

2020 - Jamaican guitarist Hux Brown died in Oakland, California, at age 75. He was featured on many successful rocksteady and reggae records in the '60s and '70s, and was later a member of Toots and the Maytals.

2021 - H.E.R. released her debut album, Back of My Mind. It features “Slide,” “Damage,” and “Come Through.”

Birthdays:

Sammy Cahn — songwriter of the Oscar-winning song “Three Coins in the Fountain,” as well as “Love and Marriage,” “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?” “Come Fly With Me,” and “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” — was born today in 1913.

Tommy Hunt, singer in the Flamingos (“I Only Have Eyes for You”), is 92.

Richard Perry — record producer who worked with Captain Beefheart, Tiny Tim, Harry Nilsson, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Ray Charles, Rod Stewart, and many more — was born today in 1942. He died on Dec. 24, 2024.

Carl Radle — bassist for Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Kris Kristofferson, George Harrison, and more — was born today in 1942.

Sir James Paul McCartney is 83. He is best-known for being a bassist and singer with The Beatles, but also for his successful solo career which is still going strong to this day as he sells out stadium shows all over the world. You can't talk about McCartney without mentioning his songwriting abilities - his song "Yesterday" alone has been covered by more than 2,200 artists, he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and has won 18 Grammys. He received appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965 and, in 1997, he was knighted for services to music.

Sandy Posey (“Born a Woman”) is 81.

Alison Moyet is 64.

Dizzy Reed, keyboardist for Guns N' Roses, is 61.

Guitarist Simon “Sice” Rowbottom of the Boo Radleys is 56.

Nathan Morris of Boys II Men is 54.

Ray LaMontagne is 52.

Country singer Blake Shelton is 49.

Music exec Scooter Braun is 44.

Josh Dun of Twenty One Pilots is 37.

Takeoff of Migos was born today in 1994.

Trippie Redd is 26.

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