History Highlight:

On this day in 1945, Debbie Harry (born Angela Trimble) was born, making her 80. Best known as the lead singer of Blondie, the band was a pioneer in the 1970s American new wave and punk scenes. Blondie’s first two albums contained strong elements of both genres, and although successful in the United Kingdom and Australia, Blondie was regarded as an underground band in the United States until the release in 1978 of Parallel Lines, an album that includes the global hit “Heart of Glass” as well as “One Way or Another.” Blondie broke further ground in 1981 with the release of the hit single, “Rapture,” which spent two weeks at No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first No. 1 hit in the United States to feature rap vocals. 

Also, Today In:

1956 - Elvis Presley appeared on NBC- TV's The Steve Allen Show and performed "Hound Dog" — to a live hound dog.

1963 - The Beatles taped "She Loves You" and "I'll Get You" at EMI Studios in London. The former would be released six weeks later, on Aug. 23, and become the group's first million-selling hit.

1968, The Band released their debut album Music From Big Pink. The music was composed partly in "Big Pink," a house shared by the Band's Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson in West Saugerties, N.Y. Many musicians have commented how Music From Big Pink profoundly affected their own writing style and career paths: Eric Clapton said it was the album that caused him to quit Cream and pursue the styles of Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos and his debut solo album; and Roger Waters has called it "the second most influential record in the history of rock and roll" after Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and that it "affected Pink Floyd deeply, deeply, deeply."

1975 - David Bowie began filming in rural Northern New Mexico in his first starring film role as The Man Who Fell To Earth.

1979 - The Sony Walkman debuts in Japan, making music portable.

1983 - Billy Bragg released his debut studio album, Life’s a Riot with Spy vs Spy. It features the singles "The Milkman of Human Kindness" and "A New England."

1983 - Wham! released their debut album, Fantastic. It features "Young Guns," "Wham Rap!," "Bad Boys," and "Club Tropicana."

1984 - St. Paul punk rock trio Hüsker Dü released their second studio album, Zen Arcade, on SST Records. Featuring guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, drummer/vocalist Grant Hart, and bassist Greg Norton, the double album’s thematics follow a young man’s journey out of an abusive home into world with plenty of its own challenges. Zen Arcade‘s 23 tracks were recorded over a 40-hour session in Redondo Beach, California. “Something I Learned Today, “Never Talking to You Again,” and “Pink Turns to Blue” endure as highlights from this critically acclaimed classic. Learn more about the band in The Current’s Do You Remember? podcast.

1985 - Clan of Xymox released their self-titled debut album.

1991 - Babes in Toyland released their first EP, To Mother. It consists of outtakes from their debut album, Spanking Machine.

1991 - The Psychedelic Furs released their seventh studio album, World Outside. It features the singles "Until She Comes" and "Don't Be a Girl."

1997 - Limp Bizkit released their debut studio album, Three Dollar Bill, Y'all. It features “Faith.”

2002 - Oasis released their fifth studio album, Heathen Chemistry. It features "The Hindu Times" and "Songbird."

2003 - Sufjan Stevens released his third studio album, Michigan.

2004 - Glen Campbell began serving 10 nights in jail along with two years of probation for a November 2003 drink-driving, hit-and-run collision. He was also sentenced to 75 hours of community service and was fined $900.

2005 - American R&B and soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross died at the age of 54 at the JFK Medical Center in New Jersey, two years after suffering a major stroke.

2009 - The week after Michael Jackson's death, The King Of Pop dominated the Top 10 of Billboard's album chart. Collectively, Jackson's solo albums sold 415,000 copies for the week, 58 percent of which were digital downloads. The week before his death, Jackson's titles sold a combined 10,000 units.

2013 - Boston guitarist Tom Scholz was ordered to pay $132,000 in court fees to the Boston Herald after he unsuccessfully sued the newspaper. The Herald had suggested that Scholz was responsible for the 2007 suicide of Boston lead singer Brad Delp, but a Superior Court judge ruled that the paper could not be held liable for defaming Scholz.

2016 - The Avalanches released their second studio album, Wildflower. It features “Frankie Sinatra” and “Subways.”

2016 - Bat for Lashes released their fourth studio album, The Bride. It features “Joe’s Dream.”

2020 - Max Crook, a pioneer of electronic music in pop, died at age 83.

Birthdays:

Blues singer and bassist Willie Dixon was born today in 1915. He passed away in 1992.

Bobby Day ("Rockin' Robin") was born today in 1930. He passed away in 1990.

Blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter James Cotton was born today in 1935. He passed away in 2017.

Delaney Bramlett — of Delaney & Bonnie, as well as collaborator with Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Jerry Lee Lewis, and more — was born today in 1939.

Fred Schneider of the B-52's is 74.

Victor Willis, lead singer and co-songwriter for the Village People, is 74.

Dan Aykroyd is 73.

Keith Whitley was born today in 1954.

Evelyn "Champagne" King is 65.

Roddy Bottum, of Faith No More and Imperial Teen, is 62.

Missy Elliott is 54.

Sufjan Stevens is 50.

Chloe Bailey is 27.

Tate McRae is 22.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.