History Highlight:

Today in 2015, Frank Turner released his sixth studio album, Positive Songs for Negative People. It features the songs “The Next Storm,” “Glorious You” and “Josephine.” In an interview at The Current the year of the album’s release, Turner said the title Positive Songs for Negative People “sounded like a good thing to call an album. It's not supposed to be a joke title. … Sad songs can make you feel better." Turner also noted the sonic shift from his preceding album, Tape Deck Heart. “The previous record, was a breakup record and that was very introspective," Turner said. "It [was] quite a sad album. [Positive Songs for Negative People] is very much about recovering from that and about the process of trying to put your life back together again. The overwhelming feelings that I wanted to convey were, first of all, relief at having survived, and then, defiance … a kind of defiant optimism despite the ruins."

Also, Today In: 

1957 - The Quarrymen played at the Cavern Club in Liverpool (without Paul McCartney who was away at Boy Scout summer camp). The Cavern was still a jazz club, but skiffle was tolerated, but when John Lennon dared to play '"Hound Dog" and "Blue Suede Shoes," the club owner sent a note to the stage that read, "Cut out the bloody rock!" 

1957 - Paul Anka made his U.S. television debut, singing "Diana" on American Bandstand. 

1964 - Reviews for the Beatles' first film A Hard Day's Night were mixed. Time summed it up as "the Beatles blow it." On the other hand, The Los Angeles Herald called it "amusing and engaging." 

1965 - Herman's Hermits went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "I'm Henry VIII I Am." The single was only released in the U.S. 

1965 - Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" was released in a "popified" version by the Turtles, featuring choral "No! No! No!" refrains in the backing vocals. 

1967 - Following two albums recorded as member of the Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa released his debut solo album, Lumpy Gravy, in which he conducts an orchestra but doesn't actually play any instruments himself in order to get around some contractual issues with Verve and MGM Records. Regardless, MGM promptly sued him. 

1971 - The Bee Gees started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart." It was the group's tenth U.S. hit and first No. 1. The Bee Gees-penned song was originally offered to Andy Williams, but ultimately the Bee Gees recorded it themselves; it was also later covered by soul singer Al Green. 

1973 - The film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar was released, based on the 1971 Broadway rock opera of the same name.

1976 - Elton John and Kiki Dee were at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," giving Elton his sixth U.S. No. 1. The song was written by Elton John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", which was apparently a pun on the expression "an horse and cart, blanche.” Fun fact: In 1977, John guest starred on The Muppet Show and performed the track with Miss Piggy. 

1980 - John Lennon began recording his final album, Double Fantasy, at The Hit Factory in New York City. It would be released on November 17 by the newly formed Geffen Records and would win the 1982 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. 

1981 - The Pretenders released their second album, Pretenders II. It features “Talk of the Town.”

1981 - The animated sci-fi film Heavy Metal was released. Although it shares its name with the hard-rock genre, the film isn't intended to have anything to do with music, but instead is an anthology of various stories from the comic magazine Heavy Metal. Almost as an afterthought, an all-star soundtrack is added, featuring songs by Sammy Hagar, Devo, Blue Öyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Journey, and Black Sabbath, to name a few. 

1982 - Fleetwood Mac started a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with "Mirage," the band's third U.S. No. 1. 

1987 - A landmark lawsuit against Ozzy Osbourne was dismissed by a Los Angeles judge. It had been contended by the parents of a teen who died by suicide that an Ozzy song, "Suicide Solution," had compelled him. 

1987 - At a Fleetwood Mac band meeting, Lindsey Buckingham became angry and quit the group, forcing them to tour without him in support of their latest album, Tango In The Night. He didn’t re-join until 1997. 

1990 - Extreme released their second studio album, Extreme II: Pornograffitti. It features “More Than Words” and “Hole Hearted.”

1990 - Deee-Lite released their debut album, World Clique. It features “Groove Is in the Heart.”

1997 - Garth Brooks played to a massive crowd in New York's Central Park, which some estimates put at 100,000. 

2001 - Usher put out his third album, 8701, the title a reference to the release date (in MDYY format). It includes two No. 1 hits: "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad." 

2001 - Harmonica player Larry Adler died aged 87. Adler is known for his performances of music by Beethoven, Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, George Gershwin and Ralph Vaughan Williams; for his collaborations with Kate Bush, Sting and Elton John; and for his own virtuoso performances.

2002 - Ween drummer Claude Coleman, Jr. fractured his back and pelvis in a car accident. The other members of Ween organized benefit shows to help cover Coleman's medical bills, and in December 2002, Coleman returned to his place behind the drum kit. 

2005 - "Walking In Memphis" singer Marc Cohn was shot in the head during an attempted carjacking in Denver, Colorado. Miraculously, he made a full recovery. 

2005 - The Showtime cable TV original series Weeds debuted. The series, about a drug-dealing suburban mom, is notable for using the song "Little Boxes," by folk artist Malvina Reynolds, as its theme song. The folk song, originally released in 1962, enjoyed a popular revival because of its inclusion in Weeds.

2007 - Okkervil River released their fourth studio album, The Stage Names.

2007 - Lily Allen had her U.S. work visa canceled after arriving at Los Angeles airport. Allen was due to tour North America in September and had flown in for the MTV Video Music Awards launch. She was held at the airport for five hours in connection with an arrest for an alleged assault in London in June. After questioning, Allen was permitted to enter the U.S. on a tourist visa until the legal matter was resolved. 

2008 - The Police wrapped up their reunion tour at New York's Madison Square Garden. Their first tour since 1986, it lasted 151 shows and finished as the third-highest grossing of all time. 

2008 - Elvis Presley's peacock jumpsuit was sold at auction for $300,000, making it the most expensive piece of Elvis memorabilia ever sold at an auction. The white outfit with a plunging V-neck and high collar featured a blue-and-gold peacock design, hand-embroidered on the front and back and along the pant legs. 

2009 - Folk singer/musician Mike Seeger (of New Lost City Ramblers) died of cancer eight days before his 76th birthday in Lexington, Virginia. 

2011 - Marshall Grant, who played bass for Johnny Cash in the Tennessee Two from 1954 to 1980, passed away at the age of 83. 

2012 - Madonna played a concert in Moscow during which she expressed support for the group Pussy Riot, who had been jailed for performing their song "Mother Of God, Putin's Run" in a Moscow cathedral. 

2015 - Mac DeMarco released the mini-LP Another One. It features "The Way You'd Love Her" and the title track.

2015 - Dr. Dre released his third studio album, Compton. It features contributions from Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, and Ice Cube.

2017 - The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society reports that a recently identified new species of ancient crocodile has been named Lemmysuchus obtusidens in honor of the Motörhead frontman. 

2019 - David Berman — frontman for the Silver Jews and Purple Mountains and former member of Pavement — died at the age of 52.

2019 - Guitarist Nicky Wonder, whose real name was Nick Walusko, a founding member of the Wondermints and a longtime member of Brian Wilson’s touring band, died in his sleep while on tour with Wilson in Buffalo, New York, at the age of 59.

2020 - Glass Animals released their third studio album, Dreamland. It features "I Don't Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)."

2021 - Dennis Thomas, singer with Kool & The Gang, died at the age of 70. 

Birthdays: 

Felice Bryant — co-writer of “Rocky Top,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” and many more — was born today in 1925.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk — jazz musician who worked with Quincy Jones and Charles Mingus, and inspired Jim Hendrix — was born today in 1935.

Singer B.J. Thomas was born today in 1942. He passed away in 2021.  

Caetano Veloso is 83.

Lana Cantrell is 82.

Country singer Rodney Crowell is 75. 

Dez Dickerson, a member of Prince’s band the Revolution, is 70. 

Bruce Dickinson is 67. He was born on August 7, 1958. The British musician, singer, songwriter, and author is best known as the lead, vocalist of Iron Maiden. As the frontman, Dickinson played a pivotal role in shaping the band's signature heavy metal sound and image, lending his powerful, operatic voice on classics like "Run to the Hills," "The Number of the Beast," and "Fear of the Dark.,"  His other career, as a commercial pilot, has also been quite successful, with Dickinson founding his own aircraft maintenance and pilot training company in 2012. He has even flown Iron Maiden’s own plane during a few world tours.  

Jacquie O'Sullivan of Bananarama is 65. 

Bluegrass banjo player Alison Brown is 63.

Ian Dench, guitarist and songwriter for EMF, is 61.

Raul Malo, lead singer of the Mavericks, is 60.

Martha Kristin Hersh was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She is 59. Over a four-decade career, Hersh has established herself as a leading voice of alternative rock while fronting bands Throwing Muses and 50 Foot Wave. Their hits include “Dizzy,” “Counting Backwards” and “Bright Yellow Gun.” She has also released a dozen solo albums, starting with the 1994 breakthrough Hips and Makers, and including 2023’s Clear Pond Road. Hersh detailed her early years of balancing motherhood and a music career in her 2010 memoir, Rat Girl, and published a follow-up called Seeing Sideways in 2021. The latter volume includes revelations about experiencing synaesthesia, which means she sees musical chords as colors.

Samantha Ronson is 48. 

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Paul Shaffer's Day in Rock, Song Facts, Rolling Stone, Flood Magazine, Culture Sonar and Wikipedia.