History Highlight:

Today in 1970, Neko Case was born, making her 55 today. Best known as an American singer-songwriter and a member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers, Case has an untrained contralto voice, which has been described by contemporaries and critics as powerful and was once referred to as a "vocal tornado" by The New York Times. Critics also note her idiosyncratic, poetic lyrics, and credit her as a significant figure in the early 21st-century American revival of the tenor guitar. Case's body of work has spanned and drawn on a range of traditions including country, folk, art rock, indie rock, and pop, and is frequently described as defying or avoiding easy generic classification. 

Also, Today In: 

1955 - Chuck Berry did the duck walk for the first time. 

1956 - Eddie Cochran signed a contract with Liberty Records. Cochran, who was born in Albert Lea, Minn., went on to give Liberty three top-40 hits over the next four years of his short life, including "Summertime Blues," "Twenty Flight Rock" and "C'mon Everybody." 

1962 - "Monster Mash," by Bobby "Boris" Pickett (providing all the voices and creating the spooky sound effects), entered the singles chart. It went on to reach No. 1 shortly before Halloween that year, and it became a perennial seasonal favorite thereafter. 

1968 - Led Zeppelin appeared at Raventlow Parken in Denmark, supported by The Beatnicks and The Ladybirds. This was the group's third-ever live gig. 

1971 - The prestigious National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' Bing Crosby Award was presented to Elvis Presley for his "creative contributions and outstanding artistic significance to the field of phonograph records." The only other artists to receive the award prior to Elvis were Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Irving Berlin. 

1978 - Blondie released their third studio album, Parallel Lines. It features the singles "Picture This," "I'm Gonna Love You Too," "Hanging on the Telephone," "Heart of Glass," "Sunday Girl," and "One Way or Another."

1978 - Wire released their second studio album, Chairs Missing. It features the singles "I Am the Fly," "Outdoor Miner," and "A Question of Degree."

1980 - Kate Bush released her third studio album, Never for Ever. It features the singles "Breathing," "Babooshka," and "Army Dreamers."

1973 - Marvin Gaye started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Let's Get It On," his second U.S. No. 1. The title track of Gaye's 1973 album Let's Get It On, it was written by Marvin Gaye and producer Ed Townsend and it was Gaye's most successful single for Motown and one of his most well-known songs. In an article for Rolling Stone magazine, music critic Jon Landau wrote of the song: "'Let's Get It On' is a classic Motown single, endlessly repeatable and always enjoyable. It begins with three great wah-wah notes that herald the arrival of a vintage Fifties melody. But while the song centers around classically simple chord changes, the arrangement centers around a slightly eccentric rhythm pattern that deepens the song's power while covering it with a contemporary veneer. Above all, it has Marvin Gaye's best singing at its center, fine background voices on the side, and a long, moody fade-out that challenges you not to play the cut again." 

1982 - Peter Gabriel released his fourth studio album, titled Security in the U.S. and Canada. 

1986 - Tina Turner released her sixth solo studio album, Break Every Rule. It features the singles "Typical Male," "Two People," "What You Get Is What You See," "Girls," "Break Every Rule," "Back Where You Started," "Paradise Is Here," and "Afterglow."

1986 - The Human League released their fifth studio album, Crash. It features the singles "Human," "I Need Your Loving," and "Love Is All That Matters."

1988 - Elton John auctioned off a number of his costumes and memorabilia for a tidy $6.2 million. 

1988 - Bad Religion return with their third album, Suffer — their first full-length in five years and one of their best-selling albums of all time. 

1990 - Jon Bon Jovi went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Blaze Of Glory." The track appeared in the motion picture Young Guns II, for which it was originally recorded. 

1992 - Tom Waits' album Bone Machine drops a sonic avalanche of apocalyptic percussion sounds, snarls, and deathly wails - and fans love him for it. It features the singles "Goin' Out West" and "I Don't Wanna Grow Up."

1992 - Screaming Trees released their sixth studio album, Sweet Oblivion. It features the singles "Nearly Lost You," "Dollar Bill," "Shadow of the Season," and "Butterfly."

1992 - Suzanne Vega released her fourth studio album, 99.9F°. It features the singles "Blood Makes Noise," "In Liverpool," "99.9F°," and "When Heroes Go Down."

1992 - Dada released their debut studio album, Puzzle. It features the singles "Dizz Knee Land," "Dorina," and "Dim."

1993 - Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) appear on stage together for the first time, performing at Club Lingerie in Los Angeles. They play "Pennyroyal Tea" and "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" 

1994 - Beastie Boys member MCA rushed the stage at the MTV VMA's when R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" beats "Sabotage". It's the first time an artist ever interrupts another winner at the VMAs. 

1997 - Cornershop released their third studio album, When I Was Born for the 7th Time. It features the singles "Brimful of Asha," "Good S**t," and "Candyman."

1997 - Travis released their debut studio album, Good Feeling. It features the singles "All I Want to Do Is Rock," "U16 Girls," "Tied to the 90's," "Happy," and "More Than Us."

1998 - Hole released their third studio album, Celebrity Skin. It features the singles "Celebrity Skin," "Malibu," and "Awful."

1998 - Everlast released his second solo studio album, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. It features the singles "What It's Like," "Painkillers," "Money (Dollar Bill)," "Ends," and "Today (Watch Me Shine)."

1999 - As part of a promotion for Apple/EMI's re-release of The Beatles' Yellow Submarine album, a cross-channel train custom-designed with artwork from the animated film left Waterloo Station in London for Paris. 

2003 - The Rapture released their debut full-length studio album, Echoes. It features the singles "House of Jealous Lovers," "Sister Saviour," and "Love Is All."

2003 - Spiritualized released their fifth studio album, Amazing Grace. It features the singles "She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit)" and "Cheapster."

2003 - David Bowie performed the first interactive concert when his performance was beamed live into 21 cinemas from Warsaw to Edinburgh. 

2006 - Justin Timberlake released his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds. It features the singles "SexyBack," "My Love," "What Goes Around... Comes Around," "Summer Love," "LoveStoned," and "Until the End of Time."

2009 - Yo La Tengo released their twelfth studio album, Popular Songs. It features the singles "Here to Fall," "Periodically Double or Triple," "Avalon or Someone Very Similar," "Nothing to Hide," and "When It's Dark."

2009 - Jay-Z released his eleventh studio album, The Blueprint 3. It features the singles "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," "Run This Town," "Empire State of Mind," "On to the Next One," "Young Forever," and "A Star Is Born."

2010 - Rich Cronin (of LFO) dies of a stroke while battling leukemia in Boston, Massuchusetts, at age 36. 

2014 - Interpol released their fifth studio album, El Pintor. It features the singles "All the Rage Back Home," "Ancient Ways," "My Desire," "Anywhere," and "Everything Is Wrong."

2016 - Jamaican singer, songwriter and producer, Prince Buster died in a hospital in Miami, Florida, after suffering heart problems. The first Jamaican to have a top 20 hit in the UK, Prince Buster defined the sound of ska in the 1960s before going on to inspire the Two Tone movement of the late '70s.

2017 - The National released their seventh studio album, Sleep Well Beast. It features the singles "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness," "Guilty Party," "Carin at the Liquor Store," “Day I Die,” and “I’ll Still Destroy You.”

2017 - Country singer Don Williams died at the age of 78.

2017 - Troy Gentry of the country music duo Montgomery Gentry dies in a helicopter crash en route to a gig in Medford, New Jersey. He was 50. 

2020 - American composer, singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, saxophonist and co-founding member of Kool & the Gang, Ronald Bell died age 68. He wrote and produced many of the Kool & the Gang's songs, including 'Celebration', 'Cherish', 'Jungle Boogie' and 'Summer Madness'. 

2020 - McDonald's introduces the Travis Scott Meal: a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Sprite, and fries with BBQ sauce. It's the first McOffering named after a celebrity since 1992, when the McJordan appeared on the menu. 

Birthdays: 

Formative country-music singer Jimmie Rodgers was born on this day in 1897. He passed in 1933. He has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Song Writers Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Harlan Howard — who co-wrote “I Fall to Pieces” with Hank Cochran — was born today in 1927.

Saxophonist Marion Brown was born today in 1931.

Pasty Cline was born on this day in 1932. She passed in 1963.

Influential blues musician Guitar Shorty was born today in 1939.

Brian Cole of the Association was born today in 1942.

Sal Valentino — lead singer of the Beau Brummels (“Laugh, Laugh,” “Just a Little”) — is 83. 

Kelly Groucutt, bassist for Electric Light Orchestra, was born today in 1945.

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan of The Grateful Dead was born on this day in 1945. He died at 27 in 1973. 

Benjamin Orr, bassist and vocalist for The Cars, was born today in 1947. 

Mick Brown — drummer for Dokken and Lynch Mob — is 69.

Michael Lardie — member of Great White and Night Ranger — is 67.

Aimee Mann, solo artist and leader of ‘Til Tuesday, is 65.

David Steele of Fine Young Cannibals and the Beat is 65.

Kennedy, former host of MTV’s Alternative Nation, is 53.

Gabrial McNair — member of No Doubt and has collaborated with Green Day — is 52. 

Troy Sanders of Mastodon is 52. 

Richard Hughes of Keane is 50.

Pink is 46.

Eric Hutchinson is 45. 

Wiz Khalifa is 38. 

Avicii was born on this day in 1989. He passed in 2018. 

Jay Weinberg of Slipknot is 35. 

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