History Highlight:

Today in 1985, Robert Palmer released his eighth studio album, Riptide. Released on the Island Records imprint, the album was coincidentally recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas. Riptide was hailed as Palmer’s pop breakthrough, and it includes three singles that landed in the Top 40 in the United States: "Discipline of Love," “Addicted to Love” and "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On." The latter two songs each have interesting side plots; “Addicted to Love” was originally imagined by Palmer as a duet for him and Chaka Khan, but Khan couldn’t get a release from her record label to appear on Palmer’s album. “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On,” meanwhile, was written by Minneapolis superproducers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and it was originally recorded and released in 1984 by R&B singer Cherelle. Whereas Cherelle’s version performed very well in the R&B charts, peaking at No. 8 in the U.S., Palmer’s cover did better in the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 2 in 1986.

Also, Today In:

1957 - Jackie Wilson made his U.S. chart debut with "Reet Petite."

1961- Bob Dylan plays to a crowd of 53 at his Carnegie Hall debut, his first concert outside of the Greenwich Village scene. The show takes place in the smaller Chapter Hall auditorium.

1963 - The Beatles appeared on London's U.K. Royal Variety Show. The show was attended by the Queen Mother. This was the famous show where John Lennon thanked the audience for the applause and made the quip about those in the front row just "rattling your jewelry."

1968 - Rock's first supergroup, Cream (featuring Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker) played their final gig on U.S. soil on Long Island.

1972 - With reggae catching fire in America, "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash (an American singer) hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, becoming the first reggae tune to top the chart. Primarily a reggae and pop singer, Nash was one of the first non-Jamaican artists to record reggae music in Kingston. Nash started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with his only U.S. chart topper. In the 1980s, Nash's song was used in a television advertisement for Glass Plus window-cleaning solution.

1977 - Ramones released their third studio album, Rocket to Russia. It features the singles "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker," "Rockaway Beach," and "Do You Wanna Dance?"

1977 - Rod Stewart released his eighth studio album, Foot Loose & Fancy Free. It features the singles "You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)," "Hot Legs," "I Was Only Joking," and "You Keep Me Hangin' On."

1978 - Boston plays in the city of Boston for the first time, a sold-out show at the Boston Garden.

1978 - Linda Ronstadt's LP Living In The USA hits No. 1.

1983 - Paul Simon releases Hearts and Bones, his sixth solo album. The title track is about his new bride, the actress Carrie Fisher.

1984 - Prince played the first of seven nights at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit at the start of his 87-date North American Purple Rain tour. The outing marked the live debut of his new band The Revolution. The band officially disbanded in 1986 after the Hit n Run - Parade Tour, which supported Parade, the soundtrack for Under the Cherry Moon.

1985 - The Clash released their sixth and final studio album, Cut the Crap. It features “This Is England.”

1986 - The Pretenders released their fourth studio album, Get Close. It features the singles "Don't Get Me Wrong," "Hymn to Her," and "My Baby."

1986 - They Might Be Giants released their debut studio album, They Might Be Giants. It features the singles "Don't Let's Start" and "(She Was A) Hotel Detective."

1988 - Talk Is Cheap by Keith Richards and his X-pensive Winos cracked the Top 30 album chart.

1988 - The U2 documentary Rattle And Hum opens worldwide.

1989 - Roxette scored their second U.S. No. 1 single with "Listen To Your Heart."

1991- Irish alt rockers My Bloody Valentine release Loveless, an album that defined the shoegazing genre.

1993 - Depeche Mode's Martin Gore was arrested at the Denver Westin Hotel after refusing to turn down his music.

1994 - Fred "Sonic" Smith (of The Sonics, MC5), plagued by poor health, dies of heart failure at age 45.

1996 - Spice Girls released their debut studio album, Spice. It features the singles "Wannabe," "Say You'll Be There," "2 Become 1," "Mama," and "Who Do You Think You Are."

1996 - Aphex Twin released his fourth studio album, Richard D. James Album. It features the tracks "4" and "Girl/Boy Song."

1997 - Shania Twain released her third studio album, Come On Over. It features the singles "Love Gets Me Every Time," "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)," "You're Still the One," "From This Moment On," "When," "Honey, I'm Home," "That Don't Impress Me Much," "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," "You've Got a Way," "Come On Over," "Rock This Country!," and "I'm Holdin' On to Love (To Save My Life)"

1997 - The live compilation album Tibetan Freedom Concert, recorded at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in New York City, was released. It features performances by Radiohead, U2, Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Beastie Boys, Björk, Rage Against the Machine, and many others.

1997 - Jane's Addiction released the compilation album Kettle Whistle. It features new, alternate, unreleased, and live tracks including "Kettle Whistle," "So What!," "Jane Says" (live), and "My Cat's Name Is Maceo."

1997 - Jay-Z released his second studio album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. It features the singles "(Always Be My) Sunshine," "The City Is Mine," and "Wishing on a Star."

2003 - Skid Row's Sebastian Bach started his recurring role on Gilmore Girls in the episode "The Festival of Living Art," as a guitarist who joins Lane Kim's band.

2008 - Q-Tip released his second studio album, The Renaissance. It features the singles "Gettin' Up," "Move," and "Life Is Better."

2016 - Jim James released his second solo album, Eternally Even. It features the singles "Same Old Lie" and "Here in Spirit."

2016 - Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions released their third studio album, Until the Hunter. It features the singles "Isn't It True" and "Let Me Get There."

2016 - Common released his eleventh studio album, Black America Again. It features the singles "Love Star" and "Black America Again."

2016 - Alicia Keys released her sixth studio album, Here. It features the singles "In Common" and "Blended Family (What You Do for Love)."

2016 - Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani lent their voices to the animated film Trolls. Timberlake plays Branch, a paranoid troll who's in love with a princess, while Stefani is resident disc jockey DJ Suki.

Birthdays:

Country and blues singer-songwriter Delbert McClinton, who won a Grammy for his 1991 duet with Bonnie Raitt, “Good Man, Good Woman,” is 85.

Chris Difford of Squeeze is 71. Together with fellow Londoner and bandmate Glenn Tilbrook, Difford has co-written songs for Squeeze, including “Up The Junction,” “Cool For Cats,” “Labelled With Love,” “Tempted” and “Black Coffee” and “Pulling Mussels (From The Shell).” Beyond Squeeze, Difford has hosted songwriting retreats for more than 30 years, including with the Buddy Holly Foundation’s outreach in Somerset in the South West of England, as well as in prisons and rehab programs. Difford’s autobiograhy, Some Fantastic Place, was published in 2017.

Tom Greenhalgh of the Mekons is 69

James Honeyman-Scott, guitarist for The Pretenders, was born today in 1956.

Wayne Static of Static-X was born today in 1965.

Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Gregory Porter is 54.

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