History Highlight:

Today in 2015, Khruangbin released their debut studio album, The Universe Smiles Upon You. The Houston trio — bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson and guitarist Mark Speer — recorded the album with engineer Steve Christensen in a barn in a small town in east Texas. The music reflects the band’s many influences, which include surf rock, the soundtracks to Quentin Tarantino films, and most importantly, Thai pop, rock and funk (the band’s name, which is Thai for “airplane,” also shows their fascination with Thailand culture). The album was a critical success and boosted Khruangbin’s career, leading them to opening slots for artists including Chicano Batman, Father John Misty, Tycho and Massive Attack. Tracks on The Universe Smiles Upon You include “White Gloves,” “Balls and Pins” and “People Everywhere (Still Alive).” The band marked the 10th anniversary of the album by releasing a surprise, reworked version of the album, The Universe Smiles Upon You ii, available immediately via digital platforms with physical media releasing December 5.

Today In: 

1961 - Jimmy Dean started a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Big Bad John." 

1965 - The Rolling Stones started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Get Off Of My Cloud," their second top single in America. 

1967 - During a three-hour session Bob Dylan recorded "All Along The Watchtower" and "John Wesley Harding" at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville. 

1968 - The Monkees movie Head was released. The studio that commissioned the film expected something light and funny but got a trippy commentary on the manipulation of The Monkees, complete with a scene where the group jumps to their death off a bridge. The film bombed when it was released, but later became a cult classic. Some guest appearances in the movie include Victor Mature, Nicholson, Teri Garr, Carol Doda, Annette Funicello, Frank Zappa, Sonny Liston, Timothy Carey, Percy Helton, Ray Nitschke, Dennis Hopper and film choreographer Toni Basil (who scored a massive pop hit in 1982 with “Mickey”). 

1970 - Aerosmith performed their first-ever gig when they played at Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon, Massachusetts. They went on to become the best-selling American hard rock band of all time, selling over 150 million albums worldwide. They also hold the record for the most gold and multi-platinum albums by an American group. 

1971 - Isaac Hayes' soundtrack LP Shaft hit No. 1. 

1972 - During a U.K. tour, Billy Murcia of The New York Dolls died after choking on his coffee following a drug overdose. 

1973 - Gram Parsons' manager, Phil Kaufman, was fined $300 for stealing Parsons' body from the Los Angeles International Airport, contrary to Parsons' family's wishes to deliver the body to Louisiana for a funeral. Parsons' remains were eventually buried in Garden of Memories Cemetery near New Orleans. 

1975 - The Sex Pistols made their live debut at St Martin's School Of Art in central London, supporting a band called Bazooka Joe, which included Stuart Goddard (the future Adam Ant). The Pistols' performance lasted 10 minutes. 

1976 - The Steve Miller Band went to No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Rock'n Me," the group's second No. 1 hit. 

1976 - Blue Öyster Cult landed their biggest hit as "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" peaked at No. 12 in the U.S. The song is about reuniting with loved ones in the afterlife. Twenty-four years later, the song soundtracked one of Saturday Night Live’s most popular sketches, “More Cowbell,” which aired April 8, 2000, and features Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken.

1979 - Running on a platform that includes making businessmen wear clown suits, Jello Biafra of the punk band Dead Kennedys comes in fourth in his run for mayor of San Francisco. Dianne Feinstein is the winner. 

1979 - Paul Simon kicks off his latest British tour at London's Hammersmith Odeon by offering to buy everyone in the audience a drink. The tab comes to about $2,000. 

1981 - Adam and the Ants released their third and final studio album, Prince Charming. It features the singles "Stand and Deliver," "Prince Charming," and "Ant Rap."

1981 - The Cars released their fourth studio album, Shake It Up. It features the singles "Shake It Up," "Since You're Gone," "Victim of Love," "Think It Over," and "I'm Not the One."

1982 - The Soft Cell hit, "Tainted Love," logged a record 43 weeks on Britain's Top 100. 

1982 - The Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes song "Up Where We Belong," from the film An Officer And A Gentleman, went No. 1 in America. 

1990 - Madonna releases "Justify My Love," which stirred controversy when MTV banned the video. The drama piqued interest in the song, which became her ninth No. 1 hit in the U.S. 

1990 - Trash Can Sinatras released their debut studio album, Cake.

1990 - Whitney Houston released her third studio album, I’m Your Baby Tonight. It features the title track, “All the Man That I Need,” “Miracle,” “My Name Is Not Susan,” “I Belong to You,” and “We Didn’t Know.”

1992 - Rage Against the Machine released their debut studio album, Rage Against the Machine. It features the singles "Killing in the Name," "Bullet in the Head," "Bombtrack," and "Freedom."

1993 - Pearl Jam went to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Vs, selling 950,378 copies in one week. 

1993 - Meat Loaf hits No. 1 in America with "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)." The version that opens his album Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell is over 12-minutes long, but the single is cut to 5:13. 

1995 - Queen release Made In Heaven, an album pieced together from recordings made before Freddie Mercury's 1991 death. It debuts at No. 1 in the U.K. 

1999 - Bill Miller takes home top honors at the second annual Native American Music Awards, presented at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque. Miller wins five honors, including artist of the year, songwriter, male artist, and song ("Ghostdance"). 

2000 - Madonna played her first show in eight years when she performed a short 20-minute set at New York's Roseland Ballroom. Madonna wore a tight black vest bearing the sequinned name of 18 year-old Britney Spears. 

2001 - Less than a year after the breakup of the Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan re-emerged with a new band called Zwan. The new Chicago combo featured former Pumpkins' drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. 

2003 - Justin Timberlake wins for Best Male Artist, Best Pop Act and Best Album (Justified) at the 10th annual MTV Europe Music Awards. 

2005 - The Four Seasons musical Jersey Boys opened on Broadway to rave reviews. 

2006 - The Long Blondes released their debut studio album, Someone to Drive You Home. It features the singles "Weekend Without Makeup," "Giddy Stratospheres," "Once and Never Again," and "Separated by Motorways."

2007 - Jay-Z released his tenth studio album, American Gangster. It features the singles "Blue Magic," "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)...," and "I Know."

2007 - Country singer Hank Thompson, whose life inspired the 1987 Thomas Cobb novel Crazy Heart and the 2009 Jeff Bridges film of the same name, dies of lung cancer at age 82. 

2007 - Meat Loaf canceled his European tour after being diagnosed with a cyst on his vocal cords. The 60-year-old had already scrapped two gigs on doctor's orders. Speculation had surrounded the tour after he cut short a gig in Newcastle, telling the audience it is "the last show I may ever do in my life". 

2008 - Thanks to internet voting, Rick Astley won Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Music Awards. "We've been well and truly Rickrolled," the show's producer says. 

2012 - Living up to their name, The Civil Wars cancel the rest of their tour dates after a performance in London, citing "internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition." They release one more album but never perform again. 

2013 - Lady Gaga released her third studio album, Artpop. It features the singles "Applause," "Do What U Want," and "G.U.Y."

2014 - Taylor Swift's album 1989 debuted at No. 1 on America's Billboard albums chart, selling 1.287 million copies in its first week. 

2014 - Rick Rosas died at age 65. He was one of the most sought-after studio session musicians in Los Angeles. Throughout his career, he played with Neil Young, Joe Walsh, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ron Wood and many others. 

2015 - Grimes released her fourth studio album, Art Angels. It features “Flesh Without Blood” and “Kill V. Maim.”

2018 - English cellist Hugh McDowell died of cancer at age 65. McDowell performed with the first live line-up of ELO in 1972 while only 19 years old. He also worked with Roy Wood in Wizzard. 

2020 - System Of A Down released two songs - "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz" - supporting their home country of Armenia in a war that has broken out in the region. It's the first new material from the band since their album Hypnotize in 2005. 

2020 - Rapper King Von died at the age of 26 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Birthdays: 

Influential singer-songwriter Guy Clark was born today in 1941. “Hashtag,” a song on Gillian Welch and David Rawlings’ 2024 album Woodland, is a tribute to Clark.

Doug Sahm, leader of the Sir Douglas Quintet (“She’s About a Mover”), was born today in 1941.

George Young of The Easybeats was born today in 1946. 

Glenn Frey of The Eagles was born today in 1948. 

Greg Graffin of Bad Religion is 61. Graffin and his friends formed Bad Religion in Los Angeles in 1980, when they were still in high school. In 1994, Bad Religion released the album Stranger Than Fiction, on which appear some of their best-known songs, including the title track, “Infected,” and “21st Century (Digital Boy).” After experiencing a decline in the latter half of the 1990s, Bad Religion enjoyed a major comeback in the 2000s when they racked up three Top 40 hits: "Sorrow", "Los Angeles Is Burning", and "The Devil in Stitches." In 2013, their album True North peaked at No. 19 in the Billboard 200. Their 17th studio album, Age of Unreason, was released in 2019. Beyond his work in Bad Religion, Greg Graffin holds a PhD in zoology from Cornell University and has lectured at universities.

Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big is 59. 

Ben Rector is 39.

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