History Spotlight:

On this day in 1996, Semisonic released their debut studio album, Great Divide. Semisonic, who were originally called Pleasure, were formed in 1993 by Dan Wilson and John Munson, formerly of Trip Shakespeare, and drummer Jacob Slichter. Semisonic had originally been signed to Elektra Records to record Great Divide, but a leadership shakeup at Elektra resulted in Semisonic being dropped from the label. MCA Records scooped up Semisonic and the album was completed and released on that label. Recorded at American Recording Co. in Calabasas, California, and produced by Paul Fox, Great Divide features the songs “F.N.T. (Fascinating New Thing),” “If I Run,” "Down in Flames," "Brand New Baby," and "Delicious." The song “F.N.T.” would go on to feature in the soundtrack of the 1999 comedy film, 10 Things I Hate About You.

Also, Today In:

1860 - An anonymous vocalist sang "Au Claire De La Lune" to Parisian inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville, who made the first known and oldest surviving recording of the human voice.

1966 - The Righteous Brothers started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "You're My Soul And Inspiration."

1966 - A pair of soon-to-become soul classics were released on this day: Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman" and Jr. Walker And The All Stars' "(I'm A) Road Runner."

1973 - Paul McCartney released "My Love," a slightly syrupy ballad which would become his biggest U.S. solo hit to date, staying at No. 1 for four weeks.

1973 - Queen made their debut performance at the Marquee Theater in London.

1977 - Abba went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Dancing Queen,” the group's seventh U.S. Top 40 hit and first No. 1.

1982 - A Flock of Seagulls released their debut studio album, A Flock of Seagulls. It features the singles "I Ran (So Far Away)," "Space Age Love Song," and "Telecommunication."

1983 - David Bowie was at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with the title track from his latest album Let's Dance, his fourth U.K. No. 1. Featuring blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, “Let's Dance" was a U.S. No. 1 hit as well, making it Bowie's first single to reach number one on both sides of the Atlantic.

1984 - R.E.M. released their second studio album, Reckoning. It features "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" and "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville." There was reportedly pressure from R.E.M.’s label I.R.S. Records to take a more commercial direction with the material, but messages sent to producers Don Dixon and Mitch Easter during the sessions in North Carolina were ignored. The album received near-universal critical acclaim, was a hit at college radio, and peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard 200 chart.

1985 - Frankie Goes to Hollywood opened a European tour in Copenhagen, then spent the rest of the year in tax exile from the United Kingdom.

1988 - Billy Ocean started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car."

1988 - Soul singer Dave Prater of Sam & Dave died at age 50 in a single car accident in Georgia. He was in the duo from 1961 until his death in 1988. He is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame (for the song "Soul Man"), the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and he was a Grammy Award-winning and multiple Gold Record award-winning recording artist.

1991 - Crash Test Dummies released their debut studio album, The Ghosts That Haunt Me. It features the singles "Superman's Song" and "The Ghosts That Haunt Me," alongside a cover of the Replacements’ “Androgynous.”

1997 - Amidst personal tensions between its band members, Soundgarden announced their breakup, which lasted 13 years until they decided to reunite.

1999 - Faith Hill began her first headlining tour ("This Kiss") in Minneapolis.

1999 - Bruce Springsteen began his first tour with the E Street Band since 1988 with a concert in Barcelona. The tour lasted until July 2000, a total of 132 shows.

2002 - Patty Griffin released her third studio album, 1000 Kisses. It features the singles "Rain" and "Chief."

2006 - Former Smiths singer Morrissey went to No. 1 on the U.K. album chart with his eighth solo album, Ringleader Of The Tormentors.

2007 - Bright Eyes released their eighth studio album, Cassadaga. It features the singles "Four Winds" and "Hot Knives."

2008 - Elton John played a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, bringing in about $2.5 million. In 2013, Clinton was honored by the Elton John AIDS Foundation for her support of gay rights.

2009 - Randy Cain, founding member of soul group The Delfonics, died at his home in Maple Shade, New Jersey, at the age of 63. The Philadelphia group, whose hits include "La-La (Means I Love You)", won an R&B Grammy in 1970 for their song "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time."

2013 - Jake Bugg released his debut studio album, Jake Bugg. It features the singles "Trouble Town," "Country Song," "Lightning Bolt," "Taste It," "Two Fingers," "Seen It All," and "Broken." (This was the U.S. release following the U.K. release on Oct. 15, 2012.)

2016 - Fleetwood Mac announced that Lindsey Buckingham had been fired from the band and would be replaced by Crowded House's Neil Finn and Mike Campbell, former lead guitarist of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, on their upcoming tour. Describing Lindsey's departure as bittersweet, Stevie Nicks stated: "Our relationship has always been volatile."

2021 - Taylor Swift released Fearless (Taylor’s Version), a re-recording of her 2008 album Fearless. It includes updated versions of the original tracks along with six previously unreleased songs “from the vault,” such as “You All Over Me” and “Mr. Perfectly Fine.”

2021 - Rapper Earl “DMX” Simmons died at the age of 50 in White Plains, New York.

Birthdays:

Music parody artist and mathematician Tom Lehrer was born today in 1928. He died on July 26, 2025

Today in 1932, one of the most underrated country/rockabilly stars, Carl Perkins, was born. Perkins' songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Johnny Cash, among others. A few of his best-known songs are "Blue Suede Shoes", "Matchbox" and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby". Paul McCartney once claimed that "if there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles."

Steve Gadd — drummer for Paul Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, and more — is 80.

Country singer Hal Ketchum was born today in 1953.

Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance is 49.

Albert Hammond, Jr. is 46. Well known as a longtime member of highly influential New York City rock band the Strokes, Hammond Jr. has also released five albums and an EP under his own name, including 2006’s Yours to Keep, 2015’s Momentary Masters and 2023’s Melodies on Hiatus. Born in Los Angeles to singer-songwriter Albert Hammond (best known for the song “It Never Rains in Southern California”) and fashion model Claudia Fernández, Albert Hammond Jr. spent part of his high school years at a boarding school in Switzerland, where he befriended Julian Casablancas, the founder and lead singer of the Strokes. Hammond Jr. moved to New York City to attend NYU, where he reconnected with Casablancas and joined the lineup of the Strokes in 1999.

Jesse McCartney is 39.

Jazmine Sullivan is 39.

Lil Nas X is 27.

Jackie Evancho is 26.

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