History highlight:

Today in 2009, Camera Obscura released their fourth studio album, My Maudlin Career, on physical media (it had been made available for streaming six days earlier). To make the album, Glasgow-based Camera Obscura returned to producer Jari Haapalainen, who had produced their 2006 album, Let’s Get Out of This Country. As had been the case with the previous album, My Maudlin Career was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, and it features string and horn arrangements by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John. The cover artwork is a watercolor painted by English artist Julie Annis, who had been living and working in Scotland at the time. Camera Obscura’s lead singer and songwriter Tracyanne Campbell wrote all the songs on My Maudlin Career, which features the title track plus “French Navy” and “Honey in the Sun.” My Maudlin Career proved a milestone for Camera Obscura, as it landed at No. 37 in the U.K. album chart, and at No. 87 in the United States.

Also, today in:

1957 - Elvis Presley started an eight-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "All Shook Up." It went on to be the biggest single of 1957, selling more than two million copies.

1968 - Deep Purple made their live debut at a gig in Taastrup, Denmark.

1971 - Five friends at San Rafael High School in California coined the term "4:20" as a euphemism for smoking pot. April 20 became a popular time to spark one up, as did 4:20 p.m. Note that the Boston song "Smokin'" clocks in at four minutes and 20 seconds, and if you multiply the title numbers in Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women" (No. 12 and No. 35), you get 420, dude!

1973 - David Bowie’s sixth studio album, Aladdin Sane, was released as the follow-up to his breakthrough album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Recorded in London and New York City between legs of the Ziggy Stardust Tour, the record was Bowie's final album with the full Spiders from Mars lineup. Bowie described the album's title character, a pun on "A lad, insane," as "Ziggy Stardust goes to America." The lyrics reflect the pros of Bowie's newfound stardom and the cons of touring, and contain images of urban decay, drugs, sex, violence and death. (There remains some debate about the release date. The official release date was April 20, 1973, but because that was Good Friday that year [a public holiday in the U.K.], the album was made available in the U.K. a day earlier, on April 19.)

1974 - MFSB (Mother, Father, Sister, Brother) and the Three Degrees started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia)," featuring a lush blend of strings and horns in the Philadelphia soul style. The song, considered the first disco song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, was written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff as the theme for TV's Soul Train.

1978 - Rick James released his debut studio album, Come Get It!. It features the singles "Mary Jane” and “You and I.”

1979 - Simple Minds released their debut studio album, Life in a Day. It features the singles "Life in a Day" and "Chelsea Girl."

1980 - At age 84, actor and comedian George Burns became the oldest person to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. His song "I Wish I Was 18 Again" peaked at No. 49.

1987 - A record store in Callaway, Florida, was forced to close down, and a part-time clerk was arrested after selling a copy of 2 Live Is What We Are by 2 Live Crew to a 14-year-old boy. Officials had deemed the recording obscene because of its explicit lyrics.

1990 - Janet Jackson was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at the start of "Janet Jackson Week" in Los Angeles.

1992 - Pavement released their debut studio album, Slanted and Enchanted. It features the singles "Summer Babe" and "Trigger Cut."

1992 - "A Concert For Life" took place at Wembley Stadium in London to honor Queen singer Freddie Mercury and to raise AIDS awareness. Acts included Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), David Bowie, Mick Ronson, James Hetfield, George Michael, Seal, Paul Young, Annie Lennox, Lisa Stansfield, Robert Plant, Joe Elliott and Phil Collen of Def Leppard, and Axl Rose and Slash of Guns n' Roses.

1993 - Aerosmith released their 11th studio album, Get A Grip, which would become their best-selling album to date with sales of more than 20 million.

1993 - Primus released their third studio album, Pork Soda. It features the singles "My Name Is Mud" and "DMV."

1993 - Reverend Horton Heat released their second studio album, The Full-Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat. It features the singles "400 Bucks" and "The Devil's Chasing Me."

1993 - Shania Twain released her debut studio album, Shania Twain. It features the singles "What Made You Say That," "Dance with the One That Brought You," and "You Lay a Whole Lot of Love on Me."

1998 - Mezzanine, the third studio album from Massive Attack, is released. The album spawned four singles, "Risingson," "Teardrop," "Angel" and "Inertia Creeps."

1998 - Jimmy Page and Robert Plant released their studio album, Walking into Clarksdale. It features the single "Most High."

1998 - Boards of Canada released their debut studio album, Music Has the Right to Children. It features the singles "Aquarius" and "Roygbiv."

1999 - Tom Waits released his 13th studio album, Mule Variations. It features “Hold On.”

2000 - Robert Plant appeared at Disney's Theatre of the Stars in Orlando, Florida, to leave his handprints outside the theater.

2004 - Ghostface released his fourth studio album, The Pretty Toney Album. It features “Tush.”

2004 - Ratatat released their self-titled debut album. It features “Seventeen Years.”

2010 - The stage adaptation of Green Day's American Idiot rock opera officially opened on Broadway, a year after its debut at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California. Though it's fun to picture the band playing roles in the show, Green Day did not officially appear in the production, aside from Billie Joe Armstrong occasionally stepping in as the role of "St. Jimmy" throughout the run. The musical was nominated for Best Musical in the Tonys, and won two 2010 Tony Awards: Best Scenic Design of a Musical, and Best Lighting Design of a Musical. In 2011, the Broadway cast recording won a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.

2011 - Gerard Smith of TV On The Radio lost his battle with lung cancer. He was only 36.

2018 - Bishop Briggs released her debut studio album, Church of Scars. It features the singles "River," "White Flag," and "Dream."

2018 - Swedish DJ, remixer, and record producer Avicii died aged 28. He was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording with “Levels” at the 2013 Grammy Awards. His biggest single was 2013's “Wake Me Up.” He recorded with Wyclef Jean, Robbie Williams, Rita Ora, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA, and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day.

Birthdays:

Lionel Hampton — vibraphonist who worked with Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and Quincy Jones — was born today in 1908.

Legendary American mambo master Ernesto Antonio "Tito" Puente was born on this day in 1923. He is often credited as "The Musical Pope" and "The King Of Latin Music."

Singer-songwriter Johnny Tillotson, whose hits include 1960’s “Poetry in Motion,” was born on this day in 1938.

Craig Frost of Grand Funk Railroad is 78.

Luther Vandross was born on this day in 1951.

James Chance — of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, James Chance and the Contortions — was born today in 1953.

Actor and musician Crispin Glover, who portrayed George McFly in Back to the Future, is 62.

Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh was born today in 1972.

Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater is 59.

Carmen Electra is 54.

Stephen Marley of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers is 54.

Killer Mike is 51.

Clay Cook of Zac Brown Band is 48.

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