History highlight:

Today in 2008, Prince concluded a legendary performance at the Coachella Festival in Indio, California (which, strictly speaking, began on April 26 at 11 p.m. local time but easily stretched into today’s date). Although not part of the original 2008 lineup announcement in January, organizers announced that Prince would headline night two of Coachella just weeks before the festival began. Prince’s set included several of his much-loved songs, including “1999,” “Controversy,” “Little Red Corvette,” “Cream” and “U Got the Look.” He also surprised the audience with special guests, including Morris Day and the Time, who helped Prince open the set with “The Bird” and “Jungle Love.” Sheila E. also joined Prince onstage for a performance of “The Glamorous Life.” Prince continued to surprise the Coachella audience with a large number of wide-ranging covers, including three Santana tunes, as well as the B-52s’ “Rock Lobster,” Radiohead’s “Creep,” Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” and the Beatles’ “Come Together.” For his encore, Prince left it all on the stage, delighting the Coachella crowd with “Purple Rain” and “Let’s Go Crazy.”

Also, today in:

1963 - Little Peggy March started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "I Will Follow Him." At 15 years, one month and 13 days old, Little Peggy March became the youngest female singer to have a U.S. No. 1 record.

1968 - Dance to the Music, the second studio album from Sly & the Family Stone, was released.

1969 - Joe Cocker made his U.S. television debut, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS. Together with the Grease Band, Cocker performed a cover of Dave Mason's "Feelin' Alright."

1976 - After a trip to Moscow, David Bowie was detained on a train at the Poland-Russian border by customs officers who didn't appreciate his collection of Nazi books and mementos. Bowie claimed he was researching a film on Joseph Goebbels, and he was released after a few hours.

1979 - Iggy Pop released his third solo studio album, New Values. It features the singles "I'm Bored" and "Five Foot One."

1981 - Ringo Starr married actress and one-time "Bond girl" Barbara Bach. The pair met while filming the movie Caveman with Dennis Quaid and Shelley Long. Married to this day, Starr and Bach have homes in England, in California and in Monte Carlo.

1983 - The B-52’s released their third studio album, Whammy!. It features the singles "Legal Tender," "Whammy Kiss," and "Song for a Future Generation."

1985 - USA For Africa started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. chart with "We Are The World." The song was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and it’s one of fewer than 30 all-time physical singles to have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide. It won three Grammys, one American Music Award, and a People's Choice Award and included artists such as Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Bette Midler, and oddly enough, Dan Aykroyd. The story of the recording is captured in the 2024 Netflix documentary, The Greatest Night in Pop.

1987 - R.E.M. released their compilation album, Dead Letter Office. It features the singles "Superman" and "Can't Get There from Here."

1987 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their seventh studio album, Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough). It features the singles "Jammin’ Me" and "Runaway Trains."

1988 - Poison released their second studio album, Open Up and Say... Ahh!. It features the singles "Nothin’ But a Good Time," "Fallen Angel," "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," and "Your Mama Don’t Dance."

1992 - XTC released their 12th studio album, Nonsuch. It features the singles "The Disappointed" and "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead."

1992 - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released their seventh studio album, Henry’s Dream. It features the singles "Straight to You" and "I Had a Dream, Joe."

1993 - Porno for Pyros released their self-titled debut album. It features “Pets.”

1993 - The Posies released their third studio album, Frosting on the Beater. It features the singles "Dream All Day," "Solar Sister," and "Flavor of the Month."

1994 - The Smashing Pumpkins and American Music Club performed at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium for the reopening of the legendary rock venue.

1996 - Oasis played the first of two nights at Manchester City's former stadium, Maine Road, as a thank-you to fans. The 80,000 tickets sold out in hours.

1999 - Ben Folds Five released their third studio album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. It features “Army.”

2002 - For the first time since 1963, there were no British acts in the U.S. Hot 100.

2003 - Iggy Pop reunited with the Stooges for the first time in 30 years to close out the Coachella festival. Originally formed in 1967 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Stooges sold few records in their original incarnation, and they often performed for indifferent or hostile audiences, but they’re nevertheless widely regarded as instrumental in the rise of punk rock, as well as influential to alternative rock, heavy metal and rock music at large. The Stooges' breakup in 1974 was followed by Iggy Pop's successful solo career, launched in 1976 and begun with the albums The Idiot and Lust for Life. Following their Coachella reunion, Iggy and the Stooges spent the years spanning 2003 and 2008 touring extensively, playing concerts on five different continents. In 2010, the Stooges were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

2004 - Loretta Lynn released her 42nd solo studio album, Van Lear Rose. It features “Portland Oregon.”

2005 - Robyn released her self-titled fourth album. It features "Konichiwa Bitches."

2006 - Keith Richards fell out of a palm tree while vacationing in Fiji and went to the hospital with a concussion, creating a rare news event on the island.

2010 - Gogol Bordello released their fifth album, Trans-Continental Hustle.

2012 - Marina and the Diamonds released their second studio album, Electra Heart. It features the singles "Primadonna," "Power & Control," and "How to Be a Heartbreaker."

2012 - Bob Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama, which is the highest honor awarded to a United States civilian citizen. Dylan was only the 29th musician to receive the award. Previous recipients to that date included Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and Irving Berlin.

2015 - Blur released their eighth studio album, The Magic Whip. It features “Go Out” and “Lonesome Street.”

2016 - Beyoncé kicked off her Formation Tour with a show in Miami. Her first solo stadium tour, it featured new tracks from her album Lemonade and new takes on many of her old hits.

2018 - Janelle Monáe released Dirty Computer, a visionary concept album that went on to be nominated for Album of the Year at the 61st Grammy Awards. It features “Make Me Feel” and “I Like That.”

2018 - Post Malone released his second studio album, Beerbongs & Bentleys. It features the singles "Rockstar," "Psycho," "Better Now," and "Ball for Me."

2020 - R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and jazz singer and songwriter Young Jessie died at age 83. He recorded as Young Jessie in the 1950s and 1960s, and was known for his solo career, work with the Flairs and a brief stint in the Coasters. He later performed and recorded jazz as Obie Jessie.

Birthdays:

Casey Kasem was born on this day in 1932.

Session drummer Jim Keltner — whose credits include recordings for John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Harry Nilsson, Bob Dylan, Traveling Wilburys, and many more — is 84.

Cuba Gooding Sr., lead singer of the Main Ingredient, was born today in 1944.

Herb Pedersen — guitarist who has worked with John Prine, Jackson Browne, the Doobie Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and many others — is 82.

Pete Ham of Badfinger was born today in 1947.

Ann Peebles (1973 hit single "I Can't Stand The Rain") is 79.

Kate Pierson of The B-52s is 78.

Paul "Ace" Frehley of Kiss was born today in 1951. He died on Oct. 16, 2025.

Sheena Easton is 67.

Marco Pirroni — guitarist and producer who has worked with Adam Ant, Sinead O’Connor, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and more — is 67.

Supergrass keyboard player Rob Coombes is 54.

Isobel Campbell, formerly of Belle & Sebastian, is 50.

Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy is 42.

Lizzo is 38. She was born Melissa Viviane Jefferson in Detroit and moved to Houston, but we like to claim her as our own in Minnesota, as this is where her career took off while she performed in groups such as Lizzo & the Larva Ink, the Chalice and GRRRL PRTY. Her debut album Lizzobangers was released on Totally Gross National Product in 2013, followed by Big Grrrl Small World in 2015. Her first major-label EP, Coconut Oil, was released in 2016. Her world exploded into mainstream success with 2019's Cuz I Love You, especially as the deluxe version of the album included her 2017 single “Truth Hurts," which became a viral sleeper hit thanks to a placement in the Netflix movie Someone Great.

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