History Highlight:

On this day in 2011, Gotye released his third studio album, Making Mirrors. The album was produced by Gotye himself (aka Wally De Backer), and it was recorded in a studio on Gotye’s parents’ farm located on the outskirts of Melbourne. Making Mirrors most notably includes the song, "Somebody That I Used to Know,” which features vocals by New Zealand artist Kimbra and samples Brazilian musician Luis Bonfá’s 1967 instrumental work, “Seville.” “Somebody That I Used to Know” went on to be a worldwide hit, and it is considered the signature song for both Gotye and Kimbra. More recently, “Somebody That I Used to Know” was sampled by Doechii in her song, “Anxiety.”

Also, Today In:

1967 - The Beatles scored their 14th U.S. No. 1 single with "All You Need Is Love." Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, Graham Nash, Marianne Faithfull and Gary Leeds all sang backing vocals on the track.

1977 - Patti LaBelle released her self-titled debut solo album. It features “You Are My Friend.”

1979 - American rockabilly singer Dorsey Burnette died from a heart attack at his home in Canoga Park, California. He wrote “It's Late,” a hit for Ricky Nelson and Shakin' Stevens.

1980 - "The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow becomes the first rap single certified Gold. The song was released as a single in June of 1980, and it went on to sell more than half a million copies, earning it the gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also only the second 12-inch single to achieve gold certification, following “Enough is Enough” by Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand in 1979. “The Breaks” peaked at No. 87 in Billboard’s Hot 100, at No. 9 in the National Disco Top 100 (later the Dance Club Songs chart, which was discontinued in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and at No. 4 in Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart, now known as the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was later included on Kurtis Blow’s self-titled debut album, released on Sept. 29, 1980, on Mercury Records.

1988 - Patsy Cline's "Crazy" and Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" were announced as the most-played jukebox songs of the device's first 100 years. The jukebox has been around since 1906, but earlier models had been first seen in 1889.

1997 - Fleetwood Mac released the live album The Dance. It features a live performance of many of the band’s biggest hits for MTV. "Landslide," "The Chain," and "Silver Springs" were released as singles. The concert was recorded at a studio in Burbank, California, where the USC Trojan Marching Band joined the band onstage to perform on the songs “Tusk” and “Don’t Stop.”

1999 - Lauryn Hill won New Artist Of The Year and Album Of The Year at the Source Hip Hop Music Awards in Los Angeles. R. Kelly won R&B Artist of The Year; DMX won Artist Of The Year and Solo and Live Performer Of The Year.

2001 - American soul singer Betty Everett died at age 61. She had the 1964 U.S. No. 6 single, "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)," later covered by Cher (whose recording was used in the end credits of the movie Mermaids). Everett is also known for her duet "Let It Be Me" with Jerry Butler, in which Butler sings "without your sweet love, Betty, what would life be?". Having lived with her sister all her life, Everett died at her home in Beloit, Wisconsin.

2002 - New York band Interpol released their debut full-length album, Turn On the Bright Lights, in the United Kingdom; it released in the United States the following day. Recorded in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in November 2001, the album is emblematic of a post-September 11 New York City, and it is considered a canonical entry in the post-punk revival of the early 2000s, which was centered in New York. Its release also proved influential to emerging bands including the Killers, the xx, and Editors. Turn On the Bright Lights features the tracks, "PDA," "Obstacle 1" and “NYC.”

2003 - T.I. released his second studio album, Trap Muzik. It features “Rubber Band Man.”

2003 - Kings of Leon released their debut album, Youth & Young Manhood, in the United States. (It was released in the U.K. on July 7.) It features "Molly's Chambers," "Wasted Time," and "California Waiting."

2005 - Phil Lynott, the founding member, principal songwriter, lead vocalist and bassist of the band Thin Lizzy, was honored when a statue of him was unveiled in Grafton Street in Dublin, the city where Lynott grew up. The statue-dedication ceremony was attended by Lynott's mother as well as former band members Gary Moore, Eric Bell, Brian Robertson, Brian Downey, Scott Gorham and Darren Wharton. Lynott had passed away 20 years earlier at his home in London. His grave in St. Fintan's Cemetery in northeast Dublin is regularly visited by family, friends and fans.

2008 - Lady Gaga released her debut studio album, The Fame. It features “Poker Face,” “Just Dance,” and “Paparazzi.”

2008 - Ra Ra Riot released their debut album, The Rhumb Line.

2008 - Saxophonist LeRoi Moore, a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band, died aged 46. Publicist Ambrosia Healy said he died from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident in June on his Virginia farm.

2013 - Kate Bush requested fans not take any photographs or video using mobile devices at her 22-date run of performances in London. Posting on her website, Bush wrote: "I very much want to have contact with you as an audience, not with iPhones, iPads or cameras." She repeated the request before a string of London dates in 2014.

2016 - Record producer Lou Pearlman died at age 62 from cardiac arrest. He was the manager of successful 1990s boy bands such as Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. In 2006, he was accused of running one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in history, leaving more than $300 million in debts. After being apprehended, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy, money laundering, and making false statements during a bankruptcy proceeding. In 2008, Pearlman was convicted and sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.

2016 - Frank Ocean released the visual album Endless.

2019 - Bassist Larry Taylor died at age 77. He was best-known as a member of Canned Heat. Before joining Canned Heat, Taylor had been a session bassist for The Monkees and for Jerry Lee Lewis. He was the younger brother of Mel Taylor, longtime drummer of The Ventures.

Birthdays:

Ginger Baker, founder and drummer in Cream, was born on this day in 1939.

Songwriter Roger Cook, who co-wrote “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” with Roger Greenway, is 86. In 1971, the original song was rewritten by Cook and Greenway along with Billy Davis and advertising executive Bill Backer of McCann Erickson as “Buy the World a Coke” for a TV commercial for Coca-Cola. The song became so popular, it was recorded and released as a full-length version and became a hit in both the U.S. and U.K.

Singer and songwriter Johnny Nash, best known for his 1972 hit, “I Can See Clearly Now,” was born on this day in 1940. Nash’s song enjoyed second lives thanks to inclusion in TV commercials for glass-cleaning solution Glass Plus and for Children’s Claritin allergy medicine.

Billy J. Kramer, of the Dakotas, is 83.

Eddy Raven is 82.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple is 81.

John Deacon was born, making him 75 years old today. He is best known for being the bassist for the rock band Queen. He composed several songs for the group, including Top 10 hits You're My Best Friend, Another One Bites the Dust, and I Want to Break Free; co-wrote Under Pressure, Friends Will Be Friends and One Vision, and he was involved in the band's financial management. He joined Queen in 1971 on the strength of his musical and electronic skills, particularly the homemade Deacy Amp which guitarist Brian May used to create guitar orchestras throughout Queen's career. As well as bass, Deacon played some guitar, keyboards and piano on Queen's studio work. After the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1991 and the following year's Tribute Concert, Deacon performed only sporadically with the remaining members of Queen before retiring from the music industry in 1997.

Ivan Neville is 67.

Joey Tempest of Europe is 63.

Lee Ann Womack is 60.

Nate Dogg was born today in 1969. He passed away in 2011.

Clay Walker is 57.

Fat Joe is 56.

Regine Chassagne of Arcade Fire is 50.

Michael Todd of Coheed and Cambria is 46.

Missy Higgins is 43.

Christina Perri is 40.

Lil' Romeo is 35.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Song Facts, Discogs and Wikipedia.