History Highlight:

Today in 1976, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their debut studio album, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Recorded and mixed at Shelter Studio in Hollywood, California, the album didn’t gain much traction upon its release in the U.S.; in the U.K., however, it made quite a splash, particularly after Petty and the band performed “Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” on the TV series Top of the Pops. The album sold well there, and a subsequent British tour proved successful. Eventually, word trickled back to the United States, and the song “Breakdown” was re-released as a single in 1978, making it into the Top 40. Eventually, the album would peak at No. 55 on the Billboard U.S. album chart, and it would go on to be certified Gold. In addition to the songs cited above, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers features the singles "American Girl" and "Rockin' Around (With You)."

Also, Today In:

1955 - The Everly Brothers made their first studio recordings, cutting four tracks in 22 minutes, at Nashville's Old Tulane Hotel studios.

1958 - Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" exceeded sales of three million copies in the United States, becoming the first non-holiday single to sell that many. Until "Hound Dog," the only other singles to sell more than three million copies were Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and Gene Autry's "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer."

1959 - Sam Cooke was guaranteed $100,000 (about $1.2 million in 2026 dollars) by RCA Victor if he chose to leave Keen Records, his label at the time. Cooke went on to sign with RCA in January of 1960.

1961 - Brian Epstein saw The Beatles perform live for the first time during a lunchtime session at The Cavern in Liverpool. Epstein later became the group's manager.

1962 - The Miracles released "You've Really Got A Hold On Me."

1967 - In a battle of egos, The Byrds's Roger McGuinn booted David Crosby from the group. Gene Clark replaced Crosby, who went on to form Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

1967 - The first issue of Rolling Stone magazine was published in San Francisco. It featured a photo of John Lennon on the cover, and it came with a free roach clip to hold a marijuana joint. The name of the magazine was inspired by three sources: the Muddy Waters song, the first rock 'n' roll record by Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones.

1969 - Simon and Garfunkel recorded one of their most famous songs, “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Featuring lead vocals by Art Garfunkel, the lush ballad was a global smash, topping the charts in the U.K., Canada, Indonesia, France, and the U.S., where it remained at No. 1 for six weeks. The following year, it won five Grammy Awards. Over the decades, it has become one of history’s most-covered songs, with recordings by Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash, among dozens of others.

1970 - Badfinger released the album No Dice in the U.S. The song "No Matter What" became a hit for the group, but another song on the album, "Without You," became a much bigger hit when Harry Nilsson covered it.

1971 - Carly Simon attended James Taylor's concert at Carnegie Hall and met him backstage. They went out together that night, became inseparable, and married a year later (although they would divorce in 1983).

1973 - Billy Joel released his second album, Piano Man. The title track, based on his nights performing at a piano bar in Los Angeles called The Executive Room, became his first hit when it peaked at No. 25 in the U.S.

1974 - Carole King's album Wrap Around Joy, featuring the hit "Jazzman," went on to No. 1 in the U.S.

1974 - Winnipeg band Bachman-Turner Overdrive went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet."

1977 - Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" was certified Gold.

1981 - Men at Work released their debut studio album, Business as Usual, in their native Australia (the U.S. release would follow in April 1982). The album features the singles "Who Can It Be Now?," "Down Under," and "Be Good Johnny."

1985 - Jan Hammer went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with the "Miami Vice Theme."

1987 - Eurythmics released their sixth studio album, Savage. It features the singles "Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)," "Shame," "I Need a Man," and "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart."

1990 - The IRS investigated Willie Nelson, who owed $16 million in back taxes. His assets, including master tapes, clothing and gold records, were seized. Nelson saved his favorite guitar, Trigger, by having it sent to Maui before the feds arrived.

1991- Prince and the New Power Generation started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Cream."

1992 - Aphex Twin released his debut studio album, Selected Ambient Works 85–92. It features the tracks "Xtal," "Tha," "Pulsewidth," "Heliosphan," and "We Are the Music Makers."

1993 - A Tribe Called Quest released their third studio album, Midnight Marauders. It features the singles "Award Tour," "Electric Relaxation," and "Oh My God."

1993 - The first Wu-Tang Clan album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), was released.

1996 - For the first time, Bob Dylan licensed one of his songs for commercial use when he licensed his song, "The Times They Are A Changin'" for an advertisement by the Bank of Montreal.

1997 - After smashing up his hotel room in France ,Paul Weller was arrested and spent the night in jail. His record company paid more than $6,000 to cover the damage; Weller was released the following day.

1999 - Fiona Apple released her second album. The title was 90 words long, so it is usually listed as When The Pawn.... It's a poem Apple wrote after seeing her 1997 Spin magazine interview, where the writer couldn't grasp that her personality was genuine. The album features “Fast as You Can.”

1999 - Prince released his 23rd studio album, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. It features the singles "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold," "Baby Knows," and "Man'O'War."

1999 - Faith Hill released her fourth album, Breathe. A huge crossover hit, the album debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. and won a Grammy Award for Best Country Album.

1999 - Crazy Town released their debut studio album, The Gift of Game. It features the singles "Toxic," "Darkside," "Butterfly," and "Revolving Door."

1999 - The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced the biggest-selling artists of the century in the United States: The Beatles sold the most albums (106 million), Garth Brooks was the best-selling male solo act, and Barbra Streisand was the best-selling female. Elton John's 1997 "Candle In The Wind" was the best-selling single of the century, and the best-selling album was the Eagles' Greatest Hits 1971-1975.

2002 - Madonna broke The Beatles' record for most Top 10 hits on the Hot 100 when "Die Another Day" went to No. 8, giving her 35 top-10 hits on the chart.

2004 - Grizzly Bear released their debut studio album, Horn of Plenty. It features the tracks "Deep Sea Diver," "Don't Ask," "Campfire," "Shift," and "Disappearing Act."

2005 - Madonna released her 10th studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. It features the singles "Hung Up," "Sorry," "Get Together," and "Jump."

2006 - At the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, Alicia Keys and David Bowie performed "Changes" at a benefit for the Keep a Child Alive organization, which helps disadvantaged children in Africa. It was Bowie's final performance, as his health deteriorated and he withdrew from the public eye.

2007 - Alicia Keys released her third studio album, As I Am. It features the singles "No One," "Like You'll Never See Me Again," "Teenage Love Affair," and "Superwoman."

2008 - Miriam Makeba suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 76. The South African singer reached No. 12 on the Billboard chart in 1967 with "Pata Pata." Among her many notable achievements was becoming the first African woman to win a Grammy, for Best Folk Recording in 1966 with Harry Belafonte for "An Evening With Belafonte / Makeba." In 2015, Makeba’s legacy inspired French artist Jain to write and record the song "Makeba."

2012 - Green Day released their 10th studio album, ¡Dos!. It features the single "Stray Heart."

2010 - A three-alarm fire in a warehouse where Neil Young stored everything from vintage cars to guitar cases caused damage estimated at about $800,000. The cause was promptly investigated. Fire officials said they don't find any evidence of arson.

2017 - Former Faith No More frontman Chuck Mosley died at the age of 57.

2018 - Muse released their eighth studio album, Simulation Theory. It features the singles "Dig Down," "Thought Contagion," "Something Human," "The Dark Side," and "Pressure."

Birthdays:

Actress and jazz singer Dorothy Dandridge was born today in 1922. Dandridge was the first Black artist to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in Carmen Jones (1954), a performance that also earned Dandridge a nomination for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress.

Mary Travers of Peter Paul and Mary was born today in 1936.

Tom Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival was born today in 1941.

Phil May of Pretty Things was born today in 1944.

Pop singer Benny Mardones — whose song “Into the Night” landed in the top 20 two times, in 1980 (No. 11) and in 1989 (No. 20) — was born today in 1946.

Joe Bouchard of Blue Öyster Cult is 78.

Demetra Plakas, drummer for L7, is 66.

Sandra “Pepa” Denton of Salt-n-Pepa is 57.

Rapper Roxanne Shanté is 57.

Allison Wolfe, leader of Bratmobile, is 57.

Domino, producer for Hieroglyphics, is 56.

Scarface of the Geto Boys is 56.

Susan Tedeschi of Tedeschi Trucks Band is 56.

Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney is 54.

Nick Lachey is 53.

Even Ormestad of Jaga Jazzist is 48.

Sisqó (born Mark Andrews) is 48. At least at one point, he lived in Maple Grove, Minn., a suburb northwest of the Twin Cities.

Eyedea was born on this day in 1981.

Delta Goodrem is 42.

French Montana is 42.

MNEK is 31.

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