Today's top music news headlines include Jason Aldean making a surprise appearance on 'Saturday Night Live.'

Host Chris Thile was positively buoyant as he returned for his second season hosting the public-radio mainstay. Thile promised the audience that 'A Prairie Home Companion' has '26 shiny new shows lined up for you,' and the season opener was certainly a shimmering jewel.

Music fans everywhere have heard of Athens, Georgia — a place that launched the careers of artists such as R.E.M., the B-52's, Widespread Panic and the late Vic Chesnutt, and it remains the home base of bands like Of Montreal, the Drive-By Truckers and others. Explore Athens music landmarks with our video tour.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its nominees for the class of 2018. Upvote your favorites for today's 9:30 Coffee Break!

George Harrison had his first A-side with the Beatles; Australia lost its King of Rock n Roll, Johnny O'Keefe; Bob Dylan had his 12th Top-40 hit; Tommy Stinson was born; and Cher topped the singles chart, Today in Music History.

Lizzo, “Truth Hurts” Lizzo doesn’t have a new album officially announced, but she seems to be ramping up to something with “Truth Hurts” and “Water Me,” the two singles she’s released on Atlantic in the last couple of months. Maybe we’ll know what it is by the time she plays the Myth on New Year’s Eve.…

Today's top music news stories include the announcement of this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees; benefits for Puerto Rico; and more musical tributes to Tom Petty.

Homi, a Minneapolis tech startup, recently took the innovative step of partnering with local rapper Momoh as a way to attract and connect with diverse communities while allowing Momoh to grow his fan base. The partnership seems to be working, and as Jeffrey Bissoy-Mattis writes, the forthcoming album from Momoh and other Black Bag Entertainment artists looks to rise to new levels.

Update: “Almost Like Praying” is out, and it features all 22 of its vocalists reciting the names of all 78 towns in Puerto Rico, from Adjuntas to Yauco. Lin-Manuel Miranda begins the song by quoting West Side Story: “Say it loud and there’s music playing/ Say it soft and it’s almost like praying.” Without coincidence, the lyrics…

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced its nominees for the class of 2018, presenting one of its more sonically diverse group of first-time nominees.