2025: An AI-generated singer reaches a Billboard airplay chart for the first time. Virtual R&B artist Xania Monet entered Billboard's Adult R&B Airplay chart at No. 30 with “How Was I Supposed to Know?”, the first known AI act to land on one of the magazine's radio charts.
2024: Collins Dictionary picks “brat” as its word of the year. The choice was a nod to Charli XCX's summer album Brat, whose lime-green cover and attitude turned “brat summer” into a pop culture catchphrase.
2022: Migos rapper Takeoff is killed in Houston at 28. He was shot outside a bowling alley. Takeoff formed Migos with his uncle Quavo and cousin Offset, and the trio scored hits like “Bad and Boujee.”
2021: Steve Earle and Bobbie Gentry enter the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Kent Blazy, co-writer of Garth Brooks' “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” was inducted alongside the writers of “Copperhead Road” and “Ode to Billie Joe.” The class had been held over a year by the pandemic.
2005: Black Sabbath is inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. Queen guitarist Brian May welcomed the original lineup, who marked the night by playing “Paranoid.”
1994: Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York is released. Recorded a year earlier and issued seven months after Kurt Cobain's death, the acoustic set went to No. 1 in the US, the UK and Australia and later won a Grammy.
1994: Mariah Carey releases her holiday album Merry Christmas. It sold more than 3 million copies in the US by the end of that year. Its lead single, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” finally reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2019.
1992: Pearl Jam plays Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit for the first time. The band performed at Shoreline Amphitheatre near San Francisco for the annual acoustic concert Young and his wife Pegi started to support a school for children with severe speech and physical disabilities.
1985: The record industry agrees to put warning labels on explicit albums. The RIAA gave in to the Parents Music Resource Center, agreeing that albums with offensive lyrics would carry a warning or print the lyrics. The deal led to the familiar “Parental Advisory” sticker.
1979: Bob Dylan debuts his gospel songs on stage in San Francisco. The Minnesota native opened a run of shows built on material from Slow Train Coming, and many fans booed. The album still produced “Gotta Serve Somebody,” which won him a Grammy.
1975: Faces play their final concert, in Minneapolis. The Minnesota show at the Labor Temple was the last for the band. Rod Stewart was already a solo star, and Ron Wood soon joined the Rolling Stones full time.
1975: Elton John's “Island Girl” hits No. 1. It replaced Neil Sedaka's “Bad Blood” at the top of the Hot 100, a record Elton had sung backup on, and stayed there for three weeks.
1969: Elvis Presley's “Suspicious Minds” reaches No. 1. Cut in Memphis, it was his first chart-topper in the US since 1962 and turned out to be the last of his career.
1959: Ray Charles leaves Atlantic Records for ABC-Paramount. The move gave him more money and control, and at his new label he soon recorded “Georgia on My Mind” and “Hit the Road Jack.”
1955: James Brown and the Famous Flames record “Please, Please, Please.” The demo was cut at radio station WIBB in Macon, Georgia. A new version of the song became Brown's first R&B hit the next year.
Born on This Day
2002: NLE Choppa, American rapper Turns 24. The Memphis rapper broke through as a teenager with “Shotta Flow.”
1996: Lil Peep, American rapper A leading voice of emo rap before his death in 2017 at age 21.
1981: LaTavia Roberson, American singer (Destiny's Child) Turns 45. An original member of the group, singing on “No, No, No” and “Bills, Bills, Bills.”
1975: Bo Bice, American singer Turns 51. The Southern rocker was runner-up on the fourth season of American Idol.
1966: Willie D, American rapper (Geto Boys) Turns 60. Part of the Houston group behind “Mind Playing Tricks on Me.”
1964: Sophie B. Hawkins, American singer-songwriter Turns 62. Known for the 1990s hits “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” and “As I Lay Me Down.”
1963: Rick Allen, English drummer (Def Leppard) Turns 63. Kept playing with the band after losing his left arm in a 1984 car crash.
1963: Big Kenny, American singer-songwriter (Big & Rich) Turns 63. Half of the country duo behind “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).”
1962: Anthony Kiedis, American singer (Red Hot Chili Peppers) Turns 64. Frontman on “Under the Bridge,” “Give It Away” and “Scar Tissue.”
1962: Magne Furuholmen, Norwegian keyboardist (a-ha) Turns 64. Played the famous keyboard riff on “Take On Me.”
1957: Lyle Lovett, American singer-songwriter Turns 69. The Texas country and swing artist has won four Grammys.
1951: Ronald Bell, American musician (Kool & the Gang) Co-founder and saxophonist who helped write “Celebration” and “Jungle Boogie.” He died in 2020.
1950: Dan Peek, American singer-songwriter (America) Wrote and sang the group's hit “Lonely People.” He died in 2011.
1949: David Foster, Canadian producer and songwriter Turns 77. Multiple Grammy winner who produced Whitney Houston's “I Will Always Love You” and hits for Celine Dion and Chicago.
1947: Jim Steinman, American songwriter and producer Wrote Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album and Bonnie Tyler's “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” He died in 2021.
1946: Ric Grech, British bassist (Blind Faith, Traffic) Played in the short-lived supergroup with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood. He died in 1990.
1944: Kinky Friedman, American singer-songwriter The Texas country humorist led the Texas Jewboys and later wrote mystery novels. He died in 2024.
1940: Barry Sadler, American singer The Green Beret medic topped the charts in 1966 with “The Ballad of the Green Berets.”
1937: Bill Anderson, American country singer-songwriter Turns 89. “Whispering Bill” scored hits like “Still” and has been a Grand Ole Opry member since 1961.
1936: Andre Williams, American R&B singer and songwriter Best known for his 1957 novelty hit “Bacon Fat.”
1926: Lou Donaldson, American jazz saxophonist The longtime Blue Note alto player was known for “Alligator Bogaloo.” He died in 2024.
1898: Sippie Wallace, American blues singer A 1920s blues star whose songs were later championed by Bonnie Raitt.
