History Highlight:

Today in 1996, The Beastie Boys hosted the first Tibetan Freedom Concert, with performers that included Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins and John Lee Hooker. About 100,000 attend the two shows, raising money for the Milarepa Fund.

Also, Today In:

1963 - Kyu Sakamoto started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Sukiyaki," the first-ever Japanese song to do so.

1969 - The Doors played a concert at the Minneapolis Convention Center. 



1976 - The Sex Pistols recorded their first demos in Clapham's Majestic studios

1985 - Dire Straits started a nine-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Brothers In Arms.

1989 - Nirvana's debut album Bleach was released.

1996 - Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald died in Beverly Hills, Calif., aged 79.

2003 - Metallica were at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with St. Anger, the band's fourth U.S. No. 1.

2005 - Coldplay went straight to No. 1 on U.S. album chart with their third album, X&Y.

Birthdays:

Waylon Jennings was born on this day in 1933.

Harry Edward Nilsson III, known as simply Nilsson, was born today in 1941.

Noddy Holder of Slade is 69.

Ice Cube is 46.

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