History Highlight:

Today in 1971, Janis Joplin started a posthumous two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with her cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Me And Bobby McGee". Joplin and Kristofferson were friends, but Kristofferson has stated he did not write this song for her, but the song is associated with her — especially, he has said, in the line "Somewhere near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away." Joplin died the year before the song charted, on Oct. 4, 1970, at age 27.

Also, Today In:

1961 - Elvis Presley started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Surrender," his fifth No. 1 of the 1960s. The song was based on a 1911 Italian song, "Return To Sorrento."

1965 - The first Motown tour of the U.K. began, and it featured Martha & the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes and the Temptations.

1969 - John Lennon married Yoko Ono at the British Consulate Office in Gibraltar. They spent their honeymoon in Amsterdam campaigning for an international "Bed-In" for peace.

1977 - Lou Reed was banned from appearing The London Palladium because of his punk image. (Wha…?)

1977 - T Rex played their final gig ever, when they appeared at The Locarno in Portsmouth, England.

1982, Joan Jett And The Blackhearts started a seven-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "I Love Rock 'n' Roll". The song was a cover of a B-side by '60s band The Arrows.

Birthdays:

Carl Palmer, drummer for Emerson, Lake and Palmer (and let's not forget Asia), is 64.

Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom is 54.

Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand is 43.