History Highlight:

Today in 1968, working at Abbey Road studios, The Beatles recorded "Helter Skelter." Paul McCartney had read a magazine interview with Pete Townshend where the Who guitarist described their latest single, "I Can See For Miles," as the loudest, dirtiest, most aggressive song possible; when McCartney heard it, he thought Townshend had exaggerated considerably, and decided he'd take on the challenge of writing such a song. "Helter Skelter" was the result. The Beatles did so many takes in the studio - at one point recording a 20-plus-minute version during the session - that Ringo exclaimed, "I've got blisters on me fingers!", which can still be heard in the version that was ultimately put on The White Album.

Also, Today In:

1964 - The Rolling Stones reached number one in the U.K. for the first time with their cover of "It's All Over Now" which spent one week on top.

1969 - The Beatles completed their recording of "Octopus's Garden" when Ringo Starr recorded his vocal take.

1972 - Members from Sly and the Family Stone were arrested after police found two pounds of marijuana in the group's motorhome.

1974 - The U.S. Justice Department ordered John Lennon out of the country by September 10th. The Immigration and Naturalization Service denied him an extension of his non-immigrant visa because of his guilty plea in England to a 1968 marijuana possession charge.

1978 - Def Leppard made their live debut at Westfield School in Sheffield, England in front of 150 students.

1981 - The Texxas Jam was held at the Astrodome in Houston. The lineup included REO Speedwagon, Heart, Foghat and Blue Oyster Cult.

1983 - Following up on momentum from their free Central Park reunion concert, Simon and Garfunkel started a 19-city tour in Akron, Ohio.

1988 - Nico died after suffering a minor heart attack while riding a bicycle on holiday with her son in Ibiza, Spain. The German born singer-songwriter and keyboard player with the Velvet Underground also worked as a fashion model and actress. She was one of Andy Warhol's "Superstars", which meant she appeared in Warhol's artworks and accompanied him in his social life.

1991 - The very first Lollapalooza happened. Originally dreamed up by Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell as a farewell tour, the touring festival ran annually until 1997, and was revived in 2003. Performing on the mainstage in its initial year was Jane's Addiction, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Living Colour, Nine Inch Nails, Violent Femmes , Fishbone, Ice T & Body Count, Butthole Surfers, Rollins Band and Lords of Acid.

1992 - "Achy Breaky Heart," a No. 1 country hit from Billy Ray Cyrus, peaks at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

2007 - Paul Simon filed a lawsuit against Rhythm USA Inc. a Georgia-based subsidiary of a Japanese firm, claiming the company never had his permission to sell wall clocks that played "Bridge Over Troubled Water". The suit claimed that as one of the best known songs throughout the world, a proper licensing agreement would earn at least a $1 million licensing fee.

2008 - Billy Joel played his "Last Play at Shea" concert - the final show before Shea Stadium was closed down. Joel was joined on stage by Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and The Who's Roger Daltrey.

Birthdays:

Cesar Zuiderwijk, drummer for Golden Earring, is 70.

Keith Levene, early member of The Clash and founding member of Public Image Ltd., is 61.

Tony Fagenson, drummer for Eve 6, is 40.

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