History highlight:

On this day in 1999, Moby released his fifth studio album, the critical and commercial success, Play. Although it eventually became the top-selling electronica album of all time, with more than 12 million copies sold worldwide, it had a very modest start. “The week Play was released, it sold, worldwide around 6,000 copies,” Moby told Rolling Stone. “Eleven months after Play was released, it was selling 150,000 copies a week. I was on tour constantly, drunk pretty much the entire time and it was just a blur. And then all of a sudden movie stars started coming to my concerts and I started getting invited to fancy parties and suddenly the journalists who wouldn't return my publicist's calls were talking about doing cover stories. It was a really odd phenomenon.” The key to the album’s breakout success was licensing the mostly instrumental tracks in movies, TV, and commercials. Built from Alan Lomax field recordings, old soul and gospel samples, and danceable electronic beats, the songs are immediately unforgettable.

On the same date in 2016, Moby put out Porcelain: A Memoir, detailing his rise to success. 

Also, today in: 

1963 - Relative newcomers Bob Dylan and Joan Baez appeared with Pete Seeger at the first Monterey Folk Festival. 

1965 - Michael Trent Reznor (known professionally as Trent Reznor) was born today in 1965, making him 59 today. He is the founder, lead vocalist, and principal songwriter of Nine Inch Nails, which he founded in 1988 and has released nine albums with. He and his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, are members of the group How to Destroy Angels, and Reznor has been associated with the bands Option 30, The Urge, The Innocent, Exotic Birds, and Saul Williams. Reznor also scored the David Fincher films The Social Network (2010), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), and Gone Girl (2014), winning the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Social Network and the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  

1969 - Joni Mitchell was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for $0.35. 

1974 - Ray Stevens' "The Streak" hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts. 

1987 - A fire destroyed Tom Petty's house in Los Angeles; the rebuilding cost was estimated at $800,000. 

1989 - Rolling Stone ex-bassist Bill Wyman opened the first of his Stones-themed restaurants, Sticky Fingers, in London. 

1990 - Nirvana played the last date of a North American tour in Idaho. This was Chad Channing's final gig with the band; drummer Dave Grohl replaced him in Sept. after his band Scream split up. 

1995 - Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard shared the stage for the first time ever at a concert in Sheffield, England. 

2002 - Blues singer Little Johnny Taylor, known for 1960s hits like "Part Time Love," died in Conway, Arkansas, at age 59. 

2008 - Madonna's Hard Candy album hits No. 1 in America, her seventh to hit the top spot. 

2012 - Donna Summer, the 1970s pop singer known as the "Queen of Disco," died of lung cancer. Summer is estimated to have sold 130 million records worldwide during her career, including four number-one singles in the United States within a 13-month period. Her hits included "Bad Girls," "Hot Stuff," "On The Radio," "I Feel Love" and "Love To Love You Baby." 

2013 - Bob Dylan was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Dylan, who was unable to attend the New York ceremony, said he felt extremely honored to be admitted. Dylan's induction was decided by a vote of the Academy's 250 members. 

2013 - Eight years in the making, Daft Punk's fourth album, Random Access Memories, came out in 2013. The album featured guest appearances from a range of artists including Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams. It became their first U.S. chart topper, propelled by the massive worldwide hit single (and Nile Rodgers collaboration) "Get Lucky."  In 2023, Daft Punk is reissued Random Access Memories on its 10-year anniversary. 

2016 - American Texas country and folk singer-songwriter Guy Clark died in Nashville following a lengthy battle with lymphoma. He wrote songs for Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffett, Lyle Lovett and many other artists. 

2019 - Eric Moore, lead singer of Ohio-based biker rock group the Godz, died at age 67. The Godz toured with acts including Kiss, Cheap Trick, Judas Priest, Blue Oyster Cult, and Iggy Pop. 

2019 - Tyler, The Creator releases his fifth album, Igor, also the name of his blond-haired alter-ego. It becomes his first #1 album and earns Tyler his first Grammy when it wins  Best Rap Album. 

2019 - Alex Lahey released her second studio album, The Best of Luck Club.

2019 - The National released their eighth studio album, I Am Easy to Find.

2022 - Vangelis (“Chariots of Fire”) died at the age of 79 in Agria, Greece.

Birthdays: 

Pervis Jackson (The Spinners, "Working My Way Back To You") was born today in 1938. 

Legendary American blues musician Taj Mahal is 82. 

British drummer Bill Bruford of Yes and King Crimson is 75.

Keith (“98.6”) is 75. 

Paul Di'anno of Iron Maiden is 66. 

Simon Fuller, the creator of American Idol (and its notoriously snarky judge) is 63. 

Enya is 63. 

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails is 59. 

Dave Abbruzzese, formerly of Pearl Jam, is 56. 

Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block is 54. 

Josh Homme is 51.

Andrea Corr, lead singer of the Corrs, is 50.

Kandi Burruss, of Xscape, is 48. 

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