History Highlight:

Today in 1984, British synth-pop trio Bronski Beat released their debut album, The Age of Consent. The band members — Jimmy Somerville, Steve Bronski and Larry Steinbachek, all of whom were gay — wore their sexuality proudly on their sleeves as they released an album inspired by LGBTQIA+ advocacy in the face of Britain’s then-oppressive legislation regarding gay rights as compared to the rest of Europe. The album includes four hit singles: the original songs “Smalltown Boy” and “Why?,” and the cover tracks “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “I Feel Love (Medley).” The single “Smalltown Boy” peaked at No. 3 in the U.K. singles chart and at No. 48 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Also, Today In:

1955 - At a concert in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, a young Buddy Holly opened for a young Elvis Presley. Nashville talent scout Eddie Crandall was in the audience and arranged for Holly to audition and record demos for the Decca label.

1965 - Jimi Hendrix signed his first recording contract in the U.K., where he would received $1 and a 1% Royalty on all of his recordings.

1966 - The Four Tops started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Reach Out And I'll Be There," their second No. 1.

1973 - The U.S. Supreme Court upholds, by a 7-2 vote, the 1971 FCC directive that bans radio DJs from playing songs that glorify drugs.

1973 - Keith Richards was found guilty of trafficking cannabis by a court in France. Richards was given a one-year suspended sentence, a 5,000-franc fine, and was banned from entering France for two years.

1976 - EMI Records signed the Sex Pistols for a considerable sum, but dropped them the following year.

1977 - Debby Boone started a 10-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "You Light Up My Life."

1979 - ABBA played their first concert in North America when they appeared in Vancouver, B.C.

1984 - Bronski Beat released their debut studio album, The Age of Consent. It features “Smalltown Boy” and “Why?”

1988 - Bon Jovi started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with their fourth release, New Jersey. The album produced five Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 singles, the most top-ten hits to date for a hard-rock album.

1990 - Ride released their debut studio album, Nowhere. It features “Vapour Trail” and “Kaleidoscope.”

1994 - R.E.M. entered the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 1 with Monster. The album was their ninth and was a stylistic shift from the bands previous two albums-- 1991's Out of Time and 1992's Automatic for the People --with loud, distorted guitar tones and simple arrangements, and included the successful single, "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"

1995 - Paul and Linda McCartney were the guest voices on The Simpsons in an episode called "Lisa the Vegetarian." Paul's condition for appearing on the show was that Lisa's decision to become a vegetarian would be a permanent change for her character. Simpsons producer David Mirkin agreed. In the episode, Paul explains that if you play "Maybe I'm Amazed" backwards, you'll hear a recipe for lentil soup.

2000 - Already a smash in their native Britain, Radiohead landed the No. 1 album slot in the United States with Kid A. This success was credited variously to a unique marketing campaign — the early Internet leak of the album — and anticipation after the band's acclaimed 1997 album, OK Computer. The album's songwriting and recording were experimental for Radiohead, as the band had replaced their earlier "anthemic" rock style with a more electronic sound. Several publications have rated Kid A as the best album of the 2000s and among the greatest of all time.

2003 - The Louis Armstrong House Museum opens its doors to the public. Located in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York, the home was the longtime residence of the late singer.

2010 - Kings of Leon released their fifth studio album, Come Around Sundown. It features “Radioactive,” “Pyro,” and “Back Down South.”

2013 - Madonna was banned from the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain after being accused of texting during a film. Attending the New York Film Festival screening of 12 Years a Slave, the pop star was reportedly asked to stop texting by an audience member. Tim League, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse, tweeted: "Until she apologizes to movie fans, Madonna is banned from watching movies at Alamo." The chain is famous for its strict policy of requiring its audiences to maintain proper cinema-going etiquette.

2014 - Chuck Berry performed for the last time at the St. Louis club Blueberry Hill. The legendary rocker, who died in 2017, played monthly gigs at the venue starting in 1996.

2014 - U2 frontman Bono said he was sorry after their latest album was automatically added to the libraries of all iTunes users around the world, saying the move was a "drop of megalomania, a touch of generosity". iTunes users complained that the 11-track Songs of Innocence had been added to their music library without permission and that it was not clear how to delete it.

2020 - English musician and songwriter Gordon Haskell died from cancer age 74.

Birthdays:

Blues singer Victoria Spivey was born today in 1906.

Paul Tanner — developer of the Electro-Theremin used frequently in Beach Boys songs such as “Good Vibrations” — was born today in 1917.

Mickey Baker of Mickey & Sylvia was born today in 1925.

Marv Johnson (“Come to Me”) was born today in 1938.

Fela Kuti was born today in 1938.

Robert Ward of the Ohio Players was born today in 1938.

Don Stevenson of Moby Grape is 82.

Richard Carpenter of the Carpenters is 78.

Chris de Burgh (“Lady in Red”) is 76.

Tito Jackson was born today in 1953. He died on Sept. 15, 2024.

Alex Paterson of the Orb is 65.

Former Wilco guitarist, the late Jay Bennett, was born today in 1963. He passed away in 2009.

Dave Stead of the Beautiful South is 58.

Eric Benét is 58.

Ginuwine is 54.

Keyshia Cole is 43.

Jessie Ware is 40.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.