1963 - Stevie Wonder first entered the U.S. singles chart as Little Stevie Wonder with "Fingertips Parts One and Two"; Wonder was only 13 years old, making him the youngest artist ever to top the chart. The track, which featured a young Marvin Gaye on drums, was recorded in June 1962 at the Regal Theater in Chicago and was the first live, non-studio recording to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart since 1952. On the recording, Wonder appeared to bring the song to its conclusion and the band went into the exit music but Wonder unexpectedly changed his mind and returned to sing the "goodbye" encore. The other musicians were caught out, and the bass players had changed over to prepare for the next act on the bill; as a result, the new bass player, Larry Moses, can be heard on the recording, yelling out, "What key? What key?"
1970 - Led Zeppelin appeared at Laugardalsholl Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland on the group's one and only visit to Iceland. It is suggested that Robert Plant was inspired to write the lyrics to 'Immigrant Song' during this trip."
1971 - Joni Mitchell released Blue. Sad, spare, and beautiful, Blue is the quintessential confessional singer/songwriter album. Forthright and poetic, Joni Mitchell's songs are raw nerves, tales of love and loss etched with stunning complexity. Mitchell's music moves beyond the constraints of acoustic folk into more intricate and diverse territory, setting the stage for the experimentation of her later work. Unrivaled in its intensity and insight, Blue remains a watershed. (Photo credit MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images)
1979 - Neil Young releases his highly lauded album, Rust Never Sleeps, its aphoristic title drawn from an intended advertising slogan. Young divided his record into acoustic and electric sides while filling his songs with wildly imaginative imagery. One of the essential albums of Neil Young's career.
1993 - Liz Phair releases her debut album, Exile In Guyville. The indie rocker approached the project as a track-by-track response to The Rolling Stones' 1972 album, Exile On Main St. Her candid perspective on sex and relationships earns her favor with critics and a growing fanbase and Guyville is hailed as one of the best albums of the decade.
1993 - The Flaming Lips release their sixth studio album, Transmissions From The Satellite Heart, featuring their breakthrough hit, "She Don't Use Jelly." The quirky track about a Vaseline-loving Cher lookalike gains mainstream attention after its video is featured on MTV's Beavis and Butt-Head.
2000 - After giving himself various new identities during the 1990s, The Artist Formally Known As Prince announced he wanted to be known as Prince again.
Birthdays:
Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson is 84. His hits include "Me And Bobby McGee" and "Help Me Make It Through The Night".
1937 - Island Records founder Chris Blackwell is 84. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later declares him "the single person most responsible for turning the world on to reggae music."
Todd Rundgren is 73.
Cyndi Lauper is 68.
INXS bassist Gary Beers is 64.
Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream is 59.
Steven Page, formerly of Barenaked Ladies is 51.
On This Day In Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.