Birthday Highlight:

Today in 1962, MC Hammer, born Stanley Kirk Burrell, was born. M.C. Hammer a.k.a. "Ham Time" a.k.a. "Hammer" is best known for hits such as "U Can't Touch This" and "2 Legit 2 Quit", his flashy dance moves and iconic Hammer pants. He has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and his 1990 album, Please, Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, spent a record-breaking 21 weeks at the top of the chart.

Also, Today In:

1957 - Buddy Knox became the first artist in the rock 'n' roll era to write his own number-one hit when "Party Doll" topped the U.S. singles chart. Knox would go on to score four more Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1961.

1963 - The Chiffons started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "He's So Fine". In 1971, George Harrison was taken to court accused of copying the song on his 1970 "My Sweet Lord" and ordered to pay $587,000 to the writers.

1963 - Sixteen-year-old Lesley Gore recorded her breakthrough hit, "It's My Party". Produced by Quincy Jones, the song went on to be a U.S. No.1 single. The night the song was recorded, Jones found out that Phil Spector had recorded the song with his group The Crystals, so Jones rush-released it to get Gore's version to radio stations first. (Bonus: Check out BØRNS' acoustic cover of this song from his in-studio session at The Current.)

1967 - The photo session for the album cover of The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band took place at Chelsea Manor studios in London, with photographer Michael Cooper.

1974 - John Denver went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Sunshine On My Shoulders", the singer's first of four U.S. No. 1 hits.

1985 - Phil Collins started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "One More Night", his second U.S. No. 1.

1992 - R.E.M. started recording sessions for their Automatic For The People album at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, N.Y.

Birthdays:

Eric Clapton is 72.

Tracy Chapman is 53.

Celine Dion is 49.

Norah Jones is 38.

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