Today in Music History

MP3.com agreed to pay Universal Music $53.4 million to settle a legal dispute concerning licensing.

Britney Spears performed her new single "I'm A Slave 4 U" at the MTV Video Music Awards, appearing on stage with a snake.

Earth, Wind & Fire announced that their planned U.S. tour celebrating the group's 30th anniversary would be sponsored by a company that manufactured Viagra.

Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors performed together for the first time as "The Doors of the 21st Century", with singer Ian Astbury and drummer Stewart Copeland. The concert took place as part of the Harley-Davidson Open Road Tour at California Speedway in Fontana.

Elton John took "Are You Ready for Love" to No. 1 on the UK singles chart. The song was originally released in 1979 but was later remixed by DJ Ashley Beedle and re-released.

Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee took "Shake Ya Tailfeather" to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

The Darkness began a four-week run at No. 1 on the UK album chart with their debut studio album "Permission to Land".

The Neptunes, the production duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, took their compilation album "The Neptunes Present…Clones" to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay was banned from driving for six months and fined £750 after being caught driving at more than 100 miles per hour. At court in Perth, his lawyers argued that he needed his driving licence as a "release" from his demanding working life. The judge described his behavior as unacceptable. Kay admitted that he had driven at 105 mph on the A9 in Perthshire in February while overtaking.

Sir Bob Geldof was granted honorary citizenship of his native Dublin after the city council approved the honor in recognition of his campaign against global poverty and for debt relief in Africa.

The Rolling Stones released their 24th studio album, "A Bigger Bang", through Virgin Records. The album reached the Top 3 in both the UK and U.S. and No. 1 in ten countries. One million copies were sold in the U.S., relatively low by the band's standards, but the accompanying tour set a concert-tour revenue record by grossing $558 million.

A Florida man named Paul van Valkenburgh died of lung cancer. His obituary in a local newspaper was picked up by the Associated Press, which mistakenly used the name of the real Paul Vance, who was alive and living in Coral Springs, Florida. When he learned about his supposed death from television, he contacted local media and proved he was alive by showing, among other things, ASCAP royalty checks from his biggest hit, "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini".

Victor Willis, singer of The Village People who performed in a police officer costume, received a three-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to drug offenses related to a March 2006 incident in which police found cocaine and drug paraphernalia in his car. The suspended sentence spared him several years in prison on the condition that he undergo long-term addiction treatment. Willis helped create some of the group's biggest hits, including "Y.M.C.A." and "In The Navy".

Operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti, a member of the vocal trio The Three Tenors, died in Modena, Italy, at the age of 71 from pancreatic cancer.

American rock band Great White, whose pyrotechnics caused the 2003 fire at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island, which killed 100 people and injured more than 200 others, agreed to pay $1 million to the victims' survivors and those who were injured. Guitarist Ty Longley also died in the fire. Tour manager Daniel Biechele pleaded guilty in 2006 to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter.

The Verve's fourth and final studio album, "Forth", reached No. 1 on the UK album chart.

Jane's Addiction announced that they had parted ways with bassist Duff McKagan. McKagan had been with the group for only five months.

Mark David Chapman's request for parole was denied again, nearly 30 years after he murdered former Beatles member John Lennon outside the Dakota building in New York. It was his sixth parole hearing since 2000, when he first became eligible to apply for release.

Morrissey caused controversy after telling the British newspaper The Guardian that he considered Chinese people a "subspecies" in connection with what he claimed was their treatment of animals.

George Michael canceled several dates of his tour due to health problems.

A California court ruled that Madonna did not have a trademark on the term "Material Girl" for her clothing brand simply because she had written a song of the same name in 1985. Merely recording the famous song did not automatically give her priority rights in retail. Los Angeles retailer LA Triumph had been using the name "Material Girl" for clothing and had registered it as a trademark in 1997. The ruling allowed the trademark infringement dispute to continue.

PJ Harvey became the first artist to win the Mercury Prize twice when her album "Let England Shake" received the prestigious award. She had previously won the prize in 2001 for "Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea".

American music producer, bandleader, conductor, arranger and songwriter Wardell Quezergue, known as the "Creole Beethoven", died in Metairie, Louisiana, at the age of 81 from heart failure.

Soul musician and arranger Bobby Martin died in San Diego, California, at the age of 83 after a sudden illness. He worked with Philadelphia soul songwriters and producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.

George Hamilton IV, an American country singer, died at the age of 77.

The debut album by British rock duo Royal Blood reached No. 1 on the UK album chart.

Taylor Swift took "Shake It Off" to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song became a major international hit and also reached No. 1 in nine other countries, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Wiz Khalifa's fifth studio album, "Blacc Hollywood", reached No. 1 on the U.S. album chart. The album also topped the chart in Canada.

Barbra Streisand extended her U.S. record for the most No. 1 albums by a female artist when "Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway" debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. It was her 11th No. 1 album, surpassing Elvis Presley with ten and tying Bruce Springsteen.

Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid took "Eastside" to No. 1 on the UK singles chart. The song also topped the charts in Ireland, Lebanon, New Zealand and Singapore.

The soundtrack to the musical film "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" reached No. 1 on the UK album chart.

Country supergroup The Highwomen, consisting of Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby, released their debut album, "The Highwomen". The group's name refers to The Highwaymen, who formed in 1985 with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson.

R&B and soul singer Bruce Williamson Jr., formerly the lead singer of The Temptations, died at the age of 49. He appeared on the group's later albums "Back to Front" and "Still Here", performed with them at numerous concerts and television shows, and also appeared in the film "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story".

The Rolling Stones officially announced the album "Hackney Diamonds", a 12-track studio album scheduled for release on October 20, 2023. It was their first album of new original material since 2005 and their first full-length album following the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021, whose archival recordings from 2019 appeared on two tracks.

The film "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" opened in theaters with a soundtrack that revived 1970s songs including "MacArthur Park", "Tragedy" and "Margaritaville". The film also featured "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx and "Svefn-G-Englar" by Sigur Rós.

American R&B singer Johnny Thunder, whose real name was Gilbert Leroy Hamilton, died at the age of 93. He was best known for the 1963 hit "Loop de Loop", which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on the R&B chart. The song's chorus was almost entirely taken from the popular children's song "Here We Go Loop de Loop".

Oasis' album "Definitely Maybe" returned to No. 1 on the UK album chart one week after the announcement of the band's reunion concerts. The album, which debuted at No. 1 upon its original release in 1994, returned to the top thanks to its 30th-anniversary edition, which included several alternative recordings and previously unreleased demos. Half of the sales were on vinyl, and the album also topped the official vinyl chart.

Sergio Mendes, pianist, songwriter and arranger and one of the early Brazilian pioneers of modern crossover, died in Los Angeles at the age of 83. His innovative style and promotion of samba brought him worldwide fame. His family did not disclose the cause of death, although the source reported that Mendes had recently suffered from long-term effects of COVID.

American lyricist Will Jennings died at the age of 80. He wrote lyrics for songs including "Up Where We Belong", "Higher Love", "Tears in Heaven" and "My Heart Will Go On". He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and won three Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and two Oscars, among other honors. He also co-wrote "Street Life" with Joe Sample, a worldwide hit for The Crusaders featuring Randy Crawford.

Rick Davies, English musician, singer, songwriter and co-founder, singer and keyboardist of Supertramp, died at the age of 81 after more than a decade battling multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. He was the only constant member of the group throughout its history and contributed greatly to its distinctive sound through his baritone voice and Wurlitzer electric piano. He wrote and sang many of the group's best-known songs, including "Bloody Well Right" and "Goodbye Stranger". Supertramp had the 1979 UK hit "The Logical Song", which reached No. 7, while the album "Breakfast In America" reached No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 3 in the UK.