2026-03-03

On This Day in Music - March 3 FEATURED: Metallica releases 'Master of Puppets' (1986) Regarded as one of the most influential heavy metal albums of all time, this record redefined the genre with its complex arrangements and aggressive sound. It was the band's final album with bassist Cliff Burton and became the first metal LP to be inducted into the U.S. National Recording Registry. ALSO ON THIS DAY - 1931: Cab Calloway records 'Minnie the Moocher' Recorded in New York, this iconic jazz song featuring Calloway's signature 'hi-de-hi-de-ho' refrain became the first jazz single to sell over one million copies. - 1968: South Africa lifts the five-year ban on The Beatles The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) ended its long-standing ban on playing the band's music, which had been imposed in 1966 following John Lennon's 'more popular than Jesus' remark. - 1984: Nena's '99 Red Balloons' hits number one in the UK The English-language version of the German anti-war anthem reached the top of the UK charts, marking a rare instance of a European non-Anglophone band achieving major global pop success during the Cold War. - 1997: Birth of Latin-pop star Camila Cabello Born in Havana, Cuba, the singer-songwriter would rise to global fame as a member of Fifth Harmony before launching a record-breaking solo career with the hit 'Havana.' - 2021: iKON releases the digital single 'Why Why Why' The South Korean boy group made their highly anticipated comeback with this emotional synth-pop track, which topped iTunes charts in 10 countries and trended globally within the K-pop community.