Today in rock history: on this date in 1989, Nine Inch Nails released its revolutionary debut album, Pretty Hate Machine. Lead singer and songwriter Trent Reznor managed to successfully blend his influences of dark, aggressive industrial music and create his own kind of marketable, danceable, commercially appealing brand of music. The album was an instant success thanks initially to the alternative dance clubs that added the record into heavy rotation. Featuring the singles “Head Like A Hole,” “Sin” and “Down In It,” the record paved the way for many other similar industrial/dance acts that would follow in NIN’s footsteps. Pretty Hate Machine became one of the very first independently-released albums to achieve platinum sales status when it reached sales of over one million copies sold just a few years after its initial release.

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Review: 30 years later, U2's The Joshua Tree looms larger than ever at Raymond James Stadium

Today in rock history: on this date in 1980, a group of young lads from Dublin, Ireland released their very first full-length album. U2’s Boy was born on this date and served as the band’s introduction to the world. A smart, powerful, enthralling album, Boy received loads of critical praise and set the bar for the enormous success the band would enjoy. One of the best debut albums of all time, the record contains songs from a large repertoire of songs the young band, which grew up listening to The Ramones and Siouxsie and the Banshees, had already amassed when recording sessions began. A sonic mosaic that focused on the transition from boyhood to manhood, the record was a brilliant start for the band which would soon become one of the most popular bands in the world. Featuring the international hit “I Will Follow,” the record was adorned with a different front cover in the U.S., a blurry silhouette graphic of the four band members, instead of the European cover which featured a portrait of a young boy (the younger brother of a friend and musical contemporary of the band’s). The band’s American record label was worried that the new band would be accused of promoting pedophilia so they opted for the band cover instead.

Today in rock history: on this date in 1978, The Police made its live U.S. debut when it performed at New York City’s punk rock mecca, CBGB. Unknown to American audiences, the English-based trio arrived at the club at 10:30 p.m. for their midnight performance. Flying to the States from England with instruments in hand and carted as carry-on items, the band was forced to soundcheck in front of an audience that had already gathered to see it. The band went over well and were met with a positive reaction from those in attendance for its first performance as well as for its next, which began at 2:30 a.m. The band was forced to improvise and add extended instrumental passages to its songs for lack of material to play. Within a month, the band’s dynamic debut album, Outlandos d'Amour would be released and within a few years, the band would become one of the most popular and recognizable bands around the world.

Today in rock history: on this date in 1976, hard rock gods Led Zeppelin released its full length film, The Song Remains The Same. The film includes live footage of the band performing over a three-night stand at New York City’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden as well as some fantasy sequences interspersed throughout the feature as well. The movie had its U.S. premiere at Cinema I in New York City as a charity event for children’s rights group “Save The Children” and raised $25,000 for the organization. The film was criticized for seeming self-indulgent, but for many years it was celebrated as the only source of live Led Zep footage to be had. An accompanying double-LP soundtrack was released two days after the film’s premiere and was yet another platinum-selling success for Led Zeppelin.