Clik here to view.
The Consumerist Melancholy that Inspired “In Every Dream Home a Heartache” by...
Legendary British art rock group Roxy Music may best be known on these shores for the silky smooth Avalon, but across their eight studio albums they explored an expansive range of sounds and took on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Story Behind One of the Hardest Songs for Eric Clapton to Record, “My...
It wasn’t until he was 9 that Eric Clapton learned that his parents, the people raising him, Rose and Jack Clapp, were his grandparents. Up until then, he also believed that his mother, Patricia Molly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“I’ve Written This Song, but It’s Lousy”: The Story Behind “I Feel Fine” by...
As Beatlemania swept through the Western World, the music of Lennon & McCartney pivoted at the end of 1964. The acoustic guitars of “No Reply,” “I’ll Follow the Sun,” and “I Don’t Want to Spoil the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“Like a Disco Party Run by the Borgias”: The “Ridiculousness” that Inspired...
When he set about writing and recording the 1987 album Floodland, The Sisters Of Mercy’s frontman/mastermind Andrew Eldritch faced a quandary. His recent band members had departed for other groups. Now...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“September Gurls” at 50: The Meaning Behind a Defining Masterpiece by Big Star
Big Star’s second album, Radio City, now 50, is a vivid portrait of tender and confusing young love, neatly documented in short power pop songs. The album’s defining masterpiece is “September Gurls,”...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“You Jump on the Riff, and It Plays You”: The Story Behind “Jumpin’ Jack...
If The Rolling Stones are the epitome of rock ‘n’ roll bands, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” may just be the song that brought it all together. The band started as a blues combo in 1962, evolved into a pop...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Story Behind the Anti-War Protest Song “San Franciscan Nights” by Eric...
The word “hippie” comes from hipster and describes people who embraced a social movement in the mid-20th century. Their anti-materialistic lifestyle and rejection of conformity and consumerism was a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Meaning Behind “I Could Have Lied” by Red Hot Chili Peppers and the...
Red Hot Chili Peppers released Blood Sugar Sex Magik on September 24, 1991, the same day as Nirvana’s Nevermind. Together, they were part of a shifting zeitgeist. A few years before their landmark...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Meaning Behind “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder and the Picnic that Inspired the...
Has there ever been a musical artist that enjoyed a streak of commercial success and critical acclaim quite like the run Stevie Wonder put together in the ’70s? That stretch peaked with his massive...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Meaning Behind “We’ve Got Tonite” by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band...
Bob Seger fans know it as a beloved track from one of his finest albums. Fans of 1980s pop likely recognize it as a heartfelt ballad performed by a somewhat unlikely duo. In any case, “We’ve Got...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Meaning Behind “All I Wanna Do” by Sheryl Crow and the Poem that Impacted It
We now know Sheryl Crow as one of the top rock singer/songwriters of her era, a consistent deliverer of big hits and incredible songs. But like all major artists, she needed that one song to get her...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Meaning Behind “Roll with It” by Steve Winwood and Why 3 Legendary Motown...
Perhaps because he doesn’t exude the same kind of flash or attitude as some of his fellow rock stars, Steve Winwood doesn’t get the kind of acclaim he deserves. Few have been as successful for as long...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kris Kristofferson Recorded “Anthem ’84” with The Borderlords Before Bringing...
When Kris Kristofferson released Repossessed in 1986, it was his first solo release since To The Bone in 1981 and his 1985 debut with The Highwaymen. Kristofferson even brought in Highwaymen producer...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Meaning Behind “Somebody to Love” by Queen and the Singer Freddie...
“Somebody to Love,” released in 1976, played off the strengths previously displayed on other hits by the British rock legends Queen. But it also showed another side to the group, while allowing lead...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Behind the Meaning of “Bodyguard” by Beyoncé–and the Man Fans Think Inspired It
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter is a sonic tasting of many different flavors. There are, of course, country elements, moments of R&B goodness, rock flares, and even doses of pop perfection. When the singer...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“You’ll Know It’s Me When I Come Through Your Town”: Fast Facts About “One...
Most country acts in the late ’60s and early ’70s wore rhinestones and embroidered suits. Johnny Cash was the exception. He chose to wear all black to represent the poor and hungry, the “prisoner who...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Last Chart Appearance: The Story Behind “Crosstown Traffic” by The Jimi...
Electric Ladyland was The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s last album. The group began recording it in December 1967 at Olympic Studios in London. After attempting several songs, they moved across the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Behind Beyoncé’s “Protector” and Why It’s The Perfect Mother’s Day Theme Song
Beyoncé’s country-inspired 2024 album, ‘Cowboy Carter,’ goes a lot of places you’d expect from Queen Bey. (Besides the obvious novelty of this monumental hip-hop-to-country crossover.) Amidst plucky...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Meaning Behind “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane and Why They...
“Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane combined ’60s psychedelia in the music with a genuine emotional plea in the lyrics on its way to becoming one of the decade’s most unforgettable songs. But did...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Meaning Behind “Take It Away” by Paul McCartney and the Ex-Bandmate for...
Paul McCartney released “Take It Away” as the second single from his Tug of War album in 1982. The song soared into the Top 10, which wasn’t bad at all considering that it was one that McCartney had...
View Article