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The Story and Meaning Behind “Limelight,” a Breakthrough Song by Rush about...
The Canadian trio Rush hit a commercial and artistic peak with the release of their 1981 album Moving Pictures. The thundering “Limelight” stood out as one of the songs from that record that helped the...
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Remember When: Pink Floyd Made Their ‘Top of the Pops’ Debut With “See Emily...
Pink Floyd was originally scheduled to make their debut on Top of the Pops with their first single “Arnold Layne” in May of 1967 but the episode never aired. The band’s debut single, “Arnold Layne” was...
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Yacht Rock Essentials: How Little River Band Struck a New Chord with...
The finest songs can come from the humblest of sources. In the case of “Reminiscing,” it was a chord newly taught to Little River Band member Graeham Goble that did the trick. That simple springboard...
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Post-Millennial Masterpiece: “Easy Way Out,” a Typically Downcast Gem from...
Elliott Smith delivered just one record after the turn of the millennium while he was still alive. He intended the album to be more upbeat, because he was tired of his music being labelled as...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Tears of Rage” by The Band, the Collaboration...
With “Tears of Rage,” The Band both highlighted their debt to Bob Dylan and showed how they could leave that behind and forge their own musical path. The song opened their debut album Music from Big...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Someday, Someway,” Marshall Crenshaw’s Bouncy...
Many 1980s hits were very much of that era, time-stamped by their production techniques and instrumental flourishes. “Someday, Someway” by Marshall Crenshaw bucked that trend. It recalled a bygone era...
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The Sharon Vaughn-Penned Song Waylon Jennings Recorded First and Willie...
In 1976, Waylon Jennings recorded Sharon Vaughn’s song “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” for his compilation Wanted! The Outlaws, but never released it as a single. Vaughn originally wrote the song...
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The Story Behind “The Real Me” by The Who and How It Establishes the...
Two youth subcultures evolved in England after World War II. Beatniks listened to jazz and rejected conformity and consumerism, while Teddy Boys embraced American rock ‘n’ roll and became associated...
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The Soft and Cuddly Story Behind “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” by Elvis Presley
President Theodore Roosevelt inspired the teddy bear when on a Mississippi hunting trip in 1902, he refused to shoot a black bear that had been cornered by his assistants. Upon reading about...
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The Early ’70s Coca-Cola Song That Became an Iconic Ad and a Hit for the...
By the 1970s, anyone watching television would have likely come across the sweet folk song “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony),” while holding bottles of Coca-Cola. In the...
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The Taboo Subject Explored in “Down from Dover” by Dolly Parton
If Dolly Parton did nothing more than write songs, she would still be a national treasure. The singer, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman has been creating songs since before she could write....
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Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue” Was Inspired by This Unimpressed Musician
Great songwriters know inspiration can come from anywhere, even in non-reciprocal cases, like Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue,” a song inspired by a musician who would later muse they were rather...
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The Story Behind “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” by Bruce Springsteen and the E...
In 1989, Bruce Springsteen informed his longtime backing-band members that he would not need their services for the foreseeable future. The E Street Band had been with “The Boss” since 1972, even...
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The Story Behind “Green Onions” by Booker T. and the M.G.’s
Discussions about songs usually revolve around the concepts of hooks, bridges, choruses, and of course lyrics. But the 1962 instrumental “Green Onions” by Booker T. and the M.G.’s has few of these. Yet...
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Behind the Meaning of Megan Moroney’s “Man on the Moon”
Megan Moroney is quickly establishing herself as an artist who cleverly writes her way out of heartbreak. While she certainly has some somber tracks, many of her best songs have a playful, irreverent...
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The Tragic Story Behind the Oak Ridge Boys’ First No. 1 “I’ll Be True to You”
Before moving to Nashville in 1977 to work with Tree International (now SonyATV), Alan Rhody already had a collection of songs he hoped would be picked up by the end of the year under his new...
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The Story Behind “28” by Zach Bryan and How His Courageous Dog Named Boston...
Zach Bryan released his highly anticipated album The Great American Bar Scene on July 4, and recently took to social media to answer fan questions about the project. One fan asked how the song “28”...
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The Beatles Song John Lennon “Always Hated” and Called “A Throwaway”
When you’re as prolific of a band as the Beatles, there will inevitably be a few songs you dislike—like the “throwaway” track from ‘Rubber Soul’ that John Lennon said he “always hated.” Ironically,...
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John Fogerty Shares the True Story Behind What Inspired Him to Write the CCR...
One of the most enduring tunes John Fogerty wrote for his old band Creedence Clearwater Revival was “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” Fogerty has posted a video presentation on his social media pages explaining...
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Joe Bonsall Tells the Story Behind The Oak Ridge Boys’ Hit Song “Elvira”
When Joe Bonsall sang lead on the Oak Ridge Boys’ signature hit “Elvira” in 1981, it was a bit of a novelty for Bonsall. The Philly native typically ceded lead vocals to bandmate Duane Allen. However,...
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