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The Story and Meaning Behind “Under the Milky Way” by The Church, a Hit Even...
If you were listening to pop or rock radio circa 1988, chances are you heard a lot of stuff that kind of hit you over the head with obvious lyrics and obnoxious production. And in the middle of it all,...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),”...
After his voice was heard on countless hits throughout the 1970s and early ’80s, it was high time that Michael McDonald stepped into the spotlight. He did it in 1982 with a killer track called “I Keep...
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The Meaning Behind “Strange Currencies” by R.E.M. and How Michael Hutchence...
Thirty years ago, R.E.M. released their loud, glam rock masterpiece Monster. By 1994, they observed alternative music dominate popular culture, a movement they helped lift from the underground with...
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The Heart Hit Originally Written for Don Henley That Ann Wilson Considered...
By the late ’80s, Heart was still riding the wave of their ninth album Bad Animals, which went to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with hits “Alone” and the Diane Warren-penned “Who Will You Run To.” When...
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The Story Behind “Remote Control” by The Clash and How the Band Reacted When...
Just as Winston Smith rebelled against Big Brother in George Orwell’s political and dystopian 1984, The Clash questioned authority and ranted against oppression and conformity from their first...
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The Disappointing Magazine Interview that Inspired “Kool Thing” by Sonic Youth
Even if you’re not familiar with Sonic Youth’s 1990 single “Kool Thing,” its refrain might sound vaguely familiar. The melody bears some resemblance to the hook from LL Cool J’s “Going Back to Cali,”...
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Revisiting the Beatles’ “The End,” From Backhanded Compliments To Reluctant...
The Beatles’ “The End” appropriately marks the conclusion of Abbey Road, the last album the Fab Four ever recorded (with the exception of the album’s hidden “real” last track, “Her Majesty”)....
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Kenny Loggins’ Most Memorable Love Song Was One He Wrote in High School
Most of us would cringe at some of our ideas and things we wrote when we were still teenagers in high school, but not Kenny Loggins, who wrote one of his most memorable love songs when he was a...
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How Vince Gill Turned a Spousal Spat Into His First No. 1 Hit, “I Still...
Vince Gill has been happily married to Amy Grant since 2000. But before he said “I Do” to the popular Christian music artist, he was wed to fellow country singer Sweethearts of the Rodeo’s Janis...
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The Story Behind the Often Misinterpreted “Brutal” R.E.M. Song That Michael...
Released on R.E.M.‘s fifth album Document in 1987, “The One I Love” may have sounded like a serenade, but its lyrics revealed something more heartless. Written by Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills,...
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Behind the Meaning of John Prine’s “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven...
John Prine had several songs that protested the Vietnam War. A veteran himself, Prine knew the trials that come along with military service. In “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore,”...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “One After 909,” a Song Prominent at the...
In full-circle fashion, the final Beatles studio album to be released included a song from their earliest days. The album was Let It Be, and the song was “One After 909,” which the Fab Four brought out...
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The Story Behind “Faster,” George Harrison’s Ode to Auto Racing
Those who picture George Harrison as the quiet Beatle might not know that he had a passion for one of the loudest sports there is. The sport of auto racing, in particular the Formula One circuit,...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Say Say Say,” the Paul McCartney-Michael...
The collaboration between pop titans Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson yielded two somewhat forgettable songs to start. But the third time was the charm, as they delivered a propulsive, ridiculously...
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The Meaning Behind “Goodbye,” Mary Hopkin’s 1969 Hit Written by Paul McCartney
Mary Hopkin’s time in the spotlight as a folk-pop singer was relatively brief, but quite accomplished nonetheless. After a runaway hit debut single, she was able to follow it up with several more...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Young Americans,” David Bowie’s Foray into...
David Bowie had already conquered folk-pop and glam rock by the time he released the single “Young Americans” in 1975 from the album of the same name. With that track and album, he added soul music to...
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The Meaning Behind Quavo and Lana Del Rey’s New Country-Trap Hit “Tough”
Quavo and Lana Del Rey debuted their new joint single “Tough” in June at Del Rey’s Fenway Park show in Boston. Del Rey announced her first country album Lasso is coming in September. She said,...
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The ’80s Starship Hit Grace Slick Called the “Worst Song Ever”
Jefferson Airplane came into the mid-’60s with hits “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” before transitioning to Jefferson Starship by the’ ’70s. In the 1980s, the band had three hits within two years...
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Warrant Frontman on His Biggest Hit: “How Dare You Define Me by That”
Glam metal band Warrant might have had multiple hits under their leather studded belts, but they paled in comparison to their 1990 smash “Cherry Pie,” which resulted in Warrant frontman Jani Lane...
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Behind the Meaning of Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower”
Not every artist feels comfortable referencing real life things too plainly. In this day and age, an artist can be regarded as a close friend. All of their drama is broadcast to the world in real time....
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