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Behind the Meaning of Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert’s Duet, “Good Horses”
The life of a musician can be hard to predict. Many of them have a wayfaring spirit that’s impossible to pin down. It’s not always the best recipe for a strong relationship. In Lainey Wilson and...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “I’m Down,” The Beatles’ Shouter that Almost Got...
It’s hard to believe now, when everything Beatles-related seems to have been endlessly repackaged and analyzed, but there was a time when certain songs that were officially released by The Fab Four...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Roundabout” by Yes, a Song that Made the Best...
The next time you take a road trip, pay attention not to just the scenery, but also the traffic intersections. That’s the lesson we should take a way from Yes, because their landmark song “Roundabout”...
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The Aerosmith Song Steven Tyler Believed Would Make Them Famous and Helped...
On August 5, 1972, Aerosmith paid out of their pockets to secure a spot at a Max’s Kansas City gig in New York City where the then-president of Columbia Records Clive Davis would be in attendance. The...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Any Way You Want It,” the Journey Hit Inspired...
The most successful bands are always looking for ways to improve, even if it means borrowing ideas and strategies from their peers. Journey did just that with their 1980 smash “Any Way You Want It” and...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Boulevard,” a Rocking Jackson Browne Hit from...
Sometimes the public will back you even when the critics don’t. That’s what happened to Jackson Browne in 1980. While enduring some of the harshest reviews of his career, he ended up with his first...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “One Less Bell to Answer,” a Heartbreaking Torch...
“One Less Bell to Answer” made it No. 2 on the U.S. pop charts in 1970. But The 5th Dimension track feels like it was sourced from a much earlier era, one where heartbreaking torch songs of love lost...
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Yacht Rock Essentials: “Time Passages,” the Smash Hit Al Stewart Wrote and...
“Time Passages” charted higher than any other Al Stewart single in the United States, even higher than “Year of the Cat” (the former was No. 7 in 1978, the latter No. 8 in ’76). It helped the album of...
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The Story Behind “Bargain” by The Who and the Spiritual Master Who Didn’t...
In 1967, Pete Townshend discovered the teachings of Meher Baba, the Indian spiritual master who had a following of hundreds of thousands of people. Townshend identified with the leader, who seemed to...
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Post-Millennial Classic: “Life on a Chain,” the Opening Salvo from Pete...
I was waiting over here for life to begin, sings Pete Yorn on “Life on a Chain.” His career as a singer/songwriter, after a few forks in the road, essentially began with that song, and it immediately...
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How Len’s “Steal My Sunshine” Went from Afterthought to Summer Anthem
As counterintuitive as it may seem, there have been many hit songs that were last-minute additions to an album. Sometimes such songs are consciously written to be hits because a label executive...
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The Meaning Behind Sturgill Simpson’s “Scooter Blues”
Besides his melodic guitar riffs, empathic voice, and raw-to-the-bone persona—Sturgill Simpson is a writer and a great one at that. Often known for being one of the last “true” country musicians,...
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The Story Behind “Glad All Over” by The Dave Clark Five and How They Took an...
Dave Clark was more than just the drummer in the band bearing his name. He acted as manager, songwriter, publisher, and producer. Clark started the band to raise money for his soccer team to go to...
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Stevie Nicks’ “You Can’t Fix This” and the Devastating Personal Loss That...
Stevie Nicks has built an entire career on writing songs about significant relationships in her life, and her 2013 track “You Can’t Fix This” is certainly no exception. But unlike other songs about...
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The Partnership that Fueled Kirsty MacColl’s Breakthrough Hit “Walking Down...
English singer/songwriter Kirsty MacColl did not get much recognition for her music in the U.S. in the 1980s. She was best known for writing and recording the original version of “They Don’t Know,”...
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The Meaning Behind “Freedom” by Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar and Its History as...
Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign now has a theme song. Beyoncé’s 2016 hit “Freedom” is the soundtrack to Harris’ bid to become the first female president of the United States....
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The Story Behind Axl Rose’s Sex Recording Session With Ex-Drummer Steven...
Sex, drugs, and rock and roll coalesced on more than one occasion during the making of Guns N’ Roses‘ 1987 debut Appetite for Destruction. All of the debaucheries molded one of the most ferociously...
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The Heart Mega Hit That Was Actually Written for Stevie Nicks
Sometimes, the greatest moments in a band’s career come from someone else making a seemingly inconsequential decision, like the time Stevie Nicks turned down the future Heart mega hit that Bernie...
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The Story Behind “Cold, Cold Heart” by Hank Williams and How a B-Side Became...
B-sides of singles were usually throwaways. If a song was a success, the record company would not want to have another hit on the same platter. The main goal is to sell records. If a song gets hot, you...
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Behind the Meaning of “Spanish Pipedream” by John Prine
It can be easy to get wrapped up in life’s struggles. Living simply isn’t something many of us can manage. That rings especially true for musicians chasing down a dream of fame. John Prine discussed...
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