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Behind the Fever Dream Music Video That Nearly Broke up Fleetwood Mac
What do you get when you mix the abstract surrealism of 1980s music videos, a searingly hot day in the desert, plenty of stimulants, and a group of some of the most contentious and “fractious”...
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The Story Behind the Last Solo Song John Lennon Performed Live on...
By 1972, John Lennon played what may have been his final two live concerts on August 30, 1972, at Madison Square Garden in New York City with Yoko Ono. Dubbed the One on One, the afternoon and evening...
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The Story and Meaning Behind the 1980s Anthem “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by...
We can understand putting the name of your group within a song. I mean, The Clash did it, and they were as cool as you can get it. But turning the name into an action verb? What kind of insanity is...
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“She Just Had Me on the Grill There”: Why Joni Mitchell Was Cornered in a Bar...
Joni Mitchell has always leaned into raw emotions, writing one tragic or, at the very least, melancholy song over her decades-long career. Her music’s raw, unapologetic approach to emotion once made...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “The Name of the Game,” ABBA’s Thrilling Bid to...
Many bands and artists start off in a mode that’s comfortable to them in the beginning of their careers. The best of them manage to keep developing in new and exciting ways, due to both a natural...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Hello,” a Lionel Richie Smash He Had To Be...
Artists aren’t often the best judge of their own work. Perhaps because they’re too close to it, or perhaps they’re a bit unwilling to embody some of the sentiments of their songs. Many a smash hit...
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Yacht Rock Essentials: “Undercover Angel,” Alan O’Day’s One-Shot Tribute to...
Interestingly enough, there aren’t that many one-hit wonders in the yacht rock canon. Even the soft-rocking artists who didn’t have a lot of staying power often scored at least two hits. That didn’t...
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Behind the Meaning of “That’s So True” by Gracie Abrams
There is no shortage of pop songs that deal with the aftermath of breakups. Matters of the heart have been well traversed in songwriting. One of the latest heartsick hits to gain traction is Gracie...
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It Came from the British Invasion: “Itchycoo Park,” the Summer of Love Smash...
When we think about the British Invasion, we often do so in terms of how it impacted America. Small Faces scored hits again and again in their native UK, but struggled to do so in the U.S. They only...
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The AC/DC ‘Back in Black’ Track That Brian Johnson Ultimately Sang and Bon...
Within the decade before joining AC/DC in 1974, Bon Scott was predominantly a drummer in bands, including the pop group the Spektors in 1964-1966. Later renamed the Valentines, Scott remained behind...
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This Nirvana Classic Was Inspired by Horror Novel That Made Kurt Cobain Want...
Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain wrote most of his songs from a neutral, somewhat vague perspective, which gave his lyrics a universality that lent itself to the band’s broad commercial appeal. However,...
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Behind the Meaning of Megan Moroney’s “Why Johnny”
Megan Moroney shared a tribute to the iconic pairing of Johnny and June Cash on her debut album, Lucky. “Why Johnny” sees the rising country star find similarities in her own relationships and the...
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Was It a Song About a Record Label or the Other Way Around? The Story Behind...
The Beatles founded Apple Corps Limited in 1968 as a multimedia conglomerate comprising a record label, filmmaking, publishing, and retail. The recording label, distributed by EMI, continued to release...
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The Haunting Eagles Hit That Was Created in Linda Ronstadt and J.D. Souther’s...
It was the ’70s, music could be made in casual settings beyond the restrictions of lawyers, agents, managers, and other music executives. That being so, many of the decade’s greatest hits were...
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The Meaning Behind “Headlights” by Eminem and How It’s a Public Apology to...
Customers placing orders at Mom’s Spaghetti in Detroit have occasionally been surprised when their food is served by Eminem. But the warm family vibes arrived via a rapper who rocketed up the charts...
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The Meaning Behind Merle Haggard’s ‘December’ Hardship Song
In 1973, Merle Haggard opened his Christmas album with a hardship song. “If We Make It Through December” became so popular that Haggard included it as the title track on his 16th studio album released...
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The ‘State’ Song Neil Young Wishes He Could Rewrite: “I Don’t Like My Words”
“I don’t like my words when I listen to it today," said Neil Young of his 1970 song. "They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, too easy to misconstrue.” The post The ‘State’ Song...
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Behind the Meaning of Kelly Clarkson’s Christmas Classic “Underneath the Tree”
Few artists can boast having delivered a modern Christmas classic. With all the traditional favorites still hanging around, it’s hard for newly released tracks to measure up. Nevertheless, Kelly...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Up Where We Belong,” the Hit Duet by Joe Cocker...
The sweeping movie love theme was very much a staple of the 1980s. These songs provided a kind of emotional shorthand, summing up the relationship between the two leads. Even better if the song was a...
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“We All Blamed Each Other”: This Iconic Tom Petty Track That Almost Never...
This iconic Tom Petty track almost never saw the light of day, but luckily, the band was able to trust their instincts and keep going. The post “We All Blamed Each Other”: This Iconic Tom Petty Track...
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