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The Ominous Elvis Presley Song That Might Have Inspired David Bowie’s Last Album
This unreleased, ominous Western song recorded by Elvis Presley in 1960 was a likely inspiration for David Bowie's last record, 'Blackstar.' The post The Ominous Elvis Presley Song That Might Have...
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The Bob Dylan-Inspired Simon and Garfunkel Track That “Horrified” Paul Simon
Bob Dylan helped inform this iconic Simon and Garfunkel track, but the end results ultimately "horrified" songwriter Paul Simon. The post The Bob Dylan-Inspired Simon and Garfunkel Track That...
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The Melancholy Eagles Song That Strangely Predicted the Band’s 1980 Breakup
The Eagles' melancholy song from 1970, inspired by two California venues, offered an uncanny prediction of their breakup the next year. The post The Melancholy Eagles Song That Strangely Predicted the...
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The 1988 Tracy Chapman Ballad Covered by Neil Diamond, Luciano Pavarotti, and...
"In songs, you take on different personas and different characters," said Tracy Chapman, "and try and put yourself in their place." The post The 1988 Tracy Chapman Ballad Covered by Neil Diamond,...
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“I’m Not Interested”: The Beatles Song That Highlighted John Lennon and Paul...
This 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' track highlighted the songwriting differences between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The post “I’m Not Interested”: The Beatles Song That Highlighted John...
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Watch Dierks Bentley Tell the Story Behind the Hit Song That Changed His Life...
Watch Dierks Bentley tell the story behind the hit single that launched his career and changed his life forever. The post Watch Dierks Bentley Tell the Story Behind the Hit Song That Changed His Life...
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“This Is Really Boring”: The No. 1 Single Stevie Nicks Had To Plead With...
Stevie Nicks had to beg Fleetwood Mac to consider recording this song, and it turned out to be their only No. 1 single in the U.S The post “This Is Really Boring”: The No. 1 Single Stevie Nicks Had To...
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The “Funeral Anthem” That Vince Gill Holds Near and Dear to His Heart
In a 2021 Q&A session, Vince Gill revealed why this tear-jerking hit is near and dear to his heart and why he enjoys playing it live. The post The “Funeral Anthem” That Vince Gill Holds Near and...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Suddenly,” One of the ’80s’ Silkiest Love...
He became one of the most successful soul/R&B artists of the 1980s. Very few people even realized Billy Ocean had been recording for nearly a decade before massive crossover smashes like "Suddenly"...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Pop Muzik,” an Early Synth-Pop Standard by M
The late 1970s was one of the wildest eras ever in music, as genres formed and imploded with random, rapid flair. In 1979, "Pop Muzik" seemed to anticipate the decade to come in the way that it melded...
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The Life-Threatening Family Altercation That Inspired Willie Nelson’s...
The blazing fire fight that inspired Willie Nelson's 1973 hit "Shotgun Willie" and gave him his iconic nickname of the same title. The post The Life-Threatening Family Altercation That Inspired Willie...
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Behind the Meaning of the Rolling Stones’ Road Ballad, “Moonlight Mile”
As glamorous as it seems from the outside looking in, life on the road can be a little disorienting–at least that’s how it seems in the Rolling Stones’ “Moonlight Mile.” This ballad from 1971 is one of...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Nothing From Nothing,” One of the Biggest Solo...
When you get a reputation as a sideman extraordinaire, it can be tough to garner attention for the music you make on your own. You might think that dilemma would have bedeviled Billy Preston as much as...
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It Came From the British Invasion: “A Summer Song,” the Warm-Weather Classic...
They didn't exactly rock out like many of the fellow acts who joined them in the British Invasion. That just meant that Chad & Jeremy filled a somewhat unique niche in the 1960s music scene,...
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Yacht Rock Essentials: “Imaginary Lover,” an Atlanta Rhythm Section Classic...
We tend to think of yacht rock as a West Coast thing, but some Southern artists were able to invade that smooth-sounding territory a time or two in the late 1970s. The Atlanta Rhythm Section did just...
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How Jimi Hendrix’s Cover of “All Along the Watchtower” Overwhelmed Bob Dylan
“All Along the Watchtower” remains the most-played from Bob Dylan’s enormous catalog, and his live take has long leaned heavily on Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 adaptation, which reimagined Dylan’s anxious poem...
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The Song Simon & Garfunkel Wrote To Tease Bob Dylan—and Failed
The story behind Simon & Garfunkel's "A Simple Desultory Philippic" and the embarrassing backlash it entailed. The post The Song Simon & Garfunkel Wrote To Tease Bob Dylan—and Failed appeared...
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The Iconic Love Song Joni Mitchell Called One of Her “Throwaway” Tracks
Joni Mitchell called this iconic love song a "throwaway," despite it being her most commercially successful record. The post The Iconic Love Song Joni Mitchell Called One of Her “Throwaway” Tracks...
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There’s a Place You Can’t Go: On This Day, YMCA Sued “Y.M.C.A.” Group,...
On January 13, 1979, the Young Men's Christian Association, or YMCA, sued the Village People for their seminal hit, "Y.M.C.A." The post There’s a Place You Can’t Go: On This Day, YMCA Sued “Y.M.C.A.”...
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The Bob Dylan Classic That Inspired Joni Mitchell’s Newfound Lyrical Voice
How this 1965 Bob Dylan hit inspired Joni Mitchell to take a wildly different approach to her songwriting. The post The Bob Dylan Classic That Inspired Joni Mitchell’s Newfound Lyrical Voice appeared...
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