The most famous pop song featuring a bassoon: "The Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles.
The Pretenders are named after the 1956 song "The Great Pretender" by The Platters.
When Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse's version of "Body and Soul" made the Hot 100 in 2011, Bennett became, at age 85, the oldest living artist to make that chart.
The very American song "What Made Milwaukee Famous" was never a big hit in the US, but Rod Stewart made it famous in the UK.
Cyndi Lauper came up with the title "Time After Time" when she saw it in TV Guide magazine. It's the name of a 1979 movie about a man who invents a time machine.
"Veronica" was inspired by Elvis Costello's grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
David Gray explains the significance of the word "Babylon," and talks about how songs are a form of active imagination, with lyrics that reveal what's inside us.
Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."
The stories behind "Shine," "December," "The World I Know" and other Collective Soul hits.
Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.
The "A Thousand Miles" singer on what she thinks of her song being used in White Chicks and how she captured a song from a dream.
The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.