The Doobie Brothers' swampy #1 hit "Black Water" is about the Mississippi River, evoking the rafting adventures Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn.
Katmandu, the capital of Nepal, was the archetype for faraway mysticism when Bob Seger wrote a song about it in 1975.
Janet Jackson's "Alright" video features Cab Calloway and Cyd Charisse, stars of musicals she loved as a kid.
"Take On Me" was just a minor hit in Norway until a new version was released with the iconic video, making it a global smash.
Originally a chart-topper for Steve Lawrence in 1962 chart-topper, "Go Away Little Girl," became the first song of the rock era to be taken to #1 by two different artists when Donny Osmond's cover version also reached the summit in 1971.
The closing lyrics in "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies are "Birchmount Stadium, home of the Robbie," which refers to a soccer tournament in Ontario.
When you have a song called "Fire," it's tempting to set one - these guys did.
Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.
The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.
The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.
Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?
A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.
