Wang Chung's '80s classic "Dance Hall Days" is about how things can start simple but end up complex. First you "take your baby by the hand," but by the end she has an amethyst in her mouth.
Billy Joel's song "Allentown" was written as "Levittown," which is the town in Long Island where he grew up. He got the idea to change it after taking a trip to Pennsylvania.
When Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" climbed to the top of the UK singles chart in its 19th week, the song broke the record for the slowest continual ascent to #1.
The closing lyrics in "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies are "Birchmount Stadium, home of the Robbie," which refers to a soccer tournament in Ontario.
"How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" by Marvin Gaye was inspired by Jackie Gleason's saying, "How Sweet It Is!"
"Master Blaster (Jammin')" is Stevie Wonder's tribute to Bob Marley, released less than a year before Marley died.
Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?
The stories behind "Shine," "December," "The World I Know" and other Collective Soul hits.
One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.
He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.
Rosanne talks about the journey that inspired her songs on her album The River & the Thread, including a stop at the Tallahatchie Bridge.
The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."