The Goo Goo Dolls got the title for their song "Iris" from a country singer named Iris DeMent. The word doesn't show up in the lyric; lead singer Johnny Rzeznik said he was "trying to be pretentious and arty by calling it that."
"We Will Become Silhouettes" by The Postal Service sounds happy and fun, but it's a very bleak song about a nuclear winter. Lead singer Ben Gibbard wrote the lyric while ruminating over 9/11.
When the Velvet Underground song "Heroin" got screechy, Maureen Tucker stopped drumming, figuring it would bust the take, but her bandmates kept going. You can hear it at the 5:20 mark.
"Dark Fantasy" by Kanye West opens with a reinterpretation of Cinderella as read by Nicki Minaj.
The Information Society hit "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" samples the voice of Leonard Nimoy (Spock) from an episode of Star Trek.
The first time Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones all recorded together in the studio was when they backed American singer PJ Proby on his 1969 album Three Week Hero.
Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.
In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.
Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.
On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.
Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.
The (Meat)puppetmaster takes us through songs like "Lake Of Fire" and "Backwater," and talks about performing with Kurt Cobain on MTV Unplugged.