"Anaconda" was originally recorded by Missy Elliott in 2012, but the rapper decided to shelf the track so it was re-recorded by Minaj two years later.
Lucinda Williams wrote and recorded "Passionate Kisses" 4 years before it was a hit for Mary Chapin Carpenter.
A live stripped down version of "Flying Without Wings" was the first ever #1 on the Official UK Download Chart. It was recorded in May 1994 at The Globe, Stockholm.
Often heard as a patriotic song, "Down Under" is really about the selling of Australia and makes a strong political statement.
The Bangles song "Eternal Flame" was inspired by a display at Graceland that honored Elvis Presley.
Lyrically, Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives" was inspired by American detective shows; musically, it was inspired by The Clash.
U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.
The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.
"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.
Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.
Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."
With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?
