David Bowie's "Space Oddity" tells the story of an astronaut who cuts off communication and floats into space. The BBC used it extensively in their coverage of the 1969 moon landing - an odd choice considering the lyrics.
"Heaven Is A Place On Earth" writer Ellen Shipley got the idea for the song from a gas station greeting card that said "Heaven On Earth."
Pete Townshend never had a #1 UK hit with The Who or as a solo artist, but he did produce and play on a song that hit the top spot there: "Something In The Air" by Thunderclap Newman, a group he assembled.
Keith Richards did some studio alchemy on "Street Fighting Man," which is all acoustic except the bass.
"Reasons" by Earth, Wind & Fire is a popular wedding song, but it's actually about a one-night stand.
The James Blunt song "You're Beautiful" is not romantic: it's a about a creepy subway encounter with an ex.
Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.
In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.
Lyrics don't always follow the rules of grammar. Can you spot the ones that don't?
'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.
The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song.
Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."