The Hollies hit "The Air That I Breathe" was written in part as a reaction to the smog in Los Angeles.
The Texas songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker wrote "Mr. Bojangles" after a weekend in jail where a fellow inmate told him his life story.
Taio Cruz throws his hands up "sometimes" in "Dynamite" because the song was originally written about surrender.
On Metallica's "The Unforgiven," James Hetfield modeled his vocals on Chris Isaak.
"Paranoid" reflects a feeling Black Sabbath bass player Geezer Butler often felt after using drugs.
"Pretty In Pink" by Psychedelic Furs was released in 1981. Five years later, it inspired a movie of the same name starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy and Jon Cryer. The song was remixed for the re-release to have more pop appeal.
How the American gangsta rappers made history by getting banned in the UK.
The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"
Songs where something goes horribly wrong (literally or metaphorically), and help is needed right away.
MTV, a popular TV theme song and Madonna all show up in this '80s music quiz.
The man who ran Nirvana's first label gets beyond the sensationalism (drugs, Courtney) to discuss their musical and cultural triumphs in the years before Nevermind.
Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.