The first #1 hit with a rap was "Rapture" by Blondie in 1980. Debbie Harry's rhymes left lots of room for improvement.
Eric Clapton wrote "Layla" about his love for Pattie Harrison, who was married to George Harrison at the time. He eventually married Pattie, and managed to stay friends with George.
Originally a chart-topper for Steve Lawrence in 1962, "Go Away Little Girl" became the first song of the rock era to hit #1 for two different artists when Donny Osmond's cover version also reached the summit in 1971.
"Criminal" is Fiona Apple's only chart hit. Royalties from it allow her to make music on her terms, releasing albums several years apart.
Robert Plant's "Heaven Knows" is a satirical look at the '80s, when style seemed to trump substance.
The CCR song "Run Through the Jungle" is about gun control.
The Creed lead singer reveals the "ego and self-fulfillment" he now sees in one of the band's biggest hits.
Steve Cropper on the making of "In the Midnight Hour," the chicken-wire scene in The Blues Brothers, and his 2021 album, Fire It Up.
Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing.
Wilder's hit "Break My Stride" had an unlikely inspiration: a famous record mogul who rejected it.
When you have a song called "Fire," it's tempting to set one - these guys did.
For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.