The X song "The Hungry Wolf" drew inspiration from a painting called "The Lone Wolf" by the Polish artist Alfred Kowalski (1849-1915) that dates to about 1890. The print was very popular in America in the 1930s and 1940s - many of X's generation remember seeing it in their grandparents' houses.
The thunderclap sound heard in the Bee Gees song "Tragedy" was made by Barry Gibb with his mouth.
The CCR song "Run Through the Jungle" is about gun control.
"Kickstart My Heart" is about all the ways Motley Crue gets their blood flowing without drugs. It was inspired by their bass player Nikki Sixx, who claimed he had to be revived with a shot of adrenaline to the heart after an overdose.
A 2011 Gold's Gym poll found "Stronger" by Kanye West the best song to work out to. Second place was the Rocky theme.
The line, "Gotta keep 'em separated" in "Come Out And Play" by The Offspring came to lead singer Dexter Holland when he was a medical student and needed to keep bacteria samples away from each other.
"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."
The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.
The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.
Inspired by his dear friend, "Seasons in the Sun" paid for Terry's boat, which led him away from music and into a battle with Canadian paper mills.
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.
U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.
Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.