A pre-famous Rupaul is in the video for "Love Shack" by The B-52s. He had a solo hit with "Supermodel" a few years later.
The R.E.M. song "Don't Go Back To Rockville" is about Mike Mills' girlfriend at the University of Georgia, who had to go back to Rockville, Maryland, for the summer.
"Head Over Heels" by The Go-Go's is a metaphor for how things were getting out of control for the band; they broke up a year later.
The Men Without Hats lead singer wrote "The Safety Dance" after getting kicked out of a bar for dancing too aggressively. The song is literally about being safe to dance if you want to.
John Mellencamp considers "Pink Houses" an "anti-American song," laying bare the struggles of the poor and working class.
Christina Perri's "Jar Of Hearts," written about her ex, became a big hit after it was used in a routine on So You Think You Can Dance.
The Christian rapper talks about where his trip to Haiti and his history of addiction fit into his songs.
Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.
Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."
Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.
Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.
"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.