Prince Markie Dee of the comic rap trio The Fat Boys co-wrote the Mary J. Blige hit "Real Love."
In 1939, a polka craze swept America thanks to "Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel)."
Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" deals with police brutality in the Trenchtown section of Jamaica, where he grew up. He felt that police assumed young men in the area were all criminals.
Duran Duran's "Wild Boys" is based on the book of the same name by William Burroughs.
Madonna didn't write "Papa Don't Preach," which deals with abortion. What drew her to the song was the singer standing up to male authority.
Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits wrote "Private Dancer," which went to Tina Turner when he realized it wasn't a song for a man to sing.
The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.
The Evanescence frontwoman on the songs that have shifted meaning and her foray into kids' music.
"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."
Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.
Rosanne talks about the journey that inspired her songs on her album The River & the Thread, including a stop at the Tallahatchie Bridge.
Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.