"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour incorporates speeches by John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Snap! were two German producers. When they needed a rapper, they found one on the American army base there and had him rap on "The Power."
"Jeopardy" by The Greg Kihn Band got the Weird Al treatment with "I Lost On Jeopardy." Kihn and Jeopardy game show announcer Art Fleming both appear in the video.
The Goo Goo Dolls got the title for their song "Iris" from a country singer named Iris DeMent. The word doesn't show up in the lyric; lead singer Johnny Rzeznik said he was "trying to be pretentious and arty by calling it that."
"Surf City" was recorded by Jan & Dean, but written by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. It was the first #1 hit Wilson wrote.
"Talk To Ya Later" proved the power of MTV when sales of Tubes albums picked up in markets like Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the network was available.
On "Life Is A Highway," his burgeoning solo career, and the Rascal Flatts song he most connects with.
Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.
Joe talks about the challenges of of making a Duke Ellington tribute album, and tells the stories behind some of his hits.
Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.
Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.
Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.