"All Star" was written as a confidence builder for fans who were bullied for liking Smash Mouth.
Lady Gaga is a big fan of horror movies; listen for the names of these three Alfred Hitchcock films in the lyrics to "Bad Romance": Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window.
Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves had both gone through divorces when they wrote and recorded the wrenching duet "I Remember Everything." It was the first #1 Hot 100 hit for each of them.
"Forever" by Chris Brown was written for a Wrigley's Doublemint Gum commercial. The full song contains the gum's tagline: "Double your pleasure, double your fun."
"1979" by Smashing Pumpkins is about Billy Corgan entering adulthood. A more accurate year would be 1983, but 1979 was easier to rhyme.
The song "Knock On Wood" was confusing to UK listeners because the saying there is "Touch Wood."
The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.
Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.
A founding member of the band War, Harold gives a first-person account of one of the most important periods in music history.
Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.
These Three famous songs actually describe how they were written - late into the evening.
Kristian talks songwriting technique, like how the chorus should redefine the story, and how to write a song backwards.