The wild child Role Model sings about in "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out" is based on various women he encountered when he dove back into the dating pool after a long relationship.
No Doubt's hit "Don't Speak" is about Gwen Stefani's breakup with the band's bass player, Tony Kanal, after seven years together.
The Texas songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker wrote "Mr. Bojangles" after a weekend in jail where a fellow inmate told him his life story.
When "Believe" hit #1 in America, it made Cher, age 52, the oldest woman ever to top the chart.
Lou Reed's 11-minute "Street Hassle" features a spoken part by Bruce Springsteen.
David Gilmour really was "Learning To Fly" when he co-wrote the Pink Floyd song - the aviation jargon came from his lessons.
How the American gangsta rappers made history by getting banned in the UK.
With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.
We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.
The man who created Yacht Rock with "Sailing" wrote one of his biggest hits while on acid.
The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.
A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."