"The Long and Winding Road" was the last of The Beatles' 20 #1 hits in America. Written by Paul McCartney, he said it's a sad song about "the door you never quite reach."
"Rio" by Duran Duran is a metaphor for America, where the band was trying to break through.
The third verse of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies ("they shook and lurched all over the church floor...") was inspired by girl whose parents would speak in tongues at their Pentecostal service.
Alicia Keys, Elton John, Fergie, and Rihanna all sang on "All of the Lights" by Kanye West.
Musically, the Twisted Sister song "We're Not Gonna Take It" is based on the Christmas tune "O Come All Ye Faithful."
Adele's "Hello" was the first song to sell over a million downloads in a week. What's remarkable was that this was in 2015, when streaming was a viable option. Her fans were happy to pay for the song anyway.
How Bing Crosby, Les Paul, a US Army Signal Corps Officer, and the Nazis helped shape rock and Roll.
Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.
Just how much did these monsters of rock dabble in the occult?
Foreigner's songwriter/guitarist tells the stories behind the songs "Juke Box Hero," "I Want To Know What Love Is," and many more.
Michael tells the story of "Send Me On My Way," and explains why some of the words in the song don't have a literal meaning.
Wilder's hit "Break My Stride" had an unlikely inspiration: a famous record mogul who rejected it.