Meghan Trainor and her producer Kevin Kadish wrote "All About That Bass" for another artist to record, but after Epic Records boss LA Reid heard Meghan play a demo of the song on a ukulele, he signed her to his label and told her she should sing it.
Sir Mix-A-Lot is credited as a writer on The Pussycat Dolls' biggest hit, "Don't Cha," because it interpolates his 1988 song "Swass," where he goes, "Don't you wish your boyfriend was swass like me?"
Mick Jagger was a little freaked out when Maroon 5 released "Moves Like Jagger," a celebration of his stage moves. "It puts a bit of pressure on me when I go out dancing," he said.
"Head Over Heels" by The Go-Go's is a metaphor for how things were getting out of control for the band; they broke up a year later.
Dido helped shut down a Neo-Nazi Web site after learning it was using "White Flag" to promote its hateful messages. Owners of the site had misinterpreted the track as racist and thought they represented their white supremacy views.
It wasn't one of her biggest hits, but "La Isla Bonita" (from 1986) emerged as one of Madonna's top songs in the age of streaming thanks to widespread usage on TikTok. Creators who visit an island or just want that mood often use it as a soundtrack.
If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.
When she released her first album in 1988, Tanita became a UK singing sensation at age 19. She talks about her darkly sensual voice and quirky songwriting style.
The top chant artist in the Western world, Krishna Das talks about how these Hindu mantras compare to Christian worship songs.
What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.
The Creed lead singer reveals the "ego and self-fulfillment" he now sees in one of the band's biggest hits.
The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.