Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" was co-written by Sarah Hudson, who was a member of the pop group Ultraviolet Sound. Though Sarah isn't related to Katy (whose real name is Katy Hudson), she is the first cousin of another famous person with the same name, the actress Kate Hudson.
"Girl Crush" by Little Big Town came from the hashtag #girlcrush, which its co-writer, Lori McKenna, spotted on Instagram.
"Diamonds From Sierra Leone" by Kanye West is about the "blood diamonds" mined using child labor in Africa. It also serves as a shout-out to Roc-A-Fella records, known for a diamond-shaped hand signal.
The Hollies hit "The Air That I Breathe" was written in part as a reaction to the smog in Los Angeles.
"We Belong Together" finds Mariah Carey listening to the radio and hearing songs that remind her of heartbreak. Two real songs get specific mentions: "If You Think You're Lonely Now" by Bobby Womack and "Two Occasions" by The Deele (Babyface's group).
The Grateful Dead considered "whipping that chain" and "lugging propane," but settled on "high on cocaine" for "Casey Jones."
The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.
P.F. was a teenager writing hits and playing on tracks for Jan & Dean when he wrote a #1 hit that got him blackballed.
The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.
Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Hooker talks about transforming a Tony Bennett classic and why you don't have to be sad and lonely to write the blues.
Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."
