"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" was first recorded in 1934 by Eddie Cantor, but in 1962 it was one of the first hits for The Four Seasons, who became one of the most popular groups of that decade.
"Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon was used in the film The Spy Who Loved Me. It was the first James Bond song not named after the movie.
"Step On," the most famous song by the Happy Mondays ("You're twistin' my melon man!") is a thoroughly revamped cover of a song from 1971 about the plight of indigenous peoples called "He's Gonna Step On You Again" by John Kongos.
The Mission: Impossible theme is in 5/4 time. Composer Lalo Schifrin joked that he did it so 5-legged aliens could dance to it.
Zac Hanson was just 11 years and 7 months old when "MMMbop" topped the Hot 100, making him the youngest group member to co-write and perform a US #1 single.
"The Rubberband Man" is a "short, fat guy" with rhythm and grace. Spinners producer Thom Bell wrote it to boost the self-esteem of his rotund son.
Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.
Dave explains how the video appropriated the meaning of "Runaway Train," and what he thought of getting parodied by Weird Al.
The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.
The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.
What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.
Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.