"Virginia" in "Only The Good Die Young" is named after a real girl Billy Joel was trying to impress.
In 2010, the biggest-selling song in the UK was "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem.
When Rihanna's "Umbrella" was a hit in the summer of 2007, it rained constantly in London, prompting their newspaper The Sun to suggest a "Rihanna Curse."
"Veronica" was inspired by Elvis Costello's grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
"We're An American Band" by Grand Funk describes real events on their 1972 tour, including an encounter with a legendary groupie called "Sweet Connie."
Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."
Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.
"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.
Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.
Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.
Shears does very little promotion, which has kept him secluded from the spotlight. What changed when Cyndi Lauper had a hit with his song? Not much, really.
