Celine Dion's 1998 festive tune "The Magic of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)" came from an unlikely source. It was penned by Dee Snider of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister.
One of the most enduring songs from the '90s is "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls, which got huge on social media and streaming in the 2020s. The song was written for a movie called City Of Angels, about an angel (Nicolas Cage) who falls in love with a human (Meg Ryan).
"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).
"Kickstart My Heart" is about all the ways Motley Crue gets their blood flowing without drugs. It was inspired by their bass player Nikki Sixx, who claimed he had to be revived with a shot of adrenaline to the heart after an overdose.
Jimi Hendrix wrote "The Wind Cries Mary" not about marijuana, but about his girlfriend at the time, Kathy Mary Etchingham.
"Veronica" was inspired by Elvis Costello's grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.
The former Dead Kennedys frontman on the past, present and future of the band, what music makes us "pliant and stupid," and what he learned from Alice Cooper.
Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.
Did Rivers Cuomo grow up on a commune? Why did they name their albums after colors? See how well you know your Weezer in this Fact or Fiction.
What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."
Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.