The very American song "What Made Milwaukee Famous" was never a big hit in the US, but Rod Stewart made it famous in the UK.

When Metallica performed in China in 2013, they weren't allowed to play "Master Of Puppets," probably because the theme of being controlled by a higher authority didn't sit well with the Chinese government.

The first single from the Thriller album was "The Girl Is Mine," chosen over "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" because it was a duet with Paul McCartney and thus guaranteed airplay.

Tim McGraw recorded "Live Like You Were Dying" just two weeks after his own father passed away.

In the UK, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" returns to the chart every Halloween, a tradition started in 2007.

The Sam & Dave classic "Soul Man" was re-recorded by Sam Moore and Lou Reed for the 1986 movie Soul Man, about a white guy who pretends to be black so he can get a scholarship to Harvard.
Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries.
Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.
In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.
Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.
"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.
The "All I Want" singer went through a long depression, playing some shows when he didn't want to be alive.