In the UK, the first #1 hit with a rap was "Candy Girl" by the American boy band New Edition in 1983.
"Hangin' Tough" came at the peak of New Kids On The Block mania (1988). Their writer/producer Maurice Starr wrote it about the struggles the band faced early on. It was a #1 hit in both America and the UK.
"Pretty In Pink" by Psychedelic Furs was released in 1981. Five years later, it inspired a movie of the same name starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy and Jon Cryer. The song was remixed for the re-release to have more pop appeal.
Judas Priest's "Evening Star" is a Christmas carol that describes the journey of the Magi from a first person perspective.
One of Tom Petty's most personal songs is "Room At The Top," which he stopped performing because it brought back painful memories.
Dido helped shut down a Neo-Nazi Web site after learning it was using "White Flag" to promote its hateful messages. Owners of the site had misinterpreted the track as racist and thought they represented their white supremacy views.
Just how much did these monsters of rock dabble in the occult?
Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.
The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.
Lots of life lessons in these Eagles lyrics - can you match them to the correct song?
Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.
Steve Cropper on the making of "In the Midnight Hour," the chicken-wire scene in The Blues Brothers, and his 2021 album, Fire It Up.