In 1939, a polka craze swept America thanks to "Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel)."
The Hall & Oates hit "Everything Your Heart Desires" has no rhymes.
The inspiration for Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" came when he was worrying about his girlfriend, who was out at bars all day while he was home writing songs.
Stephen Tobolowsky, who played Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, inspired the Talking Heads song "Radio Head." Tobolowsky, who worked on David Byrne's film True Stories, claimed to have telepathic powers.
Michael Jackson became the first artist in history to score Top 10 hits in five consecutive decades on the Hot 100 when "Love Never Felt So Good" landed at #9 on the chart dated May 31, 2014.
David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" was likely based on various musicians in his ambit, including Iggy Pop (zIGGY), and Jimi Hendrix, who played guitar left-handed ("He played it left hand").
On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."
Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.
Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.
Joe talks about the challenges of of making a Duke Ellington tribute album, and tells the stories behind some of his hits.
He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."
The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.