The ELO song scientifically proven to make you happy
ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” is one of the best examples of Jeff Lynne’s particularly bouncy brand of symphonic rock, a song that holds several surprises and reveals itself more and more with each repeated li...
13 Mar 202414min
The inspiration behind Pete Townshend’s biggest hit
The song is the biggest hit of Pete Townshend’s solo career, an infectious tune that the songwriter behind The Who has called “just a little ditty.” It’s a Hollywood favorite, used in charming romanti...
21 Feb 20248min
The midas touch of Pat Benatar and “We Belong”
When Pat Benatar’s Tropico album was released in 1984, she was on top of the world: an established superstar talent with a string of chart-toppers, and she and her husband and musical partner Neil Gir...
31 Jan 20249min
The Rolling Stones’ hit song that almost never happened
By 1981, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were barely talking, having differing opinions on the direction of The Rolling Stones. Making new music together seemed out of the question, but they were booke...
10 Jan 20249min
John Lennon’s message of peace at Christmas
He was the first former Beatle to release a Christmas single after the band broke up, and he found a way to make a Christmas song carry a message of peace and unity without being overly saccharine. Bu...
29 Nov 202310min
The mystery of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl”
Neil Young’s second solo album, 1969’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, marked the first time he made an album with Crazy Horse as his backing band. Created in a rush of musical output from Young, con...
1 Nov 20239min
How “Devil Inside” helped make INXS rock gods
By the time INXS released their sixth album, 1987’s Kick, the band were perched on the edge of international superstardom, a gig that the late Michael Hutchence seemed born for. Kick turned out to be ...
11 Okt 20239min
How Bachman Turner Overdrive’s inside joke became a hit song
By the time Bachman Turner Overdrive were ready to record their third album, Not Fragile, Randy Bachman had sent demo tapes to almost two dozen record labels, all met with rejection letters. Finally, ...
20 Sep 20238min
