MUSIC HISTORY

Music History #12: "Vagabond Ways"

“Vagabond Ways” Written by Marianne Faithfull and David Courts (1999) Performed by Marianne Faithfull The

Music History #11: "The Ballad of Ira Hayes"

“The Ballad of Ira Hayes” Written by Pete La Farge (1963) Performed by Johnny Cash The Music Folk singer and songwriter Peter La Farge packed a lot into his thirty-four years on Earth. The son of a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist was a Korean War vet, a

Music History #10: "Biko"

“Biko” Written and performed by Peter Gabriel

Music History #9: "Watergate Blues"

“Watergate Blues” Written and performed by Tom T. Hall (1973) The Music Back in the early days of country music, songs were often like newspaper articles, written and sung to spread the news of some topical event. In 1973, country storyteller-songwriter

Music History #8: "New York Mining Disaster 1941"

“New York Mining Disaster 1941 (Have You Seen My Wife, Mr. Jones)” Written by Barry and Robin Gibb (1967) Performed by Bee

Music History #7: "Hurricane"

“Hurricane” Written by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy (1975) Performed by Bob

Music History #6: "American Pie"

"American Pie” Written and performed by Don

Music History #5: "I Don't Like Mondays"

“I Don’t Like Mondays” Written by Bob Geldof (1979) Originally sung by The Boomtown Rats The Music http://youtu.be/8yteMugRAc0 It may be the catchiest murder ballad of all time. Laced with baroque piano flourishes and a call-and-response style chorus,

Music History #4: "Cloudbusting"

Editor's Note: This is the fourth installment of Bill DeMain's new(ish) column, where he explores the real historical events that inspired various songs. "Music History" appears twice a month—unless we can convince Bill that twice a month is not sufficien

The Late Movies: The First 7 Videos on MTV

MTV turns 31 today. It launched one minute past midnight on August 1, 1981, with footage of Space Shuttle Columbia and Apollo 11 launches, then the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll," spoken by John Lack, one of the creators of MTV. An extended

Who Wrote "Happy Birthday to You" (and Who's Collecting the Millions in Royalties)?

“Happy Birthday to You” has been used in hundreds of movies, countless advertisements, an estimated 1,500,000+ singing telegrams, and been the basis for pieces by classical composers like Igor Stravinsky and Aaron Copland. It’s arguably the most recognize

Music History #3: "Yes! We Have No Bananas"

Editor's Note: This is the third installment of Bill DeMain's new column, where he explores the real historical events that inspired various songs. "Music History" appears twice a month. “Yes! We Have No Bananas” Written by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn (

Music History #2: "Smoke on the Water"

Editor's Note: This is the second installment of Bill DeMain's new column, where he explores the real historical events that inspired various songs. "Music History" will appear twice a month. “Smoke on the Water” Written by Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore,

Music History #1: "One Night in Bangkok"

Editor's Note: This is the big debut of Bill DeMain's new column, where he explores the real historical events that inspired various songs. "Music History" will appear twice a month. Try it. You'll like it! “One Night In Bangkok” Written by Benny Anderss

The Beatles's Bizarre 1960s Christmas Shows

By the 1963 Christmas season, The Beatles were already the biggest musical stars in the history of British entertainment. Which makes their live "The Beatles Christmas Shows" of 1963 and 1964 even more bizarre.

'Jingle Bells' Was Originally Written as a Thanksgiving Song

Thanksgiving's got nothing on Christmas when it comes to music. Beyond Adam Sandler's "The Thanksgiving Song," there aren't a ton of tunes you associate with Turkey Day. Unless you count "Jingle Bells." Wait, what?

John Minihan, Evening Standard/Getty Images

Marvin Gaye, Detroit Lions Wide Receiver?

We’ve seen plenty of athletes—probably too many—try to become musicians. But what happens when it goes the other way?

Going Out With a Bang: Janis Joplin's Hard-Partying Wake

When Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970, she left behind a will that included an offbeat stipulation: $2500 to fund a hard-partying wake in her memory.

Brunswick Records, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

February 3, 1959: The Day the Music Died

On February 3, 1959, a plane crashed shortly after taking off from Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all four people aboard: pilot Roger Peterson and musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. The date became known as The Day the

Kevin Winter / Getty Images for Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest / EA SPORTS BOWL

6 Pop songs that Rip Off Classical Music

Musicians have always taken inspiration from each other, but sometimes it's a little too on the nose.