MUSIC

Curtis Hilbun, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0

The Delightful Reason Dolly Parton Leaves Her Christmas Decorations Up Through Mid-January

Dolly Parton has made a tradition out of leaving her Christmas decorations up through at least January 19.

There's no guarantee you'll get all of a performer's greatest hits at a concert.

11 Hit Songs Musicians Have Refused to Play

Owing to boredom, spite, or just plain artistic growth, some recording artists won't give audiences what they want.

James Baldwin's record collection has been ported over to Spotify.

James Baldwin's Record Collection Is Now a 478-Track Spotify Playlist

The celebrated author of 'Go Tell It on the Mountain' used music to inspire and influence his work. Now you can listen, too.

When public trust in the polio vaccine needed to be restored, officials turned to Elvis.

Jab Me Tender: How Elvis Presley Eased People's Minds About the Polio Vaccine

In 1956, the singer agreed to be photographed taking the vaccine in order to drum up public support.

When the BBC Banned Bing Crosby’s 'Deep in the Heart of Texas' for Being Too ‘Jaunty’

The BBC wanted 1950s factory workers to have fun on the job—but Bing Crosby’s clap-happy hit crossed a line.

Ella Fitzgerald sings in New York City as Dizzy Gillespie looks on.

7 Christmas Albums to Put on Repeat Right Now

Signs of Christmastime are different all over the world, as are Christmas traditions. But, no matter where you are or how you celebrate the holiday, one thing that is universal during the holiday season: Christmas music.

Taylor Momsen and Jim Carrey in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000).

20 Facts About Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Jim Carrey’s Grinch face pretty much earned him the role. As it turned out, that was the easiest part.

A stained-glass image of John Newton, the man who wrote "Amazing Grace."

From Stormy Seas to Civil Rights: The Surprising History of 'Amazing Grace'

Though strongly associated with the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, the popular hymn was born off the shores of Buncrana, Ireland.

Kermit and Miss Piggy with Tiny Tim in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992).

The Muppet Christmas Carol Is Finally Being Rereleased With Its Long-Lost Ballad “When Love Is Gone”

If you never owned ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ on VHS, you might not know what we’re talking about. But there's a song that has long been missing from recent presentations.

Incredible Light Display Synced to A-ha’s ‘Take on Me’ Will Get You Into the Holiday Spirit

In Tracy, California, Tom BetGeorge has turned the song "Take on Me" by A-ha into an unofficial holiday bop.

The Rolling Stones and Rice Krispies once collaborated.

Snap, Crackle, Keith: When the Rolling Stones Recorded a Rice Krispies Jingle

Before the rock band hit it big, they wrote and performed a commercial jingle for the popular rice cereal.

12 Surprising Facts About Selena

By the time of her tragic death at the young age of 23, Selena Quintanilla—better known simply as Selena—was already an American icon.

Was Frosty the Snowman Actually an Evil Demon? One Fan Theory Says Yes

According to a theory about the song, Frosty the Snowman was brought to life by a group of evil children.

Janelle Monáe performs at the State Theatre in Minneapolis in 2018.

7 Fascinating Facts About Janelle Monáe

In music, there are artists, original artists, and then there’s Janelle Monáe. Since breaking out a decade ago with her debut album, 2010's 'The ArchAndroid,' Monáe has been unstoppable.

10 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Professional Songwriters

From how closely they work with artists to how much Spotify actually pays, here’s what songwriters had to say about their careers.

Santa Claus is, of course, excited about this.

Do You Hear What I Hear? Radio Stations Have Already Started Playing Christmas Music

If you’ve started blasting Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” already, the radio stations are right there with you.

The 10 Happiest Songs, According to Science

Music preferences are subjective, but there are certain quantifiable metrics that help us identify the best upbeat songs.

20 Memorable One-Hit Wonders

There are a million no-hit wonders who’d gladly trade places with these one-hit wonders, which thrilled us for a short time, filling holes in our souls that we didn’t know existed, then got out of the way—voluntarily or otherwise.

Watch a Cellist Recreate John Williams’s Jurassic Park Theme In Eight Parts

This eight-piece cello cover of John Williams's 'Jurassic Park' theme was recorded by a single musician.

Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong in HBO's Succession.

The Surprising Stories Behind 11 TV Show Theme Songs

The 'Succession' theme song has a sleigh bell in it, and 'The Sopranos' intro is actually about a woman who killed her husband.

On occasion, a piano has been a literal instrument of death.

7 People Killed by Musical Instruments

We’re used to taking it figuratively: One “slays” on guitar, is a “killer” pianist, or wants to “die” listening to a miraculous piece of music. History, though, is surprisingly rich with examples of people who met their ends thanks to a musical instrument

Marjut Valakivi, Public Domain // Wikimedia Commons

Jimi Hendrix’s Connection to Hogan's Alley—Vancouver's Lost Black Neighborhood

Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle but spent much of his childhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, where his grandparents lived in Hogan's Alley—a historical Black neighborhood that was lost to time and urban renewal.

Frieda Belinfante (left) and Henriëtte Hilda Bosmans, her then-partner.

When Europe's First Female Orchestra Conductor Foiled the Nazis While Defying Gender Expectations

Frieda Belinfante realized she wasn’t destined to be a part of the orchestra—she was meant to lead it. But the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands during World War II put her career on hold.

Dolly Parton has a new line of holiday home goods.

Dolly Parton Has Partnered With Williams Sonoma to Launch a Line of Holiday-Themed Home Goods

The popular singer and songwriter is offering cookie baking kits, aprons, and a gingerbread house shaped like the log cabin she grew up in.

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