MUSIC

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.

Spotify can now solve all your song mysteries.

Finally! Spotify Will Now Let You Search Out Songs by Their Lyrics on Your Smartphone

Avid Spotify listeners have long hoped that the app developers would add this feature—this week, their dreams came true.

A photo of Radiohead members Phil Selway, Jonny Greenwood, Thom Yorke, Colin Greenwood, and Ed O'Brien in 1995.

10 Facts About Radiohead’s 'Kid A'

When Radiohead released 'Kid A' on October 2, 2000, few people were prepared for the album—or the lasting effect it would have on the music industry.

The cast of Cop Rock—in a rare moment of not singing about law and order.

Cop Rock: How ABC Created the Strangest TV Musical Of All Time

There’s a time and a place for a jaunty Hall & Oates pastiche, but—as the creators of 'Cop Rock' discovered the hard way—it’s probably not in the middle of a self-described “baby merchant” getting caught in a child abduction sting.

Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin in House Party (1990).

11 Wild Facts About 'House Party'

Reginald Hudlin's 'House Party' proved to Hollywood that the growing interest in Black cinema seen in the late 1980s was no mere fad.

B.I.G. as the (K.O.N.Y), taken by Barron Claiborne.

The Notorious B.I.G.'s Iconic "King of New York" Crown Is Expected to Fetch More Than $200,000 at Auction

The photo of Biggie Smalls crowned “King of New York” was taken just three days before his death in 1997.

The Clash—Joe Strummer, Paul Simonon, Mick Jones, and Nicky 'Topper' Headon—in New York in 1978.

10 Facts About The Clash's 'London Calling'

Rolling Stone named 'London Calling,' the landmark third album by English rockers The Clash, #1 on its list of the 100 Best Albums of the 1980s—and with good reason.

Elvis Presley in concert in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 27, 1977.

5 Bizarre Elvis Presley Concert Appearances

Elvis Presley spent a portion of his later years behaving somewhat erratically during his live performances, insulting his back-up singers and even changing lyrics to lash out at the hotel hosting him.

Don Johnson and Barbra Streisand in September 1988.

Miami Sound Machine: Remembering Don Johnson's Music Career

'Miami Vice' star Don Johnson parlayed his fame in the 1980s and recorded a surprisingly well-received album.

The Surprising Stories Behind 12 Classic Pop Songs

Bonnie Tyler was singing about lovestruck vampires long before Twilight’s Bella and Edward came along.

The Most Popular Songs Named After Each Country

This map shows the world's most popular songs with country names in the title, from "Russian Roulette" by Rihanna to "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles.

Tyra Banks, Maria Bello, Bridget Moynahan, Izabella Miko, and Piper Perabo star in Coyote Ugly (2000).

11 Facts About Coyote Ugly On Its 20th Anniversary

'Coyote Ugly,' the guilty pleasure cult classic that launched the careers of Piper Perabo and Adam Garcia, is turning 20 years old.

Who let the dogs out? In 2000, it was the Baha Men—but the novelty song's origins could date back much further.

Unraveling the 20-Year Mystery of How 'Who Let the Dogs Out' Became a Global Phenomenon

It's been 20 years since 'Who Let the Dogs Out' was released, and its impossibly infectious hook is no doubt still lodged inside your brain. But two decades later, we're still no closer to answering the question.

American singer, actress, and activist Lena Horne circa 1947.

10 Amazing Facts About Lena Horne

With a multifaceted career that lasted more than 70 years, Lena Horne is many things to many people: a talented singer, one of the most famous actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age, and a tireless champion of civil rights.

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