Mental Floss

MUSIC

Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant performs at New York City's Madison Square Garden on September 3, 1971.

In the pantheon of classic rock songs, there are none more classic than “Stairway to Heaven.” Led Zeppelin’s 1971 opus has it all: mystical lyrics, memorable riffs, a monster guitar solo, and crazy urban legends involving Hobbits and the Devil.

Kenneth Partridge


David Bowie, a.k.a. Ziggy Stardust, poses for the cover of his 'Pin Ups' album in 1973.

In showbiz, personality goes a long way. Personalities go even further. From Ziggy Stardust to Sasha Fierce, artists have used alter egos as a means of stepping outside of themselves, if only momentarily.

Kenneth Partridge




Dr. Demento makes a live appearance in Los Angeles in 2014.

Radio personality Dr. Demento spent four decades curating weird novelty songs for an enraptured audience—including a young "Weird" Al Yankovic.

Jake Rossen


Pictured: The 1980s.

In the 1980s, shopping malls across America hosted everything from video game demonstrations to fans screaming for Patrick Duffy.

Jake Rossen










The Backstreet Boys—Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, and Kevin Richardson—photographed in 1995.

Although they’ve never been taken too seriously, boy bands have been a force ever since The Beatles took the stage on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' and the world witnessed female "hysteria" at its best.

Erika Wolf






The McDonald's Quarter Pounder is turning the big 5-0 in 2021.

If you're celebrating a 50th birthday or anniversary this year, you're in excellent company. From the first e-mail to McDonald's Quarter Pounder, 1971 was a year full of change.

Scott Beggs, mentalfloss .com
Amy Winehouse performs at Lollapalooza on August 5, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois.

Contemporary music has become a constantly expanding repository of classics whose origins sprung up from their most painful and profound experiences, the relationships that dominated portions of the artists’ lives, or just chance encounters that lodged in

Todd Gilchrist