Mental Floss

MUSIC

This street is usually really crowded.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Broadway shows will be closed through 2021. The Great White Way has closed before, but shutdowns are usually short-lived and prompted by strikes or inclement weather.

Ellen Gutoskey


















Bogdan Kurylo/iStock via Getty Images

In 2017, stats/polling site Five Thirty Eight asked more than two dozen professional DJs who had DJ’d around 200 weddings and asked them: What songs do couples ban from their weddings?

Garin Pirnia


Johnny Cash in 1966.

With his gravelly baritone and colorful lyrics, Johnny Cash became one of the 1960s’ most prolific crossover artists, bridging the gap between country and early rock ‘n’ roll with a moody, bluesy flair.

Ellen Gutoskey


Eric Clapton performing in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1992.

As a solo artist and a member of bands like The Yardbirds, Blind Faith, Cream, and Derek and the Dominos, Eric Clapton—the man known as “Slowhand” (and sometimes “God”)—has thrilled generations of fans with his righteous bluesy wailing.

Kenneth Partridge


The von Trapp family performs on a London radio show in December 1937.

Julie Andrews immortalized the charming tale of Maria von Trapp and her musically inclined family in 'The Sound of Music'—here’s how it really went down.

Ellen Gutoskey