Mental Floss

MUSIC



Queen's Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and John Deacon pose in London in 1973.

What's in a name? A lot if you're a popular music band. So imagine if Radiohead was still On A Friday? Or Ozzy Osbourne was still performing under the name of his mother’s favorite talcum powder? The stories behind these groups’ original names are curious

Erika Wolf




Julia Stiles at the Golden Globe Awards in 2011.

Columbia University, Manhattan's Ivy League institution, boasts Alexander Hamilton, Barack Obama, and even Alicia Keys (sort of) among its former students.

Ellen Gutoskey


Bob Dylan performs a concert at the Warfield in San Francisco, California, in 1979.

The phrase “ripped from the headlines” doesn’t just apply to 'Law & Order' episodes. Songwriters throughout the history of popular music have drawn inspiration from real-life tales of murder and mayhem.

Kenneth Partridge








Al Bello, Getty Images

From Indiana Jones to an Elvis-impersonating magician, the Super Bowl halftime show has featured some truly strange performers.

Michele Debczak




L to R: Depeche Mode members Martin Gore, Dave Gahan, Alan Wilder, and Andrew Fletcher in Berlin in July 1984.

Few bands inspire faith and devotion like Depeche Mode. Over a career spanning four decades, the boys from Basildon, England, have redefined what electronic music can look and sound like.

Kenneth Partridge