MUSIC

"Ruby's Shoes"

When singer-songwriter Lori McKenna’s son was in second grade, he did a book report on Ruby Bridges, the African-American elementary school student who famously crossed the desegregation lines in 1960. To help her son, McKenna came up with a song about Ru

A Song of the South, Born in the North

While “Dixie” (you know, “Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton/Old times there are not forgotten…”) might seem as inseparable from the South as collard greens and barbecue, the song was actually written in New York by an Ohio native.

Parrots and Horses Reveal their Musical Preferences

From classical and country to dub step and smooth jazz, humans have some drastically different opinions on music. But when it comes to animals, it seems that birds of a feather tend to rock together—or at least they tend to agree on what they hate.

"Shipbuilding" by Elvis Costello

Stuck for suitable words to his tune, Clive Langer played it for his friend Elvis Costello. Within a few days, Costello had written a poetic and emotional lyric about the Falklands War.

See What Beatboxing Looks Like from Inside the Vocal Tract

When University of Southern California researchers Michael Proctor, Shrikanth Narayanan and Krishna Nayak wanted to know what beatboxing looked like from inside the vocal tract, they decided to do something no one had ever done before: Put a performer in

11 Original Songs That Were Cut From Their Movies

Maybe they didn't fit the tone of the film they were supposed to appear in. Maybe the director just couldn't find a place for them. Whatever the reason, these 11 songs never made it into the movies they were intended for.

11 Obscure References in Classic Songs— Explained!

We've all heard these classic pop and rock hits a thousand times. But even if you know all the words, do you know what they were about?

Music History #16: "Nothing Has Been Proved"

“Nothing Has Been Proved” Written by Neil Tennant & Chris Lowe (1989) Performed by Dusty Springfield The

10 Facts About Your Favorite Christmas Carols

By Glen Gower,

"A Nun Suit Painted on Some Old Boxes" and 71 Other Great Frank Zappa Song Titles

The late Frank Zappa would have turned 72 today. Even if you don’t know much about Zappa, you may be aware of his penchant for creative naming. He famously named his four children the following: - Moon Unit - Dweezil - Ahmet Emuukha Rodan - Diva Thin Muf

6 Memorable Movie Musical Moments That Were Recorded Live

Much ado is being made about the fact that the movie musical version of Les Miserables, out December 25, did not use pre-recorded vocals. Instead, the actors sang live to a piano track played through earpieces; the full orchestra was added in post-product

5 Things You Didn't Know About "The 12 Days of Christmas"

by Scott Meslow With only 12 days left 'til Christmas, we're in the heart of caroling season — and few songs would seem more appropriate than "The Twelve Days of Christmas." (Listen to the carol below.) But no matter how many times you've sung it — or

12 Concerts That Ended in Pandemonium or Riots

1. Daniel Auber, La Muette de Portici Auber’s five-act opera (the title translates as The Mute Girl of Portici), regarded as the earliest French grand opera, was a revolutionary work in the most literal sense. It debuted in Paris in 1828, but it was its

12 Star-Studded Benefits Before the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief

Tonight's 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief is the latest in a long tradition of performers coming together to raise spirits and money for a charitable cause. See how many of these previous fund-raising festivals you remember. 1. The Concert for Banglade

Where Are These 12 Boy Bands Now?

Groups like One Direction, The Wanted, and Big Time Rush are keeping the legacy of boy bands alive, but lest we forget the previous generation of singing boys who captured our hearts, here's a look at what the boy bands of yesteryear are up to these days.

12 Unexpected Subjects for Musicals

Apparently, on Broadway and elsewhere, one can break out into song over any topic imaginable, no matter how odd. Here are a dozen real-life musicals covering such weird and improbable subjects as Jerry Springer, Hannibal Lecter, and public restrooms. 1.

Music History #15: "Enola Gay"

“Enola Gay” Written by Andy McCluskey (1980) Performed by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (better known as OMD) The

Music History #14: "Marie Provost"

“Marie Provost” Written by Nick Lowe (1978) Performed by Nick Lowe The

Music History #13: "Midnight Rambler"

“Midnight Rambler” Written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards (1969) Performed by The Rolling Stones The

Music History #12: "Vagabond Ways"

“Vagabond Ways” Written by Marianne Faithfull and David Courts (1999) Performed by Marianne Faithfull The

Music History #11: "The Ballad of Ira Hayes"

“The Ballad of Ira Hayes” Written by Pete La Farge (1963) Performed by Johnny Cash The Music Folk singer and songwriter Peter La Farge packed a lot into his thirty-four years on Earth. The son of a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist was a Korean War vet, a

Music History #10: "Biko"

“Biko” Written and performed by Peter Gabriel

The Night The Beatles Rocked Shea Stadium

Though the Fab Four found it hard to remember the second occasion, the Beatles actually played Shea Stadium twice. When he was later asked about the "second Shea Stadium concert," George Harrison replied, "Did we play Shea twice?" Ringo Starr was asked th

Jonathan Dore, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

11 Songs Inspired by Literature

Many great rock songs have been the result of a lyricist finding inspiration in the pages of a book.

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