MUSIC

Give into superstitious, narrow-minded flights of paranoia? Lemmy would never.

Hail ... Santa? 10 Songs That That May (Or May Not) Include Hidden Messages

The Beatles helped bring backmasking to the mainstream, but here are a few classic tracks that may (or may not) feature hidden messages, too.

How Jimmy Buffett Turned “Margaritaville” Into a Way of Life

The late singer's beach bum reputation helped him build a billion-dollar empire.

How Phil Collins Accidentally Created the Sound That Defined 1980s Music

You may have never heard the phrase “gated reverb,” but you've most definitely heard the effect. And you can thank Phil Collins for that.

17 Surprising Facts About ‘Empire Records’

The movie was released on September 22, 1995 to barely any fanfare—but somehow, years later, fans discovered it and have helped keep its memory alive.

Tom Hanks' 'That Thing You Do!' produced one of cinema's greatest earworms.

11 Fictional Bands Who Scored Very Real Hit Songs

The Monkees may not have been a "real" band, but their chart-topping legacy speaks for itself.

30 Years Ago: When Alicia Silverstone and Aerosmith Ruled MTV

In 1993, a teenaged Alicia Silverstone changed the rules for video vixens everywhere with Aerosmith's "Cryin'"—and cemented her place in pop culture history.

7 Facts About Polka Dots

The pattern is named after the European dance craze, but what exactly the dots have to do with polka is a bit of a mystery.

The 10 Most Popular Wedding Songs

First dance songs, wedding reception songs … This list has a little of everything.

In 1985, Sting sang that he hoped "the Russians love their children too." James Cameron and Christopher Nolan were listening.

The Curious Link Between 'Oppenheimer,' The Terminator, and a Forgotten '80s Sting Tune

For years, Sting’s 1985 anti-war song “Russians” seemed to be something of an afterthought. But it made a lasting impression on two future filmmakers and a pair of summer blockbusters released more than 30 years apart.

The Doors, The Airborne Toxic Event, Louise Post of Veruca Salt, and Steely Dan.

20 Band Names Inspired by Classic Books and Literature

These 20 bands each took their names from the pages of classic works of literature by the likes of C.S. Lewis, William S. Burroughs, Charles Dickens, and beyond.

A Tale of Two Creeps: Radiohead, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Great 'Creep' Face-Off of 1992

If you wanted to hear your favorite band sing "Creep" in the early '90s, you had a plethora of choices.

A Taylor Swift–Themed Cat Art Show Is Coming to CatCon

Karma is a cat … art show. (No, that’s literally the title of the exhibition.)

From left: Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickson, Dolly Parton, Jimmy Buffett, and Gil Scott-Heron.

14 Musicians Who Are Also Novelists

Jimmy Buffett—yeah, the “Margaritaville” guy—is one of just a few authors to have books that topped both the fiction and non-fiction ‘New York Times’ bestsellers lists. Other authors that have that distinction include Hemingway and Steinbeck.

Paris is Burning | ‘Come On, Vogue’ (HD) - Willi Ninja | MIRAMAX

7 Facts About Willi Ninja, the Grandfather of Vogue

Famed choreographer Willi Ninja's pioneering dance moves and gender-fluid style had a lasting influence on music and fashion, which still persists to this day.

“An Erotic Motorcycle”: The Surprisingly Surreal Subtext Behind Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”

It involves one man’s obsession with Peter Pan, the Emily Brontë novel ‘Wuthering Heights,’ and Meat Loaf.

Getting a song stuck in your head can be infuriating.

5 Ways to Get Rid of Earworms, According to Science

Got a song stuck in your head that you want to get out? For starters, try humming the theme to 'The A-Team.'

Johnny Cash had a violent encounter with a dangerous bird.

Angry Bird: When Waldo the Ostrich Tried to Kill Johnny Cash

An ornery bird once tried to disembowel the Man in Black.

How Did the Real YMCA React to the Disco Song About It?

Everyone liked “Y.M.C.A.”—except the actual organization.

(Not the actual insects who rained on Elton John's parade.)

Thirty Years Ago, Elton John Was Forced Offstage By a Swarm of Crickets

In 1993, Elton John had to abruptly end a concert in Melbourne 30 minutes early due to an uninvited swarm of insects.

Calling all Gen Xers and elder millennials: Your old cassettes could be worth a bundle.

10 of the Most Valuable Cassette Tapes From the ‘80s and ‘90s

Back in the 1980s and ‘90s, audio cassettes were everything. Here are some of the most valuable cassette tapes today from those eras, including Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” and more.

25 of the Most Covered Songs in Music History

If there were an award for most covered artists of all time, The Beatles would undoubtedly be a top contender.

10 Operatic Facts About Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Nearly a half-century after its release, Queen’s classic “mock opera”—a favorite of Wayne and Garth’s—is still regularly cited as one of the greatest songs ever recorded.

When Tina Turner Set a Guinness World Record

On January 16, 1988, Tina Turner performed for approximately 188,000 fans at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—and made history.

He's mad as hell and he's not going to take this anymore.

“Which Side Are You On?”: How Florence Reece Gave Strikers a Theme Song

The classic labor song "Which Side Are You On?" was born during the Harlan County Wars of the 1930s.

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