ABBA | Arrival (album) Muzak to Masterpiece When Arrival came out in 1977, Rolling Stone called it Muzak and Christgau gave it a C. In 2024, the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry alongside Biggie and Green Day. The public never needed convincing, the album outsold Dark Side of the Moon […]
ABBA’s Arrival Proved Every Critic Wrong Read More »
Britney Spears | Toxic Three Rejections and a Masterpiece Rolling Stone’s #9 song of the 21st century was turned down by Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue, and nearly killed by Britney’s own label, and yet it became the consensus greatest pop single of its generation. Rolling Stone’s ninth-greatest song of the twenty-first century was turned down
Nobody Wanted “Toxic” (Then It Won Everything) Read More »
Backstreet Boys | I Want It That Way The Riddle Everyone Knows Everyone knows the lyrics to “I Want It That Way.” Nobody knows what they mean, including the Backstreet Boys. Somehow that’s the whole point. Ed Sheeran put it best: “You can’t be in a bar, a couple of beers in, and ‘I Want
The Song That Makes No Sense Changed Everything Read More »
Taylor Swift | Love Story Twenty Minutes on a Bedroom Floor A 17-year-old Taylor Swift got sent to her room after her parents vetoed a boyfriend, grabbed a guitar, and came back with a song that rewrites the ending of Romeo and Juliet through a single key change. Here’s the scene. It’s sometime in early
Taylor Swift Rewrote Shakespeare with a Key Change Read More »
The Police | Every Breath You Take The Most Dangerous Love Song “Every Breath You Take” is the most-played song in radio history and one of the most misunderstood, a surveillance anthem routinely mistaken for a wedding ballad by the millions who love it most. Imagine telling Sting that you played his song at your
The Police Were Falling Apart. Then Came the Riff. Read More »
Michael Jackson | Billie Jean You Already Know This Song Bruce Swedien said you can identify “Billie Jean” from three or four drum hits. But a song that sounds like pure instinct was actually ground out through months of obsessive, contentious work, ninety-one mixes, fights over the title, an intro nobody could agree on. Every
91 Mixes and They Picked Number Two Read More »
Teddy Swims | The Door The Song That Won’t Leave “The Door” sounds like a celebration and reads like a survivor’s testimony, and that tension is exactly the point. There’s a specific kind of song that sneaks up on you. You’re in a grocery store, or a bar, or someone’s car, and something starts playing
The Banger Teddy Swims Wrote to Save His Own Life Read More »
10cc | The Things We Do for Love 10cc: A Band of Innovation and Charm Discover the innovative and eclectic journey of 10cc, a band that captured the essence of 70s music with their creative brilliance and charm, highlighted by the timeless classic ‘The Things We Do for Love.’ Formed in Stockport, England, in 1972,
“Behind the Melody: Unraveling the Legacy of 10cc’s ‘The Things We Do for Love'” Read More »
Sophie B. Hawkins | As I Lay Me Down The Musical Journey of Sophie B. Hawkins Explore the inspiring journey of Sophie B. Hawkins, the voice behind the iconic track “As I Lay Me Down,” and learn about her early beginnings, musical milestones, and impact on the industry during the 1990s. Sophie B. Hawkins, a
Depeche Mode | Everything Counts Depeche Mode: The Synth-Pop Pioneers Behind ‘Everything Counts’ Discover Depeche Mode’s transformative journey during the creation of ‘Everything Counts,’ exploring their evolution from synth-pop beginnings to mature cultural commentators. Depeche Mode, a name synonymous with the evolution of electronic music, was a band that left an indelible mark on the
“Everything Counts” by Depeche Mode: Meaning, Lyrics & Story Read More »
