How the Song Came to Be
The Gentrys’ ‘Keep on Dancing’: Behind the ’60s Garage Classic
The Memphis septet took an obscure R&B tune and turned it into a top 5 rocker in 1965. The story behind the recording—and the band—is fascinating.
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A-Ha’s ‘Take On Me’ MTV Unplugged Transforms the Song
A song you’ve heard countless times; its 1985 video has an astonishing number of views on YouTube. A touching acoustic version transforms the song.
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The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s Incendiary ‘Fire’
He took the title of his one hit seriously, even putting flaming items on his head while he performed. But he never made the charts again after his 1968 smash.
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ELO’s ‘Don’t Bring Me Down… Bruce!’
Most classic rock acts have a misheard lyric. It goes with the territory. So what did Jeff Lynne do when concert audiences started singing along to his big hit?
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Shining a Light on the Origin and Impact of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’
“I said to Leonard, ‘This is the one. This is what we’ve been waiting for. This might be your best record.'”—Producer/songwriter/performer John Lissauer
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The Glory of ‘Gloria’: Behind the Resilient Van Morrison Rock ’n’ Roll Anthem
One of the most beloved and oft-covered songs in the garage-rock canon started life as a single’s B-side. We take a look at the wonders of ‘G-L-O-R-I-A.’
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When Motown Went to ‘War’—The Edwin Starr #1 Hit
When Motown’s chief was reluctant to release an antiwar song by the Temptations as a single, another singer stepped in to re-record it. It went to #1.
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Gordon Lightfoot’s Tale of a Ship’s Crew and Its Captain
The singer-songwriter had a string of big hits including 1976’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” based on a true story of a doomed freighter.
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The Beatles’ Forgotten Top 20 Hit: A ‘Sweet’ Story
A top 20 hit in the U.S., yet it has received virtually no radio airplay in decades and is almost never mentioned in accounts of the band’s early days.
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They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!
It was bizarre but an instant smash hit. Then there was a backlash. Read the strange tale of Napoleon XIV and hear the song that drove people mad.
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