How the Song Came to Be
Mark Lindsay, Hal Blaine and the Raiders’ #1 Hit, ‘Indian Reservation’
Our interview with the star about the legendary drummer who made magic happen at the recording session and the single’s unusual path to success
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Harry Chapin’s Inspiration for ‘Taxi’
‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ may have been Harry Chapin’s biggest hit, but ‘Taxi’ resonated with listeners, perhaps due to its real-life connection.
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‘In the Year 2525’: The Gloomiest #1?
It was, to be sure, one of the bleakest songs ever to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. And then Zager and Evans never charted again.
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When Brownsville Station Were Smokin’
Back in 1973, lots of high school students took extra bathroom breaks since that was generally the only place they could light up. The backstory of a classic
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The Mamas & the Papas’ ‘Creeque Alley’: Behind the Song
The lyrics are stocked with names and places, some of which may have been (and still are) unfamiliar to fans of the group. We break it down.
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‘Billy Jack’: One Tin Soldier Rides Away
The movie, directed, written and starring Tom Laughlin, had a long journey on its way to the screen. Its memorable song was recorded – and charted – multiple times
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When Motown Went to ‘War’—Edwin Starr’s #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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The Ides of March and the Story of ‘Vehicle’
They took their band name from a Shakespeare classic, their biggest hit from a real-life incident, and they drove their way up the charts in the year 1970.
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The Jaggerz’ ‘The Rapper’: You Know What He’s After
“The song was something that I wrote watching people in nightclubs. You’d see these dudes go over and start rapping to chicks,” said the band’s Donnie Iris.
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Creedence’s ‘Green River’: Admit It, You Don’t Know the Lyrics
John Fogerty’s lyrics have a creative imagery and he has a unique way of pronouncing them. You’ve sung along dozens of times but do you know the words?
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