Classic Tracks: David Bowie’s “Five Years,” “Soul Love” & “Moonage Daydream”
The Ziggy Stardust album kicked off with a bang while also cementing David Bowie's career thanks to its tryptich of classic tracks.
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The Ziggy Stardust album kicked off with a bang while also cementing David Bowie's career thanks to its tryptich of classic tracks.
By the time Neil Young rolled into Nashville to begin recording his Harvest album, he had already enjoyed several different careers as a musician.
“When we first recorded ‘Riders on the Storm,’ it was a nice, light song—but when we got into mixing it is when it all...
Cyndi Lauper didn't want to record "Girls Just Want To Have Fun," but producer Rick Chertoff was sure it was a hit.
A look at the writing and recording of Del Shannon’s Number One hit from 1961, “Runaway”
The third time was the charm when Culture Club hit the studio with producer Steve Levine in the summer of 1982; the result was...
While it wasn't a hit when first released, Randy Newman's sardonic "I Love L.A." has become an unofficial theme song for the City of...
If Michael Jackson's "Beat It" is a classic, it stands to reason that Weird Al's parody, "Eat It" is one too—though it is entirely...
Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark is exceptional among her greatest records as it has her one Top-10 pop hit, “Help Me.”
War’s “Low Rider” is a song about a car—one of the coolest, most groove-y, sultry car songs ever, in fact.
You can thank Disco for bringing Frank Zappa to the singles chart in the late 1970s with his first hit, “Dancin’ Fool.”
John Cougar Mellencamp’s 1987 hit came from the classic album that reinvented his sound, 'The Lonesome Jubilee.'
In April 2009, at a party inside Capitol Studios in Hollywood honoring his late friend George Harrison, Gary Wright found himself chatting at a...
Few songs have defined an artist, an era and an attitude quite like Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville," released in January 1977.
Decades later, it's difficult to put into words just how bold and fresh and affecting those opening lines were in 1969.
How Martina McBride recorded her passionate, powerful, CMA-winning anthem.
Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes and legendary producer David Kershenbaum share how they hot-rodded "Hungry Like The Wolf"—and half the 'Rio' album—to appeal to American...
Folk singer Al Stewart reinvented his sound when he met producer Alan Parsons, resulting in the classic "Year of the Cat."
Steve Earle’s ode to the city of New Orleans had a surprising start, as engineer Jason Wormer shares.
“You know, Eddie, there’s never been a blues song written about the summertime. Let’s write a song called ‘Summertime Blues.’"
Legendary producer Glyn Johns shares how The Who’s “Baba O’Riley" came together and became a classic rock staple.
“Just Another Day” Turns Out to be More Timeless Than One Might Have Imagined in 1985
Unity, Passion and Commitment Reveal the Power of Music
Leo Sayer’s Number 1 Hit, With a Fresh Groove and Memorable Hook
Pat DiNizio reworked the title of an H.P. Lovecraft short story, “Beyond the Wall of Sleep,” and the rest is rock history.
Soft Cell’s Synth-Pop Dance Hit and the Emergence of Sampled Sounds
Behind the Scenes of Bonnie Tyler’s Classic Earworm
Live in the Studio, With Arrangements on the Spot
By 1975, British rockers Be-Bop Deluxe had recorded and released two albums on EMI’s Harvest label without much notice in the States. The first,...
In 1966, pop music was changing drastically, and so were The Moody Blues.
If it had not been for producer Steve Lillywhite, Semisonic’s "Feeling Strangely Fine" and its hit single “Closing Time” would never have seen the...
By Matt Hurwitz. Though he no longer recalls precisely where or when “Give a Little Bit” was written, Hodgson explains, “I’ve always known that...
Everyone’s favorite hip hop anthem was the third single released off A Tribe Called Quest’s debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, released on Jive...
“Punk Rock Girl,” is a tale of two musical cities—the Dead Milkmen’s hometown of Philadelphia and Austin, Texas, where producer Brian Beattie is based.
The now-classic 1980s take on a 60s soul stomper didn't find its groove (literally) until the drums were re-recorded and the track got a...
In August 1977, Cheap Trick had the lead review in Rolling Stone magazine—the same issue marking Elvis’s death—for their new album, In Color. Though a...
Armin Steiner can’t say enough good things about Dolly Parton.He had never worked with her before she came to L.A. to record this month’s...
Camper Van Beethoven formed in the founding members’ hometown of Redlands, Calif., but it was in their college days, at the University of California...
“Walk This Way” likely would not have come to be if Aerosmith hadn’t gotten itchy in the studio and decided to go to the...
The band decided to create "Kyrie" part by part, yet endeavor to make it sound live, keeping that objective throughout the entire process.