THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Rime of the Ancient Mariner» by Iron Maiden
Rime of the Ancient Mariner is one of the cornerstone tracks on the classic fifth Iron Maiden album Powerslave from 1984. It is a true […]
The Story Behind the Song
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Rio» by Duran Duran
Rio is the quintessential Duran Duran song, launching the 1980s as a glamorous decade filled with high fashion, models, and luxurious surroundings. At least in […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Jolene» by Dolly Parton
Jolene is one of Dolly Parton’s best known and most popular songs. It was released on 15 October 1973 as the first single and title […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Camouflage» by Stan Ridgway
In the United States, Stan Ridgway is still best known for Mexican Radio – the breakthrough track from his first band Wall of Voodoo, released […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Beautiful» by Aimee Mann
In the 1980s, Aimee Mann was a pop star with the new wave band ‘Til Tuesday, best known for their 1985 hit single Voices Carry. […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Goodnight New York» by Vienna Teng
Goodnight New York is the last song on Vienna Teng’s fifth album Aims, released on 24 September 2013. While there has been a few collaborations […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Hole Hearted» by Extreme
Extreme sprang forth from Boston, Massachusetts in 1985, reaching the height of their popularity in the early 1990s with their second album Pornograffitti (released 7 […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Stranger In This Town» by Richie Sambora
Few bands in the melodic hard rock genre saw more success towards the end of the 1980s than Bon Jovi. After they broke through with […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Rose Red Sunset» by WKW
WKW is a collaboration between three musicians, the project name made up of the last name initials of Bruce Watson, Thomas Kercheval, and Jamie Watson. […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)» by Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks were always a different kind of punk band. Founder Pete Shelley (lead vocals/guitars) loved the energy and directness of punk, but he never embraced […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Kissin’ Time» by Bobby Rydell (1959) and KISS (1974)
Kissin’ Time is a song by the American rock and roll singer Bobby Rydell, released as a single in 1959 on Cameo-Parkway Records. The track […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «We’re Not Gonna Take It» by Twisted Sister
The song is instantly recognisable. The drum rolls that opens it are unmistakable, and you don’t even need the vocals to come in singing the […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Just Can’t Get Enough» by Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode might be the biggest synth-pop band in the world, even though it would be fair to say that over time they have inched […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Metal Gods» by Judas Priest
In 1980, Judas Priest released the British Steel album. It is one of the classic Judas Priest releases, with the band redefining themselves as a […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Times Like These» by Foo Fighters
When Foo Fighters got together to record their fourth album One By One in 2002 they were going through a rocky patch. The album sessions […]