THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Rain In the Summertime» by The Alarm
It was the 19th of November 1987. I was watching the weekly Norwegian music chart countdown show called TopPop, hoping for something good to appear […]
1980s
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Monkey On My Back» by Aerosmith
Aerosmith’s career resurgence was in full force by the time Pump was released on 12 September 1989. The original band collapsed in the first half […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Photograph» by Def Leppard
As 1983 rolled on, the lads in Def Leppard were ready to release their third album Pyromania on an unsuspecting world. It arrived on 20 […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Hounds of Love» by Kate Bush
“It’s in the trees! It’s coming!” The sample that opens the Kate Bush song Hounds of Love comes from the 1957 British horror film Night […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Wanderlust» by Paul McCartney
It was the summer of 1982. I was ten years old, and my family was car tripping for our summer holidays. We were actually driving […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «In A Lifetime» by Clannad feat. Bono
Clannad had played as a folk outfit for over ten years when they finally got an international hit with (Theme From) Harry’s Game in 1982. […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six» by The Pogues
On 21 November 1974, bombs exploded in two public houses in Birmingham, England. They killed 21 people and injured 182 others. This despicable act of […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Crusader» by Saxon
Saxon were one of the leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement in the early 1980s. They were known for their […]
Big Country vs. bottles and explosives at Reading Festival, 1983
The Reading Rock Festival is an institution in the UK. It started in the 1960s and kept going for many a year at the Richfield […]
John Fogerty vs. John Fogerty
Did you know that it is possible to be sued by yourself? The case of John Fogerty vs. John Fogerty is a classic (and unique) […]
The Best Music Boxed Sets of 2019
2019 is in the books, and it’s time to take a look back and do a little summarising. From a music perspective, I will primarily […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Look Away» by Big Country
Look Away is the first track on Big Country’s third album The Seer, released on 30 June 1986. It was the first single from the album, released […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Drop Dead/Celebration» by Siouxsie and the Banshees
Some stories tick several boxes. This one fits perfectly well in the “story behind the song” category, but at the same time, this is a […]
CLASSIC ALBUM COVERS: «Document» by R.E.M.
R.E.M. were known for quirky, artistic album cover art. The artwork for their fifth album Document (released on 31 August 1987) does not disappoint. Reflecting […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «To Tame A Land» by Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden, and in particular their bass-playing band leader (and frequently the main song writer) Steve Harris, often base their compositions on books, TV shows, […]