What connects Soviet children’s TV with John Connor from The Terminator? Before I come back to this most important question, here’s another: what has the Russian composer Prokofiev ever done for pop music?
The Curious Story of ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’
I think it was Mark Lamarr who first cautioned against the idea of singing ‘turn around bright eyes’ in the company of a group of choirboys, but thankfully Bonnie Taylor’s smash 1983 hit ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ rises above such unfortunate innuendo. It’s a big brick out of the Wall of Sound and if any song of the 1980s deserves the label ‘power ballad’, surely this is it.
The Story Behind ‘Careless Whisper’
Written by George Michael in 1979 when he was still a teenager, ‘Careless Whisper’ became a number one hit in 1984 on both sides of the Atlantic, topping both the UK and US singles charts.
The Curious Origins of ‘Call Me Maybe’
‘Call Me Maybe’ is the best-known song by the Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. This 2011 song began life as a folk song, written by Jepsen and Tavish Crowe. It’s about a girl who sees a boy she likes; she gives him her phone number and tells him to call her, if he wants to. The song leaves us wondering whether the two of them actually end up getting together.
The Meaning of Kylie’s ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’
‘Can’t Get You out of My Head’ is one of Kylie Minogue’s best-known and most-played tracks. Taken from the 2001 album Fever, it’s a dancefloor classic and its release as a single, just three days before 9/11 back in September 2001, was accompanied by one of Kylie’s most popular (and raunchy) videos.
The Meaning of ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’
‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ is one of Kelly Clarkson’s greatest songs. It appeared on her second album, Breakaway, and Clarkson has commented that the song is her favourite track on the album. Indeed, the album was very nearly named after ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ rather than ‘Breakaway’.
The (Literary) Story Behind ‘Watermelon Sugar’
Here’s a question for you: who originated the phrase ‘watermelon sugar’? The expression has been brought to a whole new audience by Harry Styles, whose 2019 song of that name has attracted considerable commentary because of its surprising meaning.
‘The Greatest Love of All’: A Song about Muhammad Ali?
By Oliver Tearle
What connects the Greatest with ‘The Greatest Love of All’? Or, to put it another way, how did the boxer Muhammad Ali inspire a famous song recorded by both George Benson and Whitney Houston?
The Curious Story Behind ‘Hey Jude’ by The Beatles
By Oliver Tearle
What was the longest UK hit single of 1968? Although ‘Hey Jude’ comes close to achieving that accolade, this 7-minute epic wasn’t even the longest song to make the UK charts in that year. But the song is vast, and its lyrics have attracted considerable speculation since ‘Hey Jude’ was released.
The Curious Nonsense of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
By Oliver Tearle
Here are a couple of pop trivia questions for you. What connects Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ with The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’? And what, for that matter, connects ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ with Abba’s ‘Mamma Mia’?