Scott McCarl, who joined the Raspberries for their last album and co-wrote "Play On" with Eric Carmen. He did just occasional songwriting after the group broke up, but released a solo album in 1998 that he titled Play On, after this song. Re-issued in 2022, it features contributions from Hilly Michaels, Michael Purkhiser, and members of the Rubinoos.
The Motown team of Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote "Where Did Our Love Go" with The Marvelettes in mind, but they turned it down. When The Supremes recorded the tune, Diana Ross was forced to sing in a lower, breathier style than she was used to because it wasn't written for her.
The woman "singing" in the video for Technotronic's "Pump Up The Jam" didn't speak English. She was used just for her look, and also appeared on the album cover.
Zayn's "Pillowtalk" reached #1 on the Hot 100, something his former One Direction bandmates never achieved.
Ariana Grande's hit "Problem" started off as a track written by One Direction songwriter Savan Kotecha. He gave it the working title of "The Whisper Song," after a 2005 Ying Yang Twins hit.
Michael Jackson's "Liberian Girl" opens with the South African female singer Letta Mbulu saying the Swahili phrase "Naku penda piya-naku taka piya-mpenziwe." There was some geographic liberty here, as Swahili is not spoken in the West African nation of Liberia.
Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.
With Bernie Taupin, Martin co-wrote the #1 hits "We Built This City" and "These Dreams." After writing the Pretty Woman song for Go West, he had his own hit with "In the House of Stone and Light."
Are classic songs like "Over The Rainbow" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the public domain?
One of the most successful songwriters in the business, Desmond co-wrote "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Livin' On A Prayer."
'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.
A founding member of the band War, Harold gives a first-person account of one of the most important periods in music history.
