MUSIC HISTORY

"Carol of the Bells" was adapted from the Ukrainian composition “Shchedryk,” a New Year’s ballad that doubled as a cry for independence in the aftermath of World War I.

When he was an 18-year-old sophomore at Williams College, Stephen Sondheim satirized college life with a musical about a fraternity that tries to swap out philanthropy for more parties.

Equal parts happy accident and technological triumph, “Blue Monday” is a supremely weird and brilliant song that continues to pack dance floors and transfix listeners 40 years after its original release. 

Rednex's fiddle-fueled '90s hit “Cotton Eye Joe” was a reworking of an old American folk song that do-si-doed all the way to No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Bands like Nirvana, Mudhoney, and Pearl Jam helped bring grunge to the mainstream in the ‘90s and defined the era.

From Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off a live bat during a show to Keith Richards nearly burning down the Playboy Mansion, these tour stories are some of the most notorious in rock music history.

In the '80s, the destruction of two walls changed the course of human events. One was the Berlin Wall, which came down on November 9, 1989. The other was the wall separating Aerosmith from Run-DMC in the 1986 music video for "Walk This Way."

Where did the gothic garnish that became a trademark of rock bands like Mötley Crüe and Blue Öyster Cult get started?

After helping to invent the supremely chill, lightly funky sound known as “yacht rock” in the ’70s, Kenny Loggins went full speed into the ’80s and took the highway to the danger zone of movie soundtracks.

The Nirvana frontman didn’t just play the blue Fender Mustang in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video—it was also his favorite kind of guitar.

The roughly three-minute limit dates back to the early 20th century—but the digital music landscape is affecting the custom.

A gospel singer who rose to national fame in the 1940s, Rosetta Tharpe's work on the electric guitar inspired the likes of Elvis and Johnny Cash.