Music: Musician Facts, Trivia, Quizzes, Brain Teasers & More

‘The Carol Singers,’ a 1927 print by D.M. Wheeler.

These obscure Christmas songs from the early 20th century might become your new favorite carols.

Liven up your singing of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by subbing in these old—and occasionally strange—lyrics.

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley are coming for you this Christmas (and "Last Christmas").

“Last Christmas” is now the centerpiece of a growing holiday tradition based around ... not listening to it.

U2 was at a breaking point when “One,” which has been repeatedly named one of the greatest songs of all time, brought the band back together.

Bob Geldof (L) and Midge Ure (R) outside a London recording studio while working on "Do They Know It's Christmas?" on November 25, 1984.

Band Aid's charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" enlisted everyone from Sting to Bananarama, but its efforts to help the Ethiopian famine didn't go exactly as planned.

Margaret O'Brien and Judy Garland in 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1944).

The original “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” implied that you’d never have a merry Christmas again.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in 'The X-Files.'

For 25 years, a segment of 'The X-Files' fans have been wondering about the creative origins of a country song that played in the background of a scene in season 6. Finally, they have their answer.

Shortly before 11 p.m. on Monday, December 8, 1980, John Lennon was gunned down in front of his New York City apartment building by an obsessed fan. This is the story of the days leading up to that tragedy.

The Royal Ballet's Steven McRae and Roberta Marquez as the Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy in 2012.

Peek behind the curtains of ‘The Nutcracker,’ Tchaikovsky’s famous Yuletide ballet.

Now’s a good time—so good, so good, so good—to dig into the rich history of “Sweet Caroline.”

Now’s a good time—so good, so good, so good—to dig into the rich history of Neil Diamond's iconic tune.

The Guinness World Record holder for longest song ever is based on a 16th-century Indian poem.

In 1998, Cher reinvented herself yet again—and forever changed the way hit songs were made—with “Believe.“

Forget about trying to nab any of these records.

The world's longest saxophone note is too risky to attempt. So is the world's longest kiss.

This digital art piece from Thomas Blanchard set to Chopin’s Nocturne Op. ,9 No. 2 is oddly soothing.

‘Do, Re, Mi’ can help people learn to play the piano.

Solmization, or the practice of assigning syllables to the different “steps” of the scale, originated in ancient India.

It’s possible to sing the chorus to Hanson’s 1997 smash “MMMBop” over the chords to Taylor Swift’s 2012 hit “22.”

Britney Spears performing at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards.

Britney Spears’s songs, music videos, and live performances defined an era and inspired an entire generation of future pop stars.

In 1994, Mariah Carey surprised everyone—including herself—by coming out with what would quickly become a Christmas classic.

‘Lyrically Correct’ is the ultimate music trivia game for hip-hop and R&B lovers.

The tiny chips held just 60 seconds of pop music, but kids still couldn’t get enough.

The Backstreet Boys in a late ’90s portrait session.

The Backstreet Boys’ 1999 smash “I Want It That Way,” which celebrates its 25th anniversary in April 2024, is among the definitive songs—if not the definitive song—of the ’90s teen-pop explosion.

Whether you think it's saying "chi chi chi, ha ha ha" or "ki ki ki, ma ma ma," you know the one we're talking about.

Still from 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' (1951) beside illustration of a theremin.

The theremin—a spooky instrument that scored the biggest sci-fi films of the 1950s—was invented by accident.

You, too, could be dreaming about these cookies.

Taylor Swift once shared recipes for two different versions of her chai sugar cookies—here are both.

MUSIC

15 Vintage Christmas Songs to Get You in the Holiday Spirit

15 Alternative Lyrics From Old Versions of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”

A Brief History of Whamageddon—the Game that Forces You to Avoid Hearing Wham!’s “Last Christmas”

Not the Same: How Creative Strife Led to the Creation of U2’s “One”

Band Aid: The Charitable—and Controversial—History of “Do They Know It's Christmas?”

How “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” Went From Morbid Omen to Holiday Mainstay

The Truth Is Out There: The 25-Year Mystery of a Song From ’The X-Files’ Has Been Solved

The Final Days of John Lennon

8 Magical Facts About ‘The Nutcracker’

Unraveling the Many Mysteries of Neil Diamond’s ’Sweet Caroline’

What Is the Longest Song Ever Recorded?

Make “Believe“: How Cher Staged One of Pop Music’s All-Time Greatest Comebacks

8 World Records Too Dangerous for Guinness

Watching Blobs of Paint Move to Chopin Is Oddly Soothing

Why Are the First Notes of a Tonal Scale Called ‘Do, Re, Mi’?

Time After Time: The Surprising Connection Between Taylor Swift’s “22” and Hanson’s “MMMBop”

12 Surprising Facts About Britney Spears

10 Facts About Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”

‘Lyrically Correct’: Put Your Hip-Hop and R&B Knowledge to the Test With This Y2K Music Trivia Game

One Minute of Music: Remembering the HitClips Fad of the Early 2000s

“I Want It That Way”: How Max Martin’s ‘Melodic Math’ Led to This Enduring (and Confusing) Backstreet Boys Hit

The Real Story Behind the Iconic ’Friday the 13th’ Whisper Sound Effect

Audio Invasion: How the Theremin Went From Soviet Labs to Hollywood

How to Make Taylor Swift’s Famous Chai Cookies With Cinnamon Eggnog Icing