Mental Floss

MUSIC

Beastie Boys via YouTube

With their raucous mix of rock and hip-hop, the Beastie Boys were a band everyone could love. They also made killer music videos, and “Sabotage” is arguably one of the best in the history of the medium.

Kenneth Partridge


JuliScalzi/iStock via Getty Images

What keeps us coming back to old cartoons, movies, and the '90210' reboot? The same reward system in the brain that responds to eating great food or winning money.

Jake Rossen




Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen, a.k.a. "The Boss," is the patron saint of the working man, the protector of all that is holy and righteous on E Street.

Matt Soniak


AFP/Getty Images

Though he’s widely considered one of the most iconic musicians of the 20th century, Jimi Hendrix passed away as his career was really just getting started.

Jennifer M Wood
Keith Brofsky/iStock via Getty Images

Ted Nugent once called Muzak an “evil force causing people to collapse into uncontrollable fits of blandness.”

Ellen Gutoskey
John Downing/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

FX’s ‘Fosse/Verdon’ has captivated viewers with its behind-the-scenes look at the careers of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, but there’s always more to know.

Ellen Gutoskey








Tucker Ransom, Getty Images

The music festival still carries a wealth of cultural relevance. Fans have a middle-aged farmer to thank for it.

Jake Rossen
Carl Lender - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

On August 1, 1942, Jerry Garcia was born in San Francisco, California—and would soon go on to change the history of music as we know it.

Jennifer M Wood


Alexander Koerner/Getty Images

Since rising to fame playing Stringer Bell in 'The Wire,' Idris Elba has cemented a solid place for himself as one of Hollywood's most in-demand—and bankable—actors.

Natalie Zamora


By Rjsswf8, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

You know the tune, but did you know that the Mister Softee ice cream truck jingle has a title ("Mister Softee Jingle and Chimes")—and lyrics?

Jason English


Mike Clarke, Getty Images

Andrew Lloyd Webber's dazzling Broadway production spawned the phrase “It was better than 'Cats'!” Here are a few more facts about 'Cats' the musical.

Mark Mancini


Paul McCartney of The Beatles and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones sit opposite each other on a train at London's Euston Station.

Who are America’s all-time favorite musicians and bands? When it comes to the best-selling artists of all time, The Beatles still rule—yes, even a half-century after their breakup.

Tara Rahimi