On the Underappreciated Achievements of Otis Blackwell
The tragic story of hit songwriter Otis Blackwell’s talent is a cautionary tale, but his legacy of songs lives on today in the Hall of Fame.
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4 of Our Favorite Music Conspiracy Theories Out There
There’s a lot of bizarre theories out there about, well just about anything. Here’s four of our favorite musical consipiracy anti-histories.
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A Brief History of Songwriting Stars You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
We profile the great songwriting minds behind some of the greatest pop hits of the modern era. You might not know their names, but you know their work!
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On July 9, 1955, Rock ‘n’ Roll Went #1 for the First Time Ever
For someone my age, who grew up in the latter half of the 20th century — listening to the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, heck, even the Killers — it’s hard to imagine life without rock ‘n’ roll. Even if that style of music isn’t your personal listening preference, can you even picture…
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Tales from the Toilet: Truth vs. Fiction in Musical Stories of the Bathroom
If you’re like me, you’ll be celebrating World Toilet Day this weekend! Besides reflecting on the mission of this holiday, which is to raise awareness of the 2.4 billion global citizens with no access to clean and safe sanitation, however, I’m not totally sure how people are supposed to celebrate World Toilet Day — save for using…
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Fats Domino Was a True King of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Antoine “Fats” Domino, Jr., one of the early pioneers of a musical style that came to be known as rock ‘n’ roll, whose iconic voice and boogie-woogie piano playing helped inspire entire eras of brilliant songwriting, passed away on October 25, 2017. He was 89. With his flat-top haircut, rotund figure, and buoyant personality, Domino…
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Where Have All the V Chords Gone? The Decline of ‘Functional’ Harmony in Pop
+ Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. So there I was, doing research on topics such as “summer 2017 songwriting trends,” when it hit me. You guys, this is getting ridiculous — where did…
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‘Yakety Sax’ — Making Gruesome Violence and Real Drama Zany Since 1963
After becoming a hit as the “‘Benny Hill’ Theme,” “Yakety Sax” experienced a renaissance turning dramatic web videos into funny ones.
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The Ultimate List of the Top 25 Times Metal Bands Covered Pop Songs
+ Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. Everybody loves a great melody. Some of us just can’t get enough of that sweet, addictive chorus hook found in the most timeless songs of the popular…
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All of the Times Manneken Pis Dressed Up Like a Musician (We Think!)
If you’ve ever been to Brussels, or know much about Belgian culture, you may already be familiar with the four things they take really seriously over there: beer, fries, waffles, and… a bronze statue of a naked boy urinating into a fountain from 1618, with a penchant for dressing up in various costumes and regalia (sounds like a lot…
