Behind beautiful melodies and iconic choruses are stories of grief, addiction, death, regret, and loss that often go ...

Released in the early 1970s, this Beach Boys song wasn’t a hit at first but evolved into a cult classic, and a praised return ...

There are few, if any, songs in the last sixty years that capture the tender awkwardness felt in the first stages of love, like Elton John’s “Your Song.” Part of the reason it does such a good job is ...

Legendary '70s Rock Band’s Song Sparks Fan Theories 50 Years Later originally appeared on Parade. It’s been well over 50 years since Led Zeppelin released one of the most iconic rock songs of all time ...

From tear-jerkers to mic-drops, NPR's music critics share the 2025 lyrics that made them laugh, cry and hit replay.

When nothing seems to be going right, some people go left—Johnny Cash went hard left, veering off-course completely with a spiteful song his daughter, Rosanne Cash, called “painful.” Decades before ...

Steinbeck’s novel opens with Joad getting out of prison, after which he meets with his family as they’re making the long journey to California. Unlike other characters in the novel, Joad seems to ...