Popular Music

Learn each tradition’s origins and sound before its performers and recordings. Follow blues and jazz into later popular genres, keeping songs and albums with the artists or traditions that give them context.

Early Song, Gospel, Folk, and Musical Theatre

Connect early commercial song and vernacular traditions to their performers and settings.

Early American Popular Song

Early U.S. popular song grew through live performance, domestic music-making, sheet-music publishing, theater, migration, and eventually recordings, film, and radio. Its commercial history is inseparable from Black musical innovation, racial appropriation, immigration, and changing copyright markets.¹

• Parlor song and sheet music — before recorded sound dominated, publishers sold songs for performance in homes, schools, theaters, and community groups. Piano ownership, illustrated covers, touring performers, and copyright shaped which pieces circulated.

• Blackface minstrelsy — one of the nineteenth century’s largest entertainment industries built songs and stock characters through racist caricature of Black speech, music, and life. Its melodies and business practices entered later popular culture, so the form must be studied without sanitizing its violence or repeating its stereotypes as neutral folklore.

• Stephen Foster (1826–1864) — wrote widely circulated parlor and minstrel songs including “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair” and “Oh! Susanna.” His melodic influence and effort to earn a living from songwriting coexist with texts and performance contexts built around racial caricature. Stephen Collins Foster was a nineteenth-century American songwriter often called the Father of American Music. He also wrote “Camptown Races,” “My Old Kentucky Home,” and “Beautiful Dreamer,” and many of his tunes circulated through Christy’s Minstrels and other popular stage acts.

  • Camptown Races — “Camptown Races” is a Stephen Foster song whose chorus repeats “doo-dah, doo-dah” and mentions betting on the bobtail nag. The song has been widely parodied and appeared in cartoon and comedic performances.

  • My Old Kentucky Home — “My Old Kentucky Home” is a Stephen Foster song traditionally played before the Kentucky Derby. It is also known as an anti-slavery minstrel song sung from the viewpoint of an enslaved person who fears being sold south.

  • Old Folks at Home — “Old Folks at Home” is Stephen Foster’s song that became Florida’s state song and is remembered for the line about living “way down upon de Swanee River.” Its use has been controversial because of its minstrel-era language and associations.

  • The Old Folks at Home — This Stephen Foster song is better known by its refrain and the line “Way down upon the Swanee River.” It is titled after the “old folks at home,” making it one of Foster’s best-known sentimental parlor songs.

• Spirituals, jubilee song, and commercial circulation — Black sacred traditions developed outside the commercial parlor-song industry, but touring ensembles, arrangers, and publishers brought some repertory to national and international audiences. Performance and publication changed how orally transmitted material was framed and owned.

• Tin Pan Alley — the New York-centered publishing business linked songwriters, lyricists, “song pluggers,” vaudeville performers, sheet music, and later recordings from the late nineteenth century onward. The phrase names an industry and workflow, not one musical style.²

• Vaudeville — bills of unrelated acts created a national circuit in which singers could make songs into hits and songs could promote stars. Ethnic caricature, gender performance, comedy, dance, novelty, and new immigrant audiences all shaped its repertory.³

• Ragtime and syncopation — Black composers and performers developed syncopated styles that circulated through dance, piano rolls, sheet music, and stage performance. Tin Pan Alley often simplified or appropriated ragtime, while composers such as Scott Joplin pursued more formally ambitious work.⁴

• George M. Cohan (1878–1942) — performer, playwright, producer, composer, and lyricist whose brisk patriotic and theatrical songs, including “Give My Regards to Broadway,” joined vaudeville energy to the emerging Broadway musical. He wrote patriotic hits such as “Over There” and was later portrayed by James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy.
  • Over There — “Over There” is George M. Cohan’s World War I song urging Americans to send the boys overseas. The title also appears in the name of a Steven Bochco drama about an American combat unit in Iraq.
• Irving Berlin (1888–1989) — moved from Tin Pan Alley to Broadway and Hollywood with songs including “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Blue Skies,” “White Christmas,” and “God Bless America.” His career shows how immigrant authorship, publishing, theater, recording, and film could converge around a durable song catalogue. He also wrote the score for Annie Get Your Gun (1946), Holiday Inn, and White Christmas, and is associated with standards such as “Cheek to Cheek.”

  • Easter Parade — Easter Parade is the Irving Berlin song and Broadway-style musical number associated with a holiday stroll down Madison Avenue. It is also the title of the 1948 Fred Astaire and Judy Garland musical built around Berlin’s music.

  • God Bless America — “God Bless America” is Irving Berlin’s patriotic song, later made famous by Kate Smith. It opens with storm clouds gathering over the sea and becomes a plea for divine blessing on the United States.

  • Puttin’ on the Ritz — “Puttin’ on the Ritz” is an Irving Berlin song from 1929 that was revived by Taco in the 1980s. It is also famous for its comic performance by the monster and creator in Young Frankenstein, and for its lyrics about dressing elegantly and going where fashion sits.

  • White Christmas — White Christmas is Irving Berlin’s holiday standard, originally popularized by Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn. Its famous lyrics dream of an ideal holiday scene where the treetops glisten and children listen.

• Song form and the Great American Songbook — many twentieth-century standards use a verse followed by a thirty-two-bar refrain, often in AABA or related patterns, but the “Songbook” is a later, flexible canon rather than a literal collection. Broadway, Hollywood, jazz performance, and Tin Pan Alley all contributed.

• George and Ira Gershwin — their collaborations, including “I Got Rhythm” and Of Thee I Sing, joined popular song to jazz-inflected harmony and musical theater. Porgy and Bess remains musically influential and contested over representation, dialect, performance, and control of Black stories.
  • Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off — “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” is the Gershwin song made famous by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Shall We Dance. Its lyrics playfully contrast alternate pronunciations such as “you say either and I say eye-ther” and “pajamas” versus “pajemas.”

• Recording, radio, and the decline of sheet-music dominance — phonographs and broadcasting shifted attention from the reproducible composition toward a particular performer and recording. Crooners, microphones, record labels, and rights organizations reorganized the popular-song economy.

• Canon and evidence — sales figures from the sheet-music era are inconsistent, while archives disproportionately preserve published works and famous performers. A broad account must recover labor by lyricists, arrangers, performers, publishers, and traditions whose creators were not credited.

• Henry Clay Work
  • Marching Through Georgia — “Marching Through Georgia” is a Civil War-era Union song by Henry Clay Work celebrating Sherman’s march to the sea. Its refrain was later used in political settings and remained controversial in the South.
• Patriotic songs

  • Maryland, My Maryland — “Maryland, My Maryland” is a pro-Confederate song based on a poem by James Ryder Randall and set to music by Jennie Cary. It became Maryland’s state song before being removed in 2021, and it uses the same tune as “O Tannenbaum.”

  • My Country, ‘Tis of Thee — A patriotic hymn with words by Samuel Francis Smith. Its melody is the same tune used by the British anthem “God Save the Queen” or “God Save the King,” and it is closely associated with the United States as an unofficial patriotic song.

    • A Horse with No Name — “A Horse with No Name” is the surreal America song about a desert journey, with the repeated image of the unnamed horse and the line about there not being anyone to give pain. It appears in Breaking Bad references and parodies, including the episode “Caballo Sin Nombre.”

    • Homecoming
      • Ventura Highway — “Ventura Highway” is an America song from Homecoming, inspired by Dewey Bunnell being stranded with a flat tire in Southern California. The song was later sampled by Janet Jackson on “Someone to Call My Lover,” and its lyrics evoke a road trip toward California.
    • Sister Golden Hair — “Sister Golden Hair” is a 1975 number-one hit by America from the album Hearts. The song’s narrator hesitates over commitment while addressing a woman he wants to keep as a friend.
  • Yankee Doodle — “Yankee Doodle” is an American patriotic song that began as a British parody of New England soldiers. Its title figure, with the feather in his cap and the line about “macaroni,” became a familiar personification of the tune itself.
• Patty and Mildred Hill
  • Happy Birthday to You — “Happy Birthday to You” is the familiar birthday song by Patty and Mildred Hill, originally published as “Good Morning to All.” Its lyrics became the subject of copyright litigation, and the song is sung when candles are blown out on a cake.
• blackface performance
  • minstrel shows — Minstrel shows were racist stage entertainments in which performers, often white, appeared in blackface and staged comic songs and skits. They helped shape early American popular music, including the spread of coon songs and other pre-jazz material.
    • Dan Emmett — Dan Emmett was a nineteenth-century banjo player and songwriter best known for composing “Dixie.” He also wrote or was associated with popular minstrel songs including “Old Dan Tucker,” “Turkey in the Straw,” and “The Blue Tail Fly,” and he helped found the Virginia Minstrels, widely treated as the first blackface minstrel troupe. Emmett was a Unionist.

• John Brown’s Body — “John Brown’s Body” is a Union marching song about the abolitionist John Brown, whose soul is said to be marching on. The title also names Stephen Vincent Benét’s epic poem, and the melody later became the basis for “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

• The Andrews Sisters — The Andrews Sisters were an American vocal trio from Minneapolis made up of Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne Andrews. They were especially popular in the 1940s with songs including “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Rum and Coca-Cola,” and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree.” Their cover of “Rum and Coca-Cola” also helped associate calypso with U.S. popular music and led to a lawsuit.

• Vaudeville performers
  • Al Jolson — Al Jolson was a vaudevillian singer and actor born Asa Yoelson, remembered for his blackface performances and stage work. He starred in The Jazz Singer as Jakie Rabinowitz and is associated with songs including “Avalon,” “My Mammy,” “Swanee,” and “April Showers.” He also had a turn as a cantor-like son who interrupts his Broadway debut to sing Kol Nidre for his father.

• James Hubert Blake — James Hubert “Eubie” Blake was a ragtime and jazz composer and pianist, closely associated with Noble Sissle. He co-wrote Shuffle Along and composed well-known songs such as “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” “Memories of You,” and “Love Will Find a Way.”

• Scott Joplin — Scott Joplin was the leading ragtime composer, nicknamed the “King of Ragtime,” and is best known for piano pieces like “Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer.” He also wrote the operas Treemonisha and A Guest of Honor, had Sedalia connections, and his music was later revived by Joshua Rifkin.

  • Maple Leaf Rag — “Maple Leaf Rag” is Scott Joplin’s best-known ragtime piece and a key example of classic ragtime. It is often identified by its A-flat major opening, syncopated runs, and association with the genre’s revival recording by Joshua Rifkin.

  • rags — Rags are Scott Joplin’s syncopated piano pieces that helped define ragtime before jazz. Pieces such as “The Entertainer,” “Maple Leaf Rag,” and “Elite Syncopations” made the genre famous.

  • The Entertainer — “The Entertainer” is the ragtime piano piece by Scott Joplin that became famous as the theme from The Sting. It is one of the best-known early twentieth-century rags and is often identified by its jaunty syncopation. The same title also refers to John Osborne’s play about the fading music-hall performer Archie Rice.

  • The Maple Leaf Rag — The Maple Leaf Rag is Scott Joplin’s best-known ragtime piece, a million-selling piano work named for a Sedalia club rather than the Canadian symbol.

• As Time Goes By — “As Time Goes By” is the Herman Hupfeld song made famous in Casablanca when Sam plays it for Rick. Its line about a kiss still being a kiss makes it one of the most recognizable standards associated with classic Hollywood film music.

• BLUE MOON — “Blue Moon” is a standard by Rodgers and Hart that was recorded as a hit by artists including Frank Sinatra and The Marcels. The phrase also appears as a beer brand, including Belgian White and other products, and as a term for rare lunar events.

• Great American Songbook — The Great American Songbook is the loose body of standard popular songs and show tunes associated with Tin Pan Alley and Broadway. It is especially tied to performers such as Ella Fitzgerald, whose recordings helped canonize songs by Gershwin and Cole Porter. Jazz singers such as Ella and Louis Armstrong later revived interest in the collection as a shared American repertoire.

• Honeysuckle Rose — “Honeysuckle Rose” is a jazz standard with lyrics by Andy Razaf and a well-known recording associated with Fats Waller. It is also the title of a Willie Nelson film about a singer balancing family, romance, and a music career.

• I’ve Got You Under My Skin — “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” is a Cole Porter standard whose title Odo found especially ironic because he had no epidermis. The song also resurfaced in a later version associated with Frank Sinatra’s Duets album.

• Iko Iko — Iko Iko is a New Orleans song about rival Mardi Gras groups. It was first recorded as ‘Jock-A-Mo’ by James ‘Sugar Boy’ Crawford and later covered by the Dixie Cups.

• Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
  • Songs
    • Que Sera, Sera — A song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, originally sung by Doris Day in The Man Who Knew Too Much. Its refrain means “whatever will be, will be”; it won the 1956 Academy Award for Best Song and later appeared in films and covers including Heathers and My Neighbors the Yamadas.

• My Way — “My Way” is the famous song associated with Frank Sinatra and later covered by many artists. Written by Paul Anka from the French song “Comme d’habitude,” it became a signature standard for Sinatra and Elvis alike.

• Popular songs
  • Summer Wind — The summer wind is a familiar song title and a recurring poetic image of a warm breeze coming in from across the sea. The same phrase appears in Webern’s Im Sommerwind and in the closing of Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder.
• Popular standards
  • The Great American Songbook — The Great American Songbook is the loose canon of popular standards from the 1920s through the 1950s. It includes Broadway and Hollywood songs by composers such as Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, and Duke Ellington.
• Songwriters

  • Abel Meeropol — Abel Meeropol was the lyricist and composer associated with “Strange Fruit,” the anti-lynching song made famous by Billie Holiday. The song’s imagery of “southern trees” bearing bodies and its origin as a poem helped make it a landmark of protest music.

  • Allan Sherman — Allan Sherman was a comic songwriter and parodist best known for novelty records like “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah.” He also wrote the more serious late work The Rape of the A.F.E.
    • Camp Granada — “Camp Granada” is Allan Sherman’s comic song about a miserable summer camp. Its letter format begins with the line addressed to “Dearest Muddah, Darling Faddah” and complains about rain, bad food, and other camp disasters.

  • Bernie Taupin — Bernie Taupin is Elton John’s longtime lyricist and one of the chief collaborators behind many of his songs. He also wrote lyrics for the Brokeback Mountain song “A Love That Will Never Grow Old” and rewrote material for Princess Diana’s service.

  • Burt Bacharach — Burt Bacharach was a songwriter and composer known for pop standards such as “Close to You” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose.” He also co-wrote the early hit “The Blob” and even made a cameo in Austin Powers.

    • Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head — “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” is the Burt Bacharach song best known from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where B. J. Thomas recorded the hit version. It is also remembered for later uses in Spider-Man 2 and various parody or cover versions, and its lyric insists that falling raindrops do not make the singer cry.

    • There’s Always Something There to Remind Me — “There’s Always Something There to Remind Me” is the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song later covered by Naked Eyes. Their version became a major pop hit in the 1980s after the original success by Sandie Shaw.

    • They Long to Be Close to You — “They Long to Be Close to You” is the Burt Bacharach song made famous by the Carpenters. Its lyric about birds appearing whenever the beloved is near is one of its best-known clues.

  • Harold Arlen — Harold Arlen was a major American songwriter whose music helped define Broadway and Hollywood songbooks. He wrote “Over the Rainbow,” “Stormy Weather,” and songs such as “Let’s Fall in Love” and “Get Happy.”
    • One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) — One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) is a Harold Arlen song associated with Frank Sinatra. It is one of his best-known late-night drinking ballads about loneliness and regret.

  • Joe Hill — Joe Hill was the Swedish-born IWW songwriter and labor activist who coined “pie in the sky” in “The Preacher and the Slave.” He was convicted in Utah for the Morrison murders and executed in 1915, becoming a lasting martyr of the labor movement.

  • Joseph Brackett — Joseph Brackett wrote the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts,” a tune famous for the line about turning around and coming ‘round right. The melody was later borrowed into Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and became one of the best-known American folk hymns.

  • Paul Williams — Paul Williams is a songwriter, singer, and actor who wrote or co-wrote The Rainbow Connection and Evergreen. He also wrote the theme for The Love Boat, co-wrote Touch for Daft Punk, and appeared in films and television as a performer.

  • Hoagy Carmichael — Hoagy Carmichael was an American songwriter and pianist best known for standards like “Stardust” and “Georgia on My Mind.” His songs were later popularized by artists such as Louis Armstrong, Artie Shaw, and Ray Charles.

    • In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening — “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening” is a Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer song that won the 1951 Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was featured in Here Comes the Groom and famously lists absurd conditions for attending a party.

    • Stardust — “Stardust” is the Hoagy Carmichael standard made famous by Louis Armstrong and others. Its dreamy lyrics and nostalgic melody make it one of the signature songs of the Great American Songbook.

  • Johnny Mercer — Johnny Mercer was a prolific American lyricist and songwriter from Savannah, Georgia. He co-founded Capitol Records, collaborated with Hoagy Carmichael, and wrote standards such as “Lazybones,” “Blues in the Night,” “Personality,” “Satin Doll,” and “That Old Black Magic.”
    • Moon River — “Moon River” is the Johnny Mercer song made famous by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Its lyrics describe the title river as a “dream maker” and “heart breaker,” and later performers such as Andy Williams turned it into a signature standard.
  • Robert Lopez — Robert Lopez is a songwriter and composer who became the youngest EGOT winner. He won Tony Awards for Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon and won Oscars for “Let It Go” and “Remember Me.”

• Take Me Out to the Ball Game — Written by Jack Norworth with music by Albert von Tilzer, this classic baseball anthem is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch. Its first verse introduces Katie Casey, and its chorus names Katie Casey while asking for a hot dog and peanuts and saying no one will mind if fans do not come back until the game is over. Early recordings by Edward Meeker and Billy Murray helped establish its lasting popularity.

• Victor Young
  • Stella by Starlight — “Stella by Starlight” is a jazz standard composed by Victor Young for the film The Uninvited. Its popular vocal version uses lyrics by Ned Washington, and the tune is especially associated with Miles Davis’s 1958 recording.

• Wind Beneath My Wings — “Wind Beneath My Wings” is the ballad most famously recorded by Bette Midler for the film Beaches. Its chorus asks, “Did you ever know that you’re my hero?” and the song became a staple of sentimental tributes and memorial settings.

• You Are My Sunshine — “You Are My Sunshine” is a popular song that became the best-known state song of Louisiana. It was popularized by Jimmie Davis and often functions as a lullaby.

• You Belong to Me — “You Belong to Me” is a standard made famous by Jo Stafford, with later versions by artists such as Bob Dylan and Tori Amos. It is remembered for its romantic opening about pyramids and tropic isles, and for appearing in other pop-culture contexts such as Bioshock Infinite.

• “Happy Days Are Here Again” — “Happy Days Are Here Again” is a 1929 song by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen. It later became associated with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 presidential campaign and with the Democratic Party.

• Lyricists
  • Ira Gershwin — Ira Gershwin was a lyricist best known for collaborating with his brother George Gershwin. He wrote the lyrics for songs including “Summertime,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” and “The Man That Got Away.”

• Angel of the Morning — “Angel of the Morning” is the Juice Newton hit about a brief affair ending with an early-morning goodbye. The song was written for Merrilee Rush and later used in film and television, including Jerry Maguire.

• Billy Rose — Billy Rose was an American producer, lyricist, and nightclub owner associated with songs such as “Me and My Shadow” and “It’s Only a Paper Moon.” He also mounted Broadway and spectacle productions including Jumbo, Carmen Jones, and the Aquacade, and was portrayed in Funny Lady.

• Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? — “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” is a Depression-era song with music by Jay Gorney and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. Its narrator recalls wartime service and grand construction projects before ending up in a bread line and asking for charity.

• Harry Lillis Crosby — Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby was a hugely successful crooner and film star known for Holiday Inn and Going My Way. He won an Oscar for playing Father O’Malley and introduced “White Christmas” in the film Holiday Inn. He was also a Gonzaga alumnus whose career began with Paul Whiteman and the Rhythm Boys before his solo success.

• Polka musicians
  • Frankie Yankovic — Frankie Yankovic was a Slovenian-American polka bandleader nicknamed America’s Polka King and the first winner in the Grammy polka category. His best-known tunes include “Just Because,” “Blue Skirt Waltz,” “Who Stole the Kishka,” and “Too Fat Polka.” His name is often used as a foil for Weird Al Yankovic, but he is the older polka musician rather than the parody singer.
• Production styles
  • Wall of Sound — The Wall of Sound was Phil Spector’s densely layered production style, built from orchestral arrangements and echo-chamber recording. It shaped records like “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and influenced later productions such as Born to Run and some versions of Let It Be.

• Rudy Vallée — Rudy Vallée was a crooner and bandleader who fronted the Connecticut Yankees. He became an early teen idol in the 1920s and later had a 1932 hit with “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

• Session musicians
  • The Wrecking Crew — The Wrecking Crew was a loose collective of Los Angeles session musicians who played on many hit records of the 1960s and 1970s. Its members worked extensively with Phil Spector’s wall of sound and backed artists such as the Beach Boys, the Byrds, and the Monkees.
• Sir Mix-a-Lot

  • Lockjaw — “Lockjaw” is a Sir Mix-a-Lot track from Mack Daddy, and the title can also refer to the jazz nickname of Eddie Davis. The phrase also shows up as a nickname for a type of accent, making it a recurring clue in music and slang questions.

  • My Hooptie — “My Hooptie” is a Sir Mix-a-Lot song that affectionately complains about his beat-up 1969 Buick. The track contrasts the rundown car with the rapper’s more luxurious Benz.

• Spike Jones — Spike Jones was a bandleader famous for novelty recordings packed with sound effects and comic arrangements. His City Slickers recorded songs such as “Cocktails for Two,” “Der Fuehrer’s Face,” and “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.”

• Tennessee state songs
  • Rocky Top — “Rocky Top” is the state song of Tennessee and a famous mountain song about a rugged place in the Smokies. Its lyrics mention moonshine, poor soil, and a nostalgic idea of home.

• The Battle Cry of Freedom — George Frederick Root’s pro-Union Civil War song that became a rallying anthem for the Union Army and the official campaign song of Abraham Lincoln in 1864. The title was later borrowed by James McPherson for his Pulitzer Prize-winning history of the Civil War era.

• Yakety Sax — This Boots Randolph instrumental became famous as the Benny Hill theme and as a comic chase-music meme. Its title is Yakety Sax.

• Battle Hymn of the Republic — The Battle Hymn of the Republic is Julia Ward Howe’s Civil War hymn, set to the tune of ‘John Brown’s Body.’ Its refrain celebrates the coming of the Lord and ‘His truth is marching on,’ and it was later adapted for other political songs such as ‘Solidarity Forever.’

• Begin the Beguine — “Begin the Beguine” is Cole Porter’s long song inspired by the Caribbean dance from Martinique. It became a standard after Artie Shaw’s famous arrangement and is often cited as one of the Great American Songbook’s most elaborate tunes.

• German patriotic songs
  • Die Wacht am Rhein — “Die Wacht am Rhein” is a nineteenth-century German patriotic song about defending the Rhine frontier. Its tune later served Yale’s alma mater song “Bright College Years,” and the title was also used as a World War II code name.

• When Johnny Comes Marching Home — When Johnny Comes Marching Home is the Civil War-era song about soldiers returning from war, adapted from an Irish ballad.

• Conservative commentators
  • Ben Shapiro — Ben Shapiro is the conservative commentator and co-founder of The Daily Wire known for saying that “facts don’t care about your feelings.” He is also associated with True Allegiance, early syndicated commentary, and viral culture-war clips.
• Katherine Kennicott Davis
  • The Little Drummer Boy — “The Little Drummer Boy” is the Christmas carol that tells of a poor child who plays his drum before the newborn Jesus. Its refrain repeats “pa rum pum pum pum,” and the song is commonly credited to Katherine Kennicott Davis.
• Music hall performers
  • Marie Lloyd — Marie Lloyd was a British music-hall singer known as the Queen of the Music Hall. She performed innuendo-laden songs such as “The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery,” “Oh Mr Porter,” and “My Old Man,” and supported the 1907 music-hall strike.

Gospel

Black gospel developed in twentieth-century African American Christian communities from spirituals, hymns, Holiness-Pentecostal worship, blues, and urban religious life. “Gospel” also names white southern and other traditions, which have related but distinct histories.⁵

• Gospel quartets — male groups developed close harmony, bass foundations, lead exchanges, rhythmic drive, and later guitar accompaniment. Groups such as the Soul Stirrers and Dixie Hummingbirds helped connect jubilee practice to rhythm and blues.

• Gospel and the freedom movement — sacred repertory, melodic frameworks, and participatory practice helped generate freedom songs such as “We Shall Overcome.” Churches and singers supplied organizing spaces and emotional resources, although religious institutions also contained political disagreement.⁶

• Gospel songs
  • Jesus Is Just Alright — “Jesus Is Just Alright” is a gospel song that became a pop and rock standard through versions by the Byrds and the Doobie Brothers. It is also associated with covers by DC Talk and other Christian performers.
• Gospel singers
  • Shirley Caesar — Shirley Caesar is a gospel singer and pastor nicknamed the First Lady of Gospel Music. Her long career includes songs such as “Hold My Mule” and “Jesus, I Love Calling Your Name,” along with later collaborations like Fill This House.

• Spirituals and gospel — spirituals originated in enslaved Black communities and circulated primarily through oral performance; gospel emerged later as a named, composed, published, and recorded sacred music. Repetition and call-and-response connect them, but the terms are not interchangeable.⁷

• Fisk Jubilee Singers — beginning in 1871, the ensemble arranged and performed spirituals on U.S. and international concert stages to support Fisk University. Jubilee style helped create public repertories that later quartets and gospel musicians transformed.

• Charles Albert Tindley (1851–1933) — a Methodist minister and hymn writer whose composed songs joined biblical themes, lived struggle, refrain, improvisatory potential, and changing harmony. His work is a major bridge between post-emancipation hymnody and gospel.

• Thomas A. Dorsey (1899–1993) — a blues pianist and composer who built a sacred publishing, convention, and performance network in Chicago. Songs such as “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” helped institutionalize modern Black gospel despite early church opposition to blues-associated sounds.

• Performance practice — lead singers stretch rhythm and melody, choirs answer, instruments intensify harmony and pulse, and congregations participate through call-and-response. Timbre, improvisation, testimony, gesture, and worship setting are as important as the written score.

• Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915–1973) — paired commanding vocals with amplified guitar across church, concert, and nightclub settings. Her recordings expose the porous boundary between gospel and the music later marketed as rhythm and blues or rock and roll. She was a pioneering gospel singer and guitarist whose amplified electric playing helped shape rock and roll. She is associated with songs such as “This Train” and “Strange Things Happening Every Day,” and earned the nickname the Godmother of Rock and Roll.

• Mahalia Jackson (1911–1972) — brought a Baptist and blues-informed vocal style to national and international audiences while largely maintaining a sacred repertory. Her performances also connected gospel to the Black freedom movement. She was a leading gospel singer remembered for songs such as “Move On Up a Little Higher” and “How I Got Over,” and for singing at the March on Washington and at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral.

• Clara Ward and the Famous Ward Singers — expanded the women’s ensemble tradition through virtuosic leads, arranged movement, visual presentation, and touring. Their style influenced later gospel, soul, and popular singers.

• James Cleveland (1931–1991) — singer, composer, arranger, and organizer associated with the rise of the mass choir and the Gospel Music Workshop of America. His work made workshops, recordings, and large choirs major institutions of postwar gospel.

• Andraé Crouch (1942–2015) — songwriter, arranger, and performer who combined gospel choir traditions with contemporary studio production and reached racially and denominationally broad audiences. His career helped shape contemporary gospel and worship music.

• Industry, church, and crossover — publishing, radio, independent labels, touring circuits, church conventions, and later major labels commercialized gospel without dissolving its worship function. “Crossover” can describe audience expansion but may obscure borrowing without credit.

• Contemporary diversity — traditional choirs, quartet gospel, praise and worship, gospel rap, neo-soul-inflected work, and regional church styles coexist. Debates over theology, sexuality, commercial polish, and secular collaboration remain internal to the field.

• African American spirituals
  • Swing Low, Sweet Chariot — “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” is a spiritual about angels carrying the singer home over Jordan. It became especially famous through the Fisk Jubilee Singers and remains one of the best-known African American spirituals.
• Folk hymn
  • Kum Ba Yah — “Kum Ba Yah,” also called “Come By Here,” is a folk hymn associated in later popular culture with naive hippies. Its refrain invokes the Lord while people are laughing, crying, praying, and singing.
• Hymns
  • I’ll Fly Away — “I’ll Fly Away” is a gospel hymn whose version by Albert E. Brumley became a staple of bluegrass and gospel performance. It also names a 1990s television drama about two Georgia families, set against the early civil rights era and featuring Sam Waterston and Regina Taylor.
• Isaac Watts
  • Joy to the World — Joy to the World is an Isaac Watts hymn set to music by Lowell Mason and commonly associated with Advent and Christmas. It is also the title of a 1971 pop song by Three Dog Night, so clues may point either to the carol or to the hit single.
• Religious music
  • gospel music — Gospel music is a style of African-American religious music associated with church choirs, call-and-response, and performers such as Mahalia Jackson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Clues may also mention Thomas Dorsey, “How I Got Over,” or reinterpretations of Handel’s Messiah.
• Contemporary Christian music
  • Jaci Velasquez — Jaci Velasquez is a contemporary Christian singer who released Heavenly Place at age sixteen. Her other albums include Crystal Clear and the Spanish-language Un Lugar Celestial.
• Contemporary Christian music groups
  • Point of Grace — Point of Grace is a contemporary Christian vocal group associated with Word Records. Their early successes included the album Life, Love, and Other Mysteries and the song “Keep the Candle Burning.”
• Contemporary Christian music singers
  • Steven Curtis Chapman — Steven Curtis Chapman is a contemporary Christian singer-songwriter known for albums such as First Hand, The Great Adventure, Speechless, and All About Love. He won many Dove Awards, including a long run as Songwriter of the Year in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
• Contemporary Christian musicians
  • Amy Grant — Amy Grant is a contemporary Christian and pop singer who crossed over into mainstream radio with songs like “Baby Baby,” “Every Heartbeat,” and “The Next Time I Fall.” Her career is tied to albums such as Age to Age and Heart in Motion, as well as her marriage to Vince Gill.

• Michael W. Smith — Michael W. Smith is a contemporary Christian singer and songwriter who played keyboards for Amy Grant early in his career. He is known for crossover hits such as “Place in This World” and “I Will Be Here for You,” along with albums like Go West Young Man.

• Newsong
  • The Christmas Shoes — “The Christmas Shoes” is a sentimental NewSong holiday song about a boy trying to buy shoes for his dying mother. It was widely remembered after a TV movie adaptation starring Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams-Paisley.

• Paul Robeson — Paul Robeson was an African-American singer, actor, and athlete known for his performance of “Ol’ Man River” in Show Boat and his portrayal of Othello. He also appeared in Toussaint Louverture, played college football at Rutgers, and later moved to Europe amid political persecution in the United States. He became a target of anti-communist attacks for his communist sympathies, public support for the Soviet Union, political activism, petitions against lynching, and testimony before HUAC.

• Robert Randolph — Robert Randolph is a New Jersey pedal steel guitarist who leads the Family Band. He blends gospel roots with rock and funk and has collaborated with artists including Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, and the Dave Matthews Band.

Folk and Folk Revival

• American folk tradition — field recordings by ethnomusicologists Alan and John Lomax in the 1930s–1940s documented oral tradition; informed the later revival.

• Woody Guthrie — Dust Bowl-era singer-songwriter; “This Land Is Your Land”; father of politically engaged American folk. He wrote Dust Bowl Ballads and labor and protest songs such as “Do Re Mi” and “The Ballads of Sacco and Vanzetti.” Guthrie also performed with the Almanac Singers and was known for the slogan on his guitar, “This machine kills fascists.”

  • Dust Bowl Ballads — Dust Bowl Ballads is Woody Guthrie’s 1940 album about the Okies and the Dust Bowl migration. It includes songs such as “Tom Joad,” “Pretty Boy Floyd,” and “Do Re Mi,” and helped define American protest folk music.

  • This Land Is Your Land — “This Land Is Your Land” is Woody Guthrie’s response to “God Bless America,” with verses that celebrate a shared American landscape from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters. The song is also known for its omitted political verses and for the line about a private-property sign that “didn’t say nothing.”

  • This machine kills fascists — This four-word slogan, “This machine kills fascists,” was painted on Woody Guthrie’s guitars. The phrase became strongly associated with Guthrie’s 1943 protest identity and later appeared as a quoted emblem of his instrument.

• Pete Seeger — banjo and guitar; the Weavers; blacklisted during McCarthyism; “If I Had a Hammer,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” He was a folk singer and activist associated with the Almanac Singers and the Weavers, and his repertoire also included protest songs like “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy,” which became well known after censorship controversies.

  • Waist Deep in the Big Muddy — “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy” is Pete Seeger’s anti-war song about a captain who ignores warnings and leads his men into disaster. It became famous after being censored on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 1960s.

  • We Shall Overcome — “We Shall Overcome” became a signature civil rights protest song and was popularized by Pete Seeger. Its roots lie in older gospel and labor music, and it was taught early to SNCC activists.

  • Where Have All the Flowers Gone? — “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” is Pete Seeger’s anti-war folk song, later recorded by performers such as Peter, Paul and Mary and Joan Baez. Its verses cycle from flowers to girls, men, soldiers, and graveyards before returning to the refrain “When will they ever learn?”

• 1960s folk revival — centered on Greenwich Village, New York; linked to civil rights and anti-war movements.

• Joan Baez — soprano folk singer; prominent at Newport Folk Festival (1959–); close association with Bob Dylan. She is an American folk singer and civil rights activist known for her performances at major 1960s protest events. She recorded well-known versions of “Joe Hill” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” and her albums include Diamonds & Rust and Blessed Are.

• Bob Dylan — born Robert Zimmerman; acoustic folk debut 1962; moved to electric rock at Newport 1965; transformative songwriter; “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” “Like a Rolling Stone”; Nobel Prize in Literature 2016. American singer-songwriter and poet; also wrote Tarantula and songs such as “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,” and “Maggie’s Farm.” He is associated with The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and Desire, and is often described as a protest singer.

  • All Along the Watchtower — “All Along the Watchtower” is a Bob Dylan song first released on John Wesley Harding and later famously covered by Jimi Hendrix. Its apocalyptic lyric opens with the joker and thief, and the song is often identified by the line about princes keeping watch while women come and go.

  • Blonde on Blonde — Blonde on Blonde is Bob Dylan’s 1966 double album, often cited as the first major double rock LP. Its best-known songs include “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” “Just Like a Woman,” “I Want You,” and “Visions of Johanna.”

  • Blood on the Tracks — Blood on the Tracks is Bob Dylan’s 1975 album, famous for songs such as “Tangled Up in Blue,” “Idiot Wind,” and “Shelter from the Storm.” Its songs were re-recorded after the initial sessions, and the album is often linked to the breakup of Dylan’s marriage.

  • Blowin’ in the Wind — “Blowin’ in the Wind” is a Bob Dylan folk song first performed at Gerdes Folk City and adapted from the spiritual “No More Auction Block.” Its famous refrain asks how many roads a man must walk down before he is called a man, and Peter, Paul and Mary helped popularize it with an early cover.

  • Bringing It All Back Home — Bringing It All Back Home is the Bob Dylan album that marked his major shift toward electric music. It includes “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and “Maggie’s Farm,” and its cover features Dylan indoors beside a fallout-shelter sign.
    • Subterranean Homesick Blues — “Subterranean Homesick Blues” is Bob Dylan’s fast, proto-rap song from Bringing It All Back Home. Its famous cue-card video and lyrics like “Johnny’s in the basement” made it one of his most iconic mid-1960s tracks.

  • Desolation Row — “Desolation Row” is Bob Dylan’s closing track from Highway 61 Revisited, built from a sequence of surreal character vignettes. Its imagery includes Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot in the captain’s tower and the title street full of doomed, ironic figures.

  • Forever Young — “Forever Young” is the title of Bob Dylan and Alphaville songs, and Rod Stewart also recorded a different song with the same title. The Dylan song is known for its wish that the listener remain young forever, while the Alphaville version is a synth-pop anthem.

  • Girl from the North Country — “Girl from the North Country” is a Bob Dylan song built around a remembered woman with long hair. The lyric’s reflective tone and rural imagery make it one of Dylan’s best-known early ballads.

  • Hattie Carroll — Hattie Carroll was the Baltimore waitress killed by William Zantzinger, whose lenient treatment became a famous civil-rights-era story. Bob Dylan memorialized her death in a song about the racial and class injustice surrounding the case.

  • Highway 61 Revisited — Highway 61 Revisited is a 1965 Bob Dylan album containing “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Desolation Row,” “Tombstone Blues,” and the title track. Its title alludes to Highway 61, the road associated with blues legend and Robert Johnson’s mythic deal with the devil.

  • I Want You — “I Want You” is a song title used by several artists, including Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Savage Garden, and the Beatles. It also functions as a wartime slogan and appears on classic Uncle Sam recruitment posters.

  • John Wesley Harding — John Wesley Harding is Bob Dylan’s 1967 follow-up to Blonde on Blonde, recorded after Dylan’s motorcycle accident. It includes acoustic versions and originals such as “All Along the Watchtower,” “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine,” and “The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest.” The title track describes a man who travels with a gun in every hand.

  • Love and Theft — Love and Theft is a 2001 Bob Dylan album with songs such as “Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum,” “Summer Days,” and “Sugar Baby.” It was especially praised as one of Dylan’s strongest late-career records.

  • Maggie’s Farm — “Maggie’s Farm” is a Bob Dylan song that rejects the title place and its demands for labor, with the singer insisting he is not going to work there anymore. It became especially famous as the first song Dylan played in his electric set at Newport in 1965.

  • Mr. Tambourine Man — “Mr. Tambourine Man” is a Bob Dylan song from Bringing It All Back Home that became especially famous through a Byrds cover. Its lyric asks the title figure to take the singer on a trip upon his magic swirling ship.

  • Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 — “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” is the Bob Dylan song that opens Blonde on Blonde. Its chorus repeats the double-entendre line “Everybody must get stoned.”

  • Tangled Up in Blue — “Tangled Up in Blue” is the opening track of Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks and one of his most personal songs. Its nonlinear narrative follows shifting relationships and locations, including the north woods, New Orleans, and Brooklyn. The song is widely noted for its changing perspectives and for inspiring later borrowings such as Hootie and the Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be With You.”

  • The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan — The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is Dylan’s 1963 second album, the one that cemented his reputation as a major songwriter. Its best-known tracks include “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,” “Masters of War,” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”

  • The Times, They are A-changin’ — “The Times, They Are A-Changin’” is Bob Dylan’s protest song urging listeners to recognize that times are changing. Its lyrics warn senators and congressmen to heed the call and include the line about the first becoming last.

  • Time Out of Mind — Time Out of Mind is Bob Dylan’s 1997 album of late-career resurgence, containing “Love Sick,” “Not Dark Yet,” and the 16-minute “Highlands.” The title comes from a phrase in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

  • “Like A Rolling Stone” — “Like a Rolling Stone” is Bob Dylan’s 1965 opener from Highway 61 Revisited, famous for its Hammond organ riff and the refrain asking how it feels to be on your own. Its lyrics address a fallen socialite or “Miss Lonely,” and Martin Scorsese used the title for his Dylan documentary No Direction Home.
• Banjo playing styles
  • clawhammer — Clawhammer is an old-time banjo style also called frailing, marked by a down-picking motion and a “bum-ditty” rhythm. It is contrasted with three-finger banjo technique associated with Earl Scruggs.

• Cotton-Eyed Joe — “Cotton-Eyed Joe” is a folk song with many versions, including the Rednex dance-pop hit and older country arrangements. Its refrain asks where the title figure came from and where he went, and one version says the singer would have been married long ago without him.

• Folk groups

  • The Almanac Singers — The Almanac Singers were a politically engaged folk group founded by Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Lee Hays, and Millard Lampell. They recorded labor and anti-war songs and were associated with left-wing organizing in the early 1940s.

  • The Seekers — The Seekers were an Australian folk group whose lead vocalist was Judith Durham. They are known for the 1965 hit “The Carnival Is Over.”

• Folk music genres
  • filk — Filk is a folk music genre rooted in science-fiction fandom, where fans write and perform songs about science fiction and fantasy works. Its name comes from a misspelling of “folk,” and artists associated with it include Juanita Coulson, Julia Ecklar, and Ookla the Mok.
• Folk music groups
  • Irish folk groups
    • Clannad — Clannad is the Irish family band from Gweedore, County Donegal, founded by the Brennan and Duggan siblings. The group often sings in Gaelic and is also known for being Enya’s early band before she went solo.
• Folk musicians
  • Elizabeth Cotten — Elizabeth Cotten was an American folk guitarist and singer best known for “Freight Train.” Her distinctive “Cotten picking” style uses the thumb for the melody on an upside-down guitar, and she also played the open-D instrumental “Vastopol.”
• Hedy West
  • 500 Miles — “500 Miles” is a folk song by Hedy West whose homesick opening line about missing a departing train is one of its best-known clues. It was recorded by the Kingston Trio and by Peter, Paul and Mary, which are common identification hints.
• Irish rebel bands
  • The Wolfe Tones — The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel band named for Theobald Wolfe Tone, a leader of the 1798 rebellion. They are known for nationalist songs such as “Go on Home British Soldiers” and “Admiral William Brown.”
• Irish traditional music
  • The Chieftains — The Chieftains are the long-running Irish traditional music group led by Paddy Moloney. Known for collaborations with artists from Eric Clapton to Sinéad O’Connor, they also contributed music to films and helped popularize Irish instrumental music worldwide.

• The Yellow Rose of Texas — “The Yellow Rose of Texas” is an American folk song whose title woman is often linked to Emily D. West and to a story about distracting Santa Anna before San Jacinto. The song exists in many variants, including versions that mention Tennessee and the Civil War.

• Traditional folk song
  • In the Pines — “In the Pines” is a traditional folk song associated with Lead Belly and later Nirvana, and it is often known by verses or refrains such as “Where Did You Sleep Last Night.” The song’s haunting imagery includes references to a decapitation and a dark place where the sun never shines.
• Traditional folk songs
  • Over the Hills and Far Away — “Over the Hills and Far Away” is a traditional folk song with many variants, including one about an apprentice named Tom and another set at the queen’s command. The title was later reused by Led Zeppelin for a different song.
• Traditional songs

  • House of the Rising Sun — “House of the Rising Sun” is a traditional song most famously recorded by The Animals in 1964. Its lyrics describe a ruined life in New Orleans, and the title’s location has been variously interpreted as a building, a metaphor, or a brothel.

  • Yellow Rose of Texas — The Yellow Rose of Texas is a nickname associated with Emily West, the woman linked to a legend about distracting Santa Anna before San Jacinto. It is also the title of a famous song about a girl from Texas and the Rio Grande.

• Whiskey in the Jar — “Whiskey in the Jar” is a traditional Irish song about a highwayman who robs Captain Farrell and is betrayed by his lover. The Dubliners’ version is a standard reference point, and the chorus ends with the nonsense refrain “whack fol de daddy-o.”

• Work songs
  • sea shanty — Sea shanties are a cappella work songs sung by sailors aboard ships to coordinate labor and pass the time. Examples include “Spanish Ladies,” “The Coasts of High Barbary,” and “What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?” The genre saw a modern revival online, including the Wellerman craze.

• Do Re Mi — “Do Re Mi” is the song from The Sound of Music that teaches the solfege scale. It is also the title of a Woody Guthrie Dust Bowl ballad about migrants needing money to survive in California.

• Turn! Turn! Turn! — “Turn! Turn! Turn!” is Pete Seeger’s song built largely from the Book of Ecclesiastes. The Byrds made it a number-one hit with their well-known 1960s cover.

• American folk groups
  • Peter, Paul and Mary — Peter, Paul and Mary were a folk trio associated with the 1960s protest movement. They popularized songs such as “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “If I Had a Hammer,” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”
    • Puff the Magic Dragon — This song by Peter, Paul and Mary tells of a dragon who lives in Honalee and befriends Jackie Paper. Its childlike fantasy imagery made it famous as an alleged marijuana reference, though it is also a sentimental song about lost childhood.
• American folk-punk bands
  • AJJ — AJJ is the Arizona folk-punk band formerly known as Andrew Jackson Jihad. They are known for albums such as People Who Can Eat People Are the Luckiest People in the World and The Bible 2, along with songs like ‘Brave as a Noun’.
• Folk bands
  • Moxy Fruvous — Moxy Früvous is a Toronto-based folk and comedy band known for witty, satirical songs and playful wordplay. Their albums include Bargainville, Wood, and You Will Go To the Moon, and songs such as “King of Spain” and “The Drinking Song” are among their best-known works.
• Folk duos
  • The Indigo Girls — The Indigo Girls are the folk duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, known for harmonized acoustic songwriting. Their albums include Swamp Ophelia, Rites of Passage, and Shaming of the Sun, and songs such as “Closer to Fine,” “Galileo,” and “Least Complicated” are among their best-known tracks.
• Folk festivals
  • Newport Folk Festival — The Newport Folk Festival is the Rhode Island folk festival forever associated with Bob Dylan going electric in 1965. It also hosted performances by Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and later acoustic sets by acts such as the Pixies. The festival has long been tied to folk traditions represented by artists like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.
• Folk revivalists
  • Cecil Sharp — Cecil Sharp was a major figure in the English and British folk revival, especially through his collecting of oral folk songs. He helped found the English Folk Dance Society and was later criticized for sanitizing some of the material he preserved.
• Harry Smith
  • Anthology of American Folk Music — The Anthology of American Folk Music is Harry Smith’s 1952 compilation of country, folk, and blues recordings. It helped bring older performers such as Mississippi John Hurt, Dock Boggs, Bascom Lamar Lunsford, and Blind Lemon Jefferson to wider attention and became highly influential for the 1960s folk revival.
• Protest singers and songwriters
  • Phil Ochs — Phil Ochs was a Texas-born folk singer and protest songwriter associated with the 1960s antiwar movement. He wrote songs such as “I Ain’t Marching Anymore,” “Draft Dodger Rag,” “Love Me, I’m a Liberal,” and “Here’s to the State of Mississippi.”
    • I Ain’t Marching Anymore — “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” is a Phil Ochs protest song about refusing to keep fighting in war. Its lyrics move through a history of American wars before ending in the refrain that the old lead the wars and the young die in them.

• The Kingston Trio — The Kingston Trio was a hugely successful late-1950s American folk group built around Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds, and Dave Guard. They were known for a clean-cut, collegiate stage image and hit versions of songs such as “Tom Dooley,” “Worried Man,” and “The M.T.A.”

• The Mamas and the Papas — The Mamas and the Papas were a 1960s folk-rock group best known for “California Dreamin’,” “Monday, Monday,” and “I Saw Her Again.” The group featured Cass Elliot, Denny Doherty, John Phillips, and Michelle Phillips, and their Monterey Pop Festival appearance is a common clue.

  • California Dreamin’ — “California Dreamin’” is the signature 1965 song by the Mamas and the Papas. It became a defining West Coast folk-pop anthem and later appeared prominently in films and other media.

  • Cass Elliot — Cass Elliot, often called Mama Cass, was a singer best known for performing with the Mamas and the Papas alongside John and Michelle Phillips and Denny Doherty. She also had a solo career, including “Make Your Own Kind of Music” and “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” and became a pop-culture figure through television and commercial appearances.

• “Mr. Bojangles” — “Mr. Bojangles” is the song about a wandering dancer who performs in worn-out shoes and small-town venues, most famously covered by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The nickname refers to tap dancer Bill Robinson, also known as Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.

• folk singers

  • Burl Ives — Burl Ives was an American folk singer and actor who became famous for playing Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He also had a radio career under the title The Wayfaring Stranger and later won an Academy Award.

  • Judy Collins — Judy Collins is an American singer known for Both Sides Now and for folk recordings such as Whales and Nightingales. Her album Judith includes her version of Stephen Sondheim’s Send in the Clowns, and she was connected to the Save the Whales movement.

  • Arlo Guthrie — Arlo Guthrie is the singer best known for “Alice’s Restaurant” and for being the son of folk singer Woody Guthrie. He also appeared as himself in the film version of the song.

    • Alice’s Restaurant — “Alice’s Restaurant” is Arlo Guthrie’s long comic folk song about a place where you can get anything you want. It was inspired by an incident in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and was adapted into an Arthur Penn film in 1969.

    • Alice’s Restaurant Massacree — Alice’s Restaurant Massacree is Arlo Guthrie’s long talking-blues song about a littering arrest and draft induction trouble. It is closely associated with Thanksgiving radio play and with the title location in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

  • Jim Croce — Folk-rock singer-songwriter known for “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” “Time in a Bottle,” and “Operator.” He died in a plane crash in 1973 at age 30, shortly after performing on the road, leaving a short but influential catalog of pop-folk storytelling songs.
    • Bad, Bad Leroy Brown — “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” is Jim Croce’s song about a tough title character from the South Side of Chicago, armed with a gun and a razor and described as the baddest man in town. The character’s name comes from a real telephone repairman whose habit of skipping work inspired Croce’s song.
      • Leroy Brown — Leroy Brown is the tough-talking title character of Jim Croce’s song “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” He is depicted as a feared South Side of Chicago tough who drives a custom car and carries a gun.

    • Time in a Bottle — “Time in a Bottle” is a Jim Croce song about wishing for more time and reflecting on the past. It later appears in film and television soundtracks, including a scene tied to Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

    • You Don’t Mess Around with Jim — You Don’t Mess Around with Jim is Jim Croce’s 1972 album, named for its title track. The album’s best-known song helped make the record a major hit and includes the warning not to tug on Superman’s cape or spit into the wind.
  • John Denver — John Denver was the folk and country singer-songwriter born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. He began with the Chad Mitchell Trio, later became famous as a solo performer, and is known for “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Annie’s Song,” “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” and the environmental song “Calypso.” He died in a plane crash.

    • Annie’s Song — “Annie’s Song” is John Denver’s tribute to his first wife Annie. The song is especially recognizable from its use in film, parody, and sports chants built around Denver’s lyric “You fill up my senses.”

    • Rocky Mountain High — “Rocky Mountain High” is John Denver’s tribute to Colorado and one of his best-known songs. The song, inspired by Denver’s move to Aspen, was later adopted as a Colorado state song.

    • Thank God I’m a Country Boy — “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” is a John Denver song famous for its cheerful rural lyrics and live version becoming a hit. It later became a long-running Baltimore Orioles seventh-inning-stretch tradition.

• Barry McGuire
  • Eve of Destruction — “Eve of Destruction” is a 1960s protest song made famous by Barry McGuire. Its lyrics warn of nuclear catastrophe and political unrest, and the song was later answered by The Spokesmen’s “The Dawn of Correction.”}],

• Big Thief — Big Thief is an indie folk band fronted by Adrianne Lenker. Their albums include Masterpiece and Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, and Lenker’s solo work has revisited songs first associated with the band.

• Cree singer-songwriters
  • Buffy Sainte-Marie — Buffy Sainte-Marie is a Cree Canadian singer-songwriter known for protest songs such as “Universal Soldier,” “Now That the Buffalo’s Gone,” and “Cod’ine.” She also wrote “Up Where We Belong,” appeared on Sesame Street in the 1970s, and returned with Coincidence and Likely Stories in 1992.
• Crosby, Stills & Nash
  • Suite Judy Blue Eyes — “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” is a Crosby, Stills & Nash song written by Stephen Stills about Judy Collins. It is a multipart acoustic piece famous for its altered guitar tuning and its Spanish-language ending.

• Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young — Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young is the folk-rock supergroup associated with songs like “Ohio,” “Wooden Ships,” and “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” The group is also known in its earlier three-member form as Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

• DAR _WILLIAMS — Dar Williams is the American singer-songwriter associated with the Boston folk scene and albums such as The Honesty Room and Mortal City. Her work also includes songs like “The Tofu Tollbooth II,” and she is noted for a devoted online fan base.

• Folk singer-songwriters
  • Richard Shindell — Richard Shindell is an American-Argentinian folk singer-songwriter known for songs such as Transit and The Kenworth of My Dreams. His albums include Sparrows Point and Somewhere Near Patterson, and he is also associated with Are You Happy Now? and Reunion Hill.
• Folk-pop groups
  • The Mamas & the Papas — The Mamas & the Papas were a 1960s vocal group featuring John and Michelle Phillips, Cass Elliot, and Denny Doherty. They are known for “California Dreamin’,” “Creeque Alley,” and other harmonically lush folk-pop hits.

• King of Spain — The King of Spain is the title character of a Moxy Früvous song about a former ruler who ends up in ordinary Canadian jobs after swapping places with a peasant. The song jokingly invokes reforms like a Friday weekend and chocolate eclairs for newborns.

• Loreena McKennitt — Loreena McKennitt is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for Celtic-tinged New Age music, including the hit ‘Mummers’ Dance.’ Her albums include Elemental, The Mask and Mirror, The Visit, and The Book of Secrets, and she has also recorded ‘The Highwayman.’

• Mumford and Sons — Mumford and Sons is an English folk rock band known for songs like “The Cave,” “I Will Wait,” and “Little Lion Man.” Their early albums Sigh No More and Babel made them major crossover acts, while Wilder Mind pushed toward a more electric sound.

• musical projects
  • Iron and Wine — Iron and Wine is the indie-folk project of Samuel Beam. The project is associated with albums such as The Creek Drank the Cradle, Our Endless Numbered Days, The Shepherd’s Dog, and the EP Woman King.

• Nick Drake — Nick Drake was an English folk singer-songwriter whose brief career produced Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter, and Pink Moon. He was little known in life, later became famous through soundtrack placements and commercials, and died in 1974 from an antidepressant overdose.

• Noah Kahan (kahn) — Noah Kahan is a Vermont-born folk singer known for Stick Season and for songs such as “Dial Drunk” and “Northern Attitude.” He founded the Busyhead Project, a mental health initiative named after his debut album, and often writes about New England life and relationships.

• Protest chants
  • The whole world is watching — “The whole world is watching” is a protest chant associated with the arrests and police violence at the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention. It is often linked to a Bob Dylan song as a possible source.

• Richard Thompson — Richard Thompson is a British folk guitarist who founded Fairport Convention and later recorded Shoot Out the Lights with his wife Linda. His solo songs include I Feel So Good and 1952 Vincent Black Lightning.

• Roy Harper — Roy Harper is an English folk and progressive musician known for his fingerstyle guitar work and alternate tunings such as DADGAD. His album Stormcock and the Led Zeppelin III reference “Hats Off to (Roy) Harper” are among his best-known clues.

• Steve Goodman

  • City of New Orleans — “City of New Orleans” is Steve Goodman’s train song that became a 1972 hit for Arlo Guthrie. Its lyrics describe a route from Chicago to Louisiana and mention sights like Kankakee and rusted automobiles.

  • The City of New Orleans — “The City of New Orleans” is Steve Goodman’s train song, later recorded by Arlo Guthrie, and it became Guthrie’s highest-charting single in 1974. Its identifying lyrics describe a train with fifteen restless riders, mail sacks, and conductors as it heads toward New Orleans from Illinois.

• Wainwright family
  • Wainwright — Wainwright is a surname shared by a number of American and British figures, including folk musicians and a poet. The clue set points especially to the folk-singing Wainwright family, including Loudon, Martha, and Rufus.

• We Will All Go Together When We Go — “We Will All Go Together When We Go” is a Tom Lehrer novelty song that treats nuclear annihilation with cheerful satire. Its lyrics imagine a “grand incineration” in which everyone is destroyed at once.

• Leonard Cohen — Canadian poet and singer-songwriter known for “Hallelujah” and “Suzanne”. His albums include Songs of Love and Hate, Various Positions, Popular Problems, and You Want It Darker, the latter released shortly before his death. His poetry collections include Book of Mercy, Flowers for Hitler, and Let Us Compare Mythologies, and his lyrics were denied use by the 2020 Republican National Convention.
  • Book of Mercy — Book of Mercy is Leonard Cohen’s sequence of reflective prose prayers, extending the same meditative voice found in his poetry and songs. It sits alongside works such as Book of Longing, The Spice-Box of Earth, and the songbook that includes “Hallelujah.”

• Moxy Früvous — Moxy Früvous was a Canadian folk-rock quartet known for witty, political, and novelty-tinged songs such as “King of Spain.” The band developed a cult following and became associated with the label “Früheads.”

• Scarborough Fair — “Scarborough Fair” is a traditional English ballad popularized by Simon and Garfunkel, whose version was paired with “Canticle.” The song asks impossible tasks for a former lover and repeats the refrain “parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme,” while also linking to Bob Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country.”
  • parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme — “Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme” is the herb list in the chorus of “Scarborough Fair.” The phrase also titles an album and recurs in later songs and arrangements derived from the traditional ballad.
• folk music — Folk music is traditional music passed down orally and often collected by ethnomusicologists and revivalists. It includes song traditions gathered by Alan Lomax, Moisei Beregovsky, Bartók, and Kodály.

  • Guthrie — The Guthrie family includes Woody Guthrie, the folk singer behind “This Land Is Your Land,” and his son Arlo Guthrie, who wrote “Alice’s Restaurant.” Their work is a staple of American folk music and protest-song trivia.

  • Instrumental performers
    • Yablo — Yablo is a Bulgarian ocarina performer promoted by Windy Creek Records and described as selling more records in Bulgaria than anyone else. His repertoire includes novelty and folk-style pieces such as versions of Hava Nagila and songs like Bulbi and The Girl from Plovdiv.
  • Singer-songwriters
    • Loudon Wainwright III — Loudon Wainwright III is an American folk singer-songwriter known for novelty songs like ‘Dead Skunk’ and ‘I Wish I Were a Lesbian.’ He also appeared on M*A*S*H as the ‘singing surgeon’ and has acted in films such as The Aviator and Big Fish.
  • Songs
    • Stagger Lee — ‘Stagger Lee’ is the folk and blues song about a gambling dispute in which the title character shoots Billy Lyons. The standard was recorded by artists such as Ma Rainey and later made a hit by Lloyd Price, and it became one of the most enduring murder ballads in American popular music.

  • The House of the Rising Sun — The House of the Rising Sun is the folk ballad about a ruinous place in New Orleans often interpreted as a brothel or gambling house. It is strongly associated with Dave Van Ronk, Bob Dylan, the Animals, and the hit version built around an ominous minor-key arrangement.

  • folk songs — Folk songs are traditional tunes and ballads that often inspired concert band and orchestral arrangements. Percy Grainger and Ralph Vaughan Williams both drew heavily on English folk material in works such as Lincolnshire Posy and the English Folk Song Suite.

    • Follow the Drinking Gourd — “Follow the Drinking Gourd” is an African American song linked by folklore to the Underground Railroad and to directions northward by way of the Big Dipper. Clues often mention Peg Leg Joe, the lack of early documentation, or the song’s calabash reference in the title.

    • Little Brown Jug — “Little Brown Jug” is the old drinking song about a jug that makes the singer feel well off while he toils on the farm. The title also names a harness-racing trophy and a college football rivalry trophy between Minnesota and Michigan.

    • The Big Rock Candy Mountain — The Big Rock Candy Mountain is a hobo utopia of lemonade springs, cigarette trees, and other impossible comforts. The name also appears in Wallace Stegner’s novel of the same title and in the Harry McClintock song later revived by Burl Ives.

    • Black Betty — “Black Betty” is an African-American folk song later associated with Lead Belly. It was famously recorded by Ram Jam and is often followed by the refrain “bam-ba-lam.”

    • Goodnight, Irene — “Goodnight, Irene” is a folk song associated with Lead Belly and later popularized as a standard. Its refrain bids goodnight to Irene while the verses dwell on loneliness, travel, and the singer’s wish to die if she rejects him.

    • Oh! Susanna — “Oh! Susanna” is Stephen Foster’s famous song about a singer from Alabama with a banjo on his knee who tells the title woman not to cry for him. It became a California Gold Rush anthem, and its original lyrics included a verse about rain, dry weather, and a ship fire.
      • Susanna don’t you cry — “Oh! Susanna” is the Stephen Foster song whose refrain ends with the line “Susanna, don’t you cry.” The lyric begins with rain, a journey west, and a hot sun that leaves the singer in trouble.

    • Rock Island Line — “Rock Island Line” is a folk song popularized by Lead Belly and later covered by Lonnie Donegan and Johnny Cash. Its best-known lyric features a trainman claiming to carry livestock before revealing the cargo is pig iron.

    • Turkey in the Straw — “Turkey in the Straw” is a widely quoted American folk tune often associated with fiddling, rural dances, and ice cream trucks. It also appears in Charles Ives quotations and in Disney’s use of the same melody in early animation.

Musical Theatre

• Gilbert and Sullivan — W. S. Gilbert (librettist, 1836–1911) and Arthur Sullivan (composer, 1842–1900); British; created a series of satirical comic operettas for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company; H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879), The Mikado (1885), The Yeomen of the Guard (1888); established the template for English-language musical theatre.

• Jerome Kern (1885–1945) — American; pioneered the integration of song and story in the American musical; Show Boat (1927; “Ol’ Man River,” lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; first musical to address race seriously), Roberta (1933); later Hollywood work including “The Way You Look Tonight.” His best-known songs also include “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and “All the Things You Are.”

  • All The Things You Are — “All the Things You Are” is a Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II jazz standard with lyrics beginning “You are the promised kiss of springtime.” Its chord changes move through a famous sequence of key centers and made it a favorite source for contrafacts like Charlie Parker’s “Bird of Paradise.”

  • Smoke Gets in Your Eyes — “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” is a Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach song originally written for the musical Roberta. Its opening line begins “They asked me how I knew / My true love was true,” and the Platters made the best-known recording.

  • The Way You Look Tonight — “The Way You Look Tonight” is the Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields standard that won an Oscar after appearing in Swing Time. Its lyric begins with the beloved’s smile and “that laugh that wrinkles your nose,” and it was later used memorably in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

• Kurt Weill (1900–1950) — German-American; see also Classical section; The Threepenny Opera (1928, with Brecht; “Mack the Knife”), Lady in the Dark (1941), Street Scene (1947), Lost in the Stars (1949); his work bridges European art music and Broadway.

• Frederick Loewe (1901–1988) — Austrian-American; collaborated with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner; Brigadoon (1947), Paint Your Wagon (1951), My Fair Lady (1956; “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “On the Street Where You Live”), Camelot (1960), film Gigi (1958).

• Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021) — American; the dominant figure of the late-twentieth-century American musical; wrote music and lyrics for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973; “Send in the Clowns”), Sweeney Todd (1979), Sunday in the Park with George (1984; Pulitzer Prize for Drama), Into the Woods (1987); previously wrote only lyrics for West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959). He also wrote the score for Pacific Overtures (1976), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Assassins (1990), and Passion (1994), and is noted for combining sophisticated lyrics with complex harmonic scores.

• Andrew Lloyd Webber (b. 1948) — British; most commercially successful musical theatre composer of the late twentieth century; Jesus Christ Superstar (1971), Evita (1978; “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”), Cats (1981; “Memory”), The Phantom of the Opera (1986; longest-running Broadway show until 2023), Sunset Boulevard (1993). He collaborated especially with lyricist Tim Rice on Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, and Cats was adapted from T. S. Eliot’s poetry. His later shows also include Starlight Express, and his work is known for mixing rock, pop, and classical styles with lavish staging.

• Broadway lyricists
  • Lorenz Hart — Lorenz Hart was Richard Rodgers’s early lyricist, best known for witty songs such as “Manhattan” and other pre-Hammerstein collaborations. He is usually clued through the Rodgers and Hart partnership before Rodgers’s famous team with Oscar Hammerstein II.
• Broadway singers
  • Ethel Merman — Ethel Merman was the famously brassy Broadway singer who originated roles such as Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun and Mama Rose in Gypsy. She is also associated with classic Cole Porter numbers like “I Got Rhythm,” “Anything Goes,” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”
• Cole Porter
  • Anything Goes
    • You’re the Top — “You’re the Top” is a Cole Porter song from Anything Goes. The lyric is a playful string of comparisons, praising the listener with references to the Coliseum, the Louvre, and other highbrow icons.

  • I Get a Kick Out of You — “I Get a Kick Out of You” is a Cole Porter song from Anything Goes. Its lyrics treat champagne, cocaine, and even flying as things the singer no longer finds exciting.

  • Night and Day — “Night and Day” is a Cole Porter standard first performed by Fred Astaire in The Gay Divorcee. Its lyrics obsess over a lover across the title opposites, and the song became one of the best-known numbers in the Great American Songbook.
• George Gershwin
  • Girl Crazy
    • I Got Rhythm — “I Got Rhythm” is the Gershwin song from Girl Crazy whose chord progression became the basis for the famous “rhythm changes.” Its refrain includes “Who could ask for anything more?” and it became a standard for jazz contrafacts and improvisation.
  • Someone to Watch Over Me — “Someone to Watch Over Me” is a Gershwin standard, identified by the line asking someone to tell him to hurry up and by the plea “Oh, how I need…” The song is a famous torch song associated with longing and protection.

• Gershwin — The Gershwins were the songwriting brothers George and Ira Gershwin, known for Rhapsody in Blue, Porgy and Bess, and songs like “I Got Rhythm” and “Embraceable You.” Quizbowl clues often reference their Broadway work, including Of Thee I Sing and Girl Crazy.

• Marvin Hamlisch — Marvin Hamlisch was a major composer for film and theater, including the score of A Chorus Line and music associated with The Way We Were. He also orchestrated film adaptations that used pieces like Joplin’s “The Entertainer” and Ravel’s “Boléro.”

• Meredith Willson — Meredith Willson was an American composer and lyricist best known for the musical The Music Man. He also wrote “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and composed for films such as The Great Dictator and The Little Foxes.
  • The Music Man
    • Seventy-Six Trombones — “Seventy-Six Trombones” is the best-known song from Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. It imagines a giant marching band with rows of cornets, reeds, and other instruments, and it shares its tune with “Goodnight My Someone.”
• Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
  • Carousel
    • You’ll Never Walk Alone — “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is the Rodgers and Hammerstein anthem from Carousel that became a signature song for Liverpool and other soccer clubs. It was also recorded by artists such as Gerry and the Pacemakers, Barbra Streisand, and Frank Sinatra.
  • The Sound of Music
    • My Favorite Things — The Rodgers and Hammerstein song from The Sound of Music in which Maria lists comforting pleasures such as raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. It is one of the show’s best-known numbers and is sung as a comforting response to fear. John Coltrane recorded a famous modal-jazz rendition that gave its title to his 1961 album My Favorite Things.
• Rodgers and Hart
  • Babes in Arms
    • My Funny Valentine — “My Funny Valentine” is the Rodgers and Hart standard from Babes in Arms, famous for its affectionate but teasing description of an unconventional sweetheart. The song was also popularized by singers such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, and Nico recorded a notable version.
  • The Lady Is a Tramp — “The Lady Is a Tramp” is a Rodgers and Hart standard from Babes in Arms, later made especially famous by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Its lyrics describe a woman who rejects upper-class pretension, from fancy dinners and gossip to society habits she refuses to follow.
• Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill
  • The Threepenny Opera
    • Mack the Knife — “Mack the Knife” is the English title of the Brecht and Weill song from The Threepenny Opera about the criminal Mackie Messer. It became a jazz standard through recordings by Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin, and Ella Fitzgerald, who famously improvised lyrics when she forgot the words in Berlin.
• The Threepenny Opera
  • The Ballad of Mack the Knife — This song from The Threepenny Opera became a jazz standard through versions by Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin, and Ella Fitzgerald. Its lyrics describe the dangerous title criminal with shark imagery and are based on a traditional murder ballad.
• Grease

  • Greased Lightning — Greased Lightning is the hot rod song from Grease, associated with Danny Zuko’s boasts about the car’s speed and upgrades. The title also refers to the famous vehicle itself, an emblem of the musical’s car culture style.

  • Paradise by the Dashboard Light — “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” is the Meat Loaf song famous for its baseball-style dialogue and melodramatic teenage romance. The song features a duet with Ellen Foley and a play-by-play narration by Phil Rizzuto.

  • You’re the One That I Want — “You’re the One That I Want” is the hit duet from Grease sung by Danny and Sandy. It opens with the line “I got chills, they’re multiplying” and became a chart-topping standard from the film soundtrack.

• Guys and Dolls
  • Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat — “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” is the Guys and Dolls song sung by Nicely-Nicely Johnson. It began as a revival-style hymn and is the number in which he dreams of passengers urging him to calm the boat or risk damnation.
• Lee Adams and Charles Strouse
  • Those Were the Days — This song was written by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse and became the theme song for All in the Family. Mary Hopkin made the title famous as a nostalgic look back on earlier times, and the tune was later spoofed by The Simpsons.
• The Muppets

  • It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green — “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green” is a Kermit the Frog song about feeling out of place because of one’s plain green color. By the end, Kermit accepts that being green is okay.

  • Man or Muppet — “Man or Muppet” is the Oscar-winning song from The Muppets, performed by Walter and Gary in the 2011 film. The song centers on Gary’s identity crisis and includes the Jim Parsons cameo as Gary’s imagined Muppet self.

• Baby, It’s Cold Outside — “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is the Frank Loesser duet about a guest being urged to stay inside because of the weather. It was first performed in the 1949 film Neptune’s Daughter and later became a popular holiday standard.

• Cabaret
  • Money — “Money” is a song from the musical Cabaret. It is one of the show’s best-known numbers and is associated with the production’s cynical view of wealth and desire.
• Chess
  • One Night In Bangkok — “One Night in Bangkok” is the Murray Head hit from Chess that describes a single evening in Thailand’s capital. Its mix of spoken bravado and theatrical references makes it one of the best-known songs from the musical.
• Disney music
  • Songwriters
    • the Sherman Brothers — The Sherman Brothers were the Disney songwriting duo Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. They wrote the music for Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and they also composed “It’s a Small World (After All).”

• Feeling Good — “Feeling Good” is the song by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley that became famous through Nina Simone’s interpretation. Its signature lyric begins with a new dawn and a new day, and Muse also recorded a version of it.

• Judy Garland
  • The Man That Got Away — “The Man That Got Away” is the torch song Judy Garland sings in A Star Is Born. It became one of the film’s best-known numbers and was nominated for an Academy Award.
• Show Boat
  • Ol’ Man River — “Ol’ Man River” is the famous Show Boat song sung by the dockworker Joe about the Mississippi River. It is often associated with Paul Robeson and with lyrics about the river “just keep[ing] rollin’ along.”
• Shuffle Along
  • I’m Just Wild About Harry — “I’m Just Wild About Harry” is an Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle song from Shuffle Along. It later became famous as Harry Truman’s 1948 campaign song and is remembered for its affectionate praise of the title Harry.
• The Band Wagon
  • That’s Entertainment! — That’s Entertainment! is the title song from The Band Wagon, a celebratory musical number praising the pleasures of show business. It became especially famous through MGM compilation films that reused the name. The song is associated with classic stage and screen spectacle, including references to Shakespeare, melodrama, and vaudeville-style entertainment. Judy Garland is among the performers tied to its most familiar version.
• The Muppet Movie

  • Rainbow Connection — “Rainbow Connection” is the 1979 song from The Muppet Movie that Kermit the Frog plays on the banjo. Its chorus ponders the title idea as “the lovers, the dreamers, and me.”

  • The Rainbow Connection — “The Rainbow Connection” is the song Kermit the Frog sings in The Muppet Movie while playing the banjo in his swamp. Its lyric about “the lovers, the dreamers, and me” is its most famous identifying line.

• Tomorrow — Tomorrow is the time period that titles songs by the Shirelles, Gorillaz, Chris Young, and Silverchair, each using it as a moment of longing, hesitation, or waiting. In the musical Annie, it is the optimistic day that seems always one day away and is sung in the title song by the orphan Annie.

• West Side Story
  • Somewhere — “Somewhere” is the West Side Story song later known by the subtitle “There’s a Place for Us.” It is the idealistic duet associated with Tony and Maria, and it has been covered by performers including Barbra Streisand.

Blues and Jazz

Distinguish blues and jazz styles through sound, musicians, and recordings.

Blues

Blues Structure and Key Figures

• Twelve-bar blues — standard harmonic form (I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-I) underlying most blues and much rock and roll; the foundational template from which innumerable popular music genres derive. It is built from twelve measures and usually centers on I, IV, and V chords; songs such as “Freddie Freeloader” and “Hound Dog” use this pattern.

• W.C. Handy — “Father of the Blues”; composer and bandleader who brought blues from folk tradition to sheet-music publication; “St. Louis Blues” (1914) and “Memphis Blues” (1912) were among the first published blues compositions. Handy was Alabama-born and later wrote an autobiography titled Father of the Blues. He also worked in minstrel troupes and taught at a Black agricultural college before helping popularize blues in sheet-music form.

• Bessie Smith — “Empress of the Blues”; most commercially successful blues artist of the 1920s; recorded for Columbia; “Downhearted Blues,” “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”; died in a car accident in 1937. She was a major Columbia recording artist whose deep voice made her one of the defining singers of the 1920s. She also recorded “Tain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do” and “Back Water Blues.”

• Robert Johnson and the crossroads legend — folklore holds that Johnson sold his soul to the Devil at a Mississippi crossroads at midnight in exchange for his guitar skill; the legend has no contemporary documentation but is traced partly to lyrics in his own songs and the testimony of Son House.

• Blues songs
  • One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer — One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer is a blues song about a newly unemployed man who drinks away his troubles in a bar. It was first recorded by Amos Milburn and later made famous by George Thorogood and The Destroyers.

• Hound Dog — “Hound Dog” is the blues song first recorded by Big Mama Thornton and later made famous by Elvis Presley. Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, it became one of Presley’s signature rock-and-roll covers.

• blues singers

  • Etta James — Etta James was the powerful blues and R&B singer behind “At Last!,” “Tell Mama,” and “Something’s Got a Hold on Me.” She first broke through with “The Wallflower” and became one of the iconic voices bridging early rock and soul.

  • Gertrude “Ma” Rainey — Gertrude “Ma” Rainey was a pioneering blues singer known as the “Mother of the Blues.” She recorded early standards such as “See See Rider,” along with songs like “Bo-Weevil Blues,” “Black Bottom,” and “Prove It on Me.”

  • Lead Belly — An influential blues and folk singer and guitarist known for his powerful 12-string guitar style and for popularizing traditional American music. He was imprisoned in Louisiana, where he met John Lomax and Alan Lomax. His repertoire included “Midnight Special,” “Goodnight Irene,” “Black Betty,” “In the Pines,” “Rock Island Line,” and “Where Did You Sleep Last Night.”

• Ma Rainey — Ma Rainey, born Gertrude Pridgett, was an early blues singer known as the Mother of the Blues. She recorded standards like “See See Rider Blues” and inspired August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Delta and Early Blues

• Delta blues — regional style originating in the Mississippi Delta in the early 20th century; characterized by slide guitar, call-and-response phrasing, and themes of poverty and hardship. It is associated with musicians such as Charley Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson, and Mississippi John Hurt, and its sound is often linked to slide guitar, Bentonia tuning traditions, and the plantation-and-prison circuit around Dockery and Parchman.

• Robert Johnson — towering figure of Delta blues; recorded 29 songs in 1936–1937 (San Antonio and Dallas sessions); songs include “Cross Road Blues,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” and “Hellhound on My Trail”; subject of the crossroads legend. Robert Leroy Johnson was a Mississippi Delta blues singer and guitarist, often described as an influential figure in Delta blues. The crossroads legend says he sold his soul to the devil for musical mastery.

• Charley Patton — considered a founding figure of Delta blues; rough voice and percussive guitar; influenced most subsequent Delta players.

• Son House — Delta guitarist and preacher; direct influence on Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters; known for “Death Letter.”

• Mississippi John Hurt — fingerpicking guitarist with a gentler, melodic style; rediscovered during the 1960s folk revival.

• Blind Lemon Jefferson — Blind Lemon Jefferson was an early Texas blues singer and guitarist often called the father of the Texas blues. His songs include “Matchbox Blues,” “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” and novelty insect tunes like “Mosquito Moan.”

• Tommy Johnson — Tommy Johnson was an early Delta blues singer and guitarist associated with the crossroads-devil legend. He wrote ‘Canned Heat Blues,’ a song about drinking Sterno or methanol, and is also linked to ‘Maggie Campbell Blues’.

Chicago Blues

• Chicago blues — electric, amplified form that developed after the Great Migration of Black Southerners to Chicago from the 1910s–1940s; louder, band-based format.

  • Muddy Waters — The Mississippi blues singer and guitarist McKinley Morganfield, known as Muddy Waters, was a central figure in Chicago blues and is often called its father. He helped define electric Chicago blues, moving from acoustic country blues to a louder, band-driven style. He recorded “Hoochie Coochie Man,” “Mannish Boy,” and “Rollin’ Stone,” the last of which inspired the Rolling Stones’ name.

  • Theodore Roosevelt “Hound Dog” Taylor — Theodore Roosevelt “Hound Dog” Taylor was a Chicago blues singer and guitarist born in Mississippi. He fronted the House Rockers and recorded songs like “Give Me Back My Wig.”

• Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) — central architect of Chicago blues; moved from Mississippi to Chicago in 1943; electrified Delta style; hits include “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Mannish Boy”; direct influence on the Rolling Stones.

• Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Burnett) — powerful vocalist; Chess Records artist; “Smokestack Lightning,” “Back Door Man”; rival to Muddy Waters on the Chicago scene.

• Willie Dixon — bassist, songwriter, and producer at Chess Records; wrote “Hoochie Coochie Man,” “Little Red Rooster,” and “I Can’t Quit You Baby”; central to the Chicago sound.

• Buddy Guy — Chicago blues guitarist; bridge figure to rock; cited by Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix as an influence.

• Chess Records — Chicago label founded by Leonard and Phil Chess; crucial platform for Chicago blues and early rock and roll.

• blues singers
  • Howlin’ Wolf — Howlin’ Wolf was a towering Chicago blues singer and guitarist, born Chester Arthur Burnett. He is especially associated with “Smokestack Lightning,” “Spoonful,” and “Built for Comfort (Not for Speed).”
• Blues harmonica players
  • Little Walter — Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs, was a major blues harmonica player associated with amplifying the harmonica for a harder electric sound. His best-known instrumental is “Juke,” which became a defining Chicago blues hit.
• John Lee Hooker — John Lee Hooker was a Detroit-born blues guitarist and singer known for songs like “Boogie Chillen’” and “Boom Boom.” His career included early Vee-Jay singles, a charting collaboration with Canned Heat, and the later album The Healer, which featured guests like Bonnie Raitt and Carlos Santana.

Blues Subforms and Spread

• Texas blues — distinct regional style; Lightnin’ Hopkins and T-Bone Walker key figures; Walker pioneered electric lead guitar technique.

• Piedmont blues — East Coast fingerpicking style; Blind Blake and Rev. Gary Davis.

• Urban blues / jump blues — Louis Jordan; saxophone-forward; bridged blues and R&B.

• B.B. King — born Riley B. King in Mississippi; “the King of Blues”; popularized “the Thrill Is Gone” (1969); known for his vibrato technique and his guitar named Lucille; bridged Delta tradition and mainstream rock audiences. He was an American blues guitarist and singer, also nicknamed Blues Boy. Other songs associated with him include “Why I Sing the Blues,” “Rock Me Baby,” and “Whole Lotta Loving.”
  • Lucille — Lucille is the name of B.B. King’s famous guitar, one of several instruments he gave that name to over his career. The name comes from a fire and bar fight in Twist, Arkansas that inspired King to run back into a burning building for the instrument.

• British blues revival — Eric Clapton (Bluesbreakers, Cream), John Mayall, the Rolling Stones, Peter Green; directly reintroduced American blues to US audiences.

• Rock groups

  • Bad English — Bad English was the late-1980s hard rock band formed by John Waite with Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon, Deen Castronovo, and Ricky Phillips. They are best known for the hit “When I See You Smile,” along with later singles such as “The Price of Love.”

  • The Spin Doctors — The Spin Doctors are the rock band behind Pocket Full of Kryptonite and singles such as Two Princes and Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong. They also had a minor hit with Jimmy Olsen’s Blues.

• Jump blues musicians
  • Louis (Thomas) Jordan — Louis Jordan was a jump blues bandleader and singer-saxophonist who led the Tympany Five and earned the nickname King of the Jukebox. His hits such as “Caldonia,” “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie,” and “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby?” helped pave the way for rhythm and blues and rock and roll.
• Piano styles
  • boogie-woogie — Boogie-woogie is a fast, driving piano style built on a repeated left-hand bass pattern over the blues. It was pioneered by players such as Jimmy Yancey, Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, and Pinetop Smith. The term also titles paintings by Piet Mondrian, including Broadway Boogie Woogie and Victory Boogie Woogie. Rent parties helped spread the style and even gave those gatherings an alternate name.
    • Pinetop Smith — Boogie-woogie is a driving piano style built on a steady left-hand bass pattern over blues harmony. It is associated with early recordings by players like Pinetop Smith, Meade Lux Lewis, Jimmy Yancey, and Albert Ammons.
• blues musicians

  • Elmore James — Elmore James was an influential Mississippi bluesman and an early master of electric slide guitar. He is best known for Dust My Broom and also recorded The Sky Is Crying and Shake Your Moneymaker.

  • Jonny Lang — Jonny Lang is a blues guitarist and singer whose major-label debut Lie to Me was released when he was still a teenager. He also appeared in Blues Brothers 2000 and has performed with artists such as Buddy Guy and B. B. King.

• Blues rock
  • Bands
    • John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers — John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers was a British blues-rock group led by multi-instrumentalist John Mayall. The band became known as a proving ground for musicians such as Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, and several future members of Fleetwood Mac. Its reputation rests less on commercial success than on its role in developing the 1960s British blues scene.
  • Singers
    • Bonnie Raitt — Bonnie Raitt is an American singer and slide guitarist known for blending blues, rock, and pop. Her best-known albums include Nick of Time and Luck of the Draw, which produced hits like “Something to Talk About” and “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”
• blues-rock bands
  • The Black Keys — The Black Keys are the blues-rock duo whose albums include Brothers, El Camino, Turn Blue, and Let’s Rock. Their song “Go” appeared on Barack and Michelle Obama’s 2019 summer playlist.
    • El Camino — El Camino is the Black Keys album that includes “Lonely Boy” and “Gold on the Ceiling.” El Camino also names GM’s compact coupe-utility vehicle, a car-like truck sold across several production runs.
• Blues-rock guitarists
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan — Stevie Ray Vaughan was a Texas blues-rock guitarist and singer who fronted Double Trouble. He was best known for Texas Flood and songs such as “Pride and Joy,” “Cold Shot,” “Crossfire,” and “Couldn’t Stand the Weather.” He was offered a spot on David Bowie’s Let’s Dance tour and died in a helicopter crash in Wisconsin in 1990 after a performance at Alpine Valley. He was widely praised for his intense playing style and powerful live performances.

• Canned Heat — Canned Heat was a blues-rock band with Alan Wilson and Bob Hite among its best-known members. They are remembered for “On the Road Again,” “Going Up the Country,” and their celebrated Woodstock-era performances.

• K. C. Douglas
  • Mercury Blues — “Mercury Blues” is a blues song by K. C. Douglas about a Mercury car and the pleasures and problems of owning one. Alan Jackson later recorded a famous cover that updated the reference to a Ford truck.

Related Works, People, and Context

• African American music genres
  • Blues — An African American musical style marked by blue notes, a common twelve-bar form, and a melancholy sound. It includes substyles such as Delta blues and rhythm and blues, and is associated with artists such as W. C. Handy, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, and Miles Davis; Kind of Blue is a 1959 album title that uses the term. The genre also appears in titles such as “The Weary Blues” and “Funeral Blues,” and is a common subject in American poetry.

    • Baby Please Don’t Go — “Baby Please Don’t Go” is a blues standard that the Amboy Dukes turned into a hard-rock closer, prominently associated with Ted Nugent’s guitar work.

    • Robert Cray — Robert Cray is a blues guitarist and singer whose breakthrough came with Strong Persuader and the hit “Smoking Gun.” He also recorded the Grammy-winning Showdown with Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins, and he is known for songs like “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.”

• African-American music
  • blues music — Blues music is the African-American musical genre celebrated in Langston Hughes’s poetry, including his famous poem about a “drowsy syncopated tune.” It also titles many poems by Sterling Brown and appears in Robert Hayden’s “Homage to the Empress of” the genre.
• Ali Farka Touré — Ali Farka Touré was a Malian guitarist and singer often called “the DNA of the blues.” He recorded Talking Timbuktu with Ry Cooder, won Grammy Awards, and is also associated with Niafunké and the track “Ai Du.”

Jazz

Origins and New Orleans Jazz

• Jazz origins — coalesced in New Orleans ca. 1900–1915 from blues, ragtime, brass-band marches, and European harmonic traditions; early center was Storyville.

• Ragtime — syncopated piano genre preceding jazz; Scott Joplin the leading composer (“Maple Leaf Rag,” 1899). Its style features steady left-hand march patterns against off-beat melodic accents. It was later revived by Joshua Rifkin and William Bolcom, and its famous pieces include “The Entertainer.” E. L. Doctorow also used the title for a novel centered on the early twentieth century, and the genre helped shape later stride piano.

• Jelly Roll Morton — pianist and bandleader; claimed to have “invented” jazz; pioneering composer and arranger; recorded with the Red Hot Peppers. He was born Ferdinand Joseph La Menthe and is associated with classic pieces such as “King Porter Stomp,” “Jelly Roll Blues,” “Black Bottom Stomp,” and “Wolverine Blues.”
  • Jelly Roll — Jelly Roll Morton was an early jazz pianist and composer associated with New Orleans and pieces like “Wolverine Blues,” “Black Bottom Stomp,” and “Hesitation Blues.” The name also appears as a title in a Broadway play about a pianist who claimed to have invented jazz.
• King Oliver — cornetist; led the Creole Jazz Band in Chicago; mentored Louis Armstrong. He used mutes to shape his horn sound and is associated with pieces like “Canal Street Blues” and “Dippermouth Blues.”
  • West End Blues — “West End Blues” is the famous 1928 jazz composition by King Oliver, best known through Louis Armstrong’s landmark recording. Its trumpet introduction is one of the canonical openings in jazz, and the title refers to the West End area near Lake Pontchartrain.
• Louis Armstrong — trumpeter and singer; single most influential figure in early jazz; virtuosic improviser; popularized scat singing; moved jazz from collective improvisation to soloist focus; recordings with the Hot Five and Hot Seven (1925–1928) are foundational. Born in New Orleans, he was nicknamed Satchmo and Pops. He later played with Earl Hines, recorded with Ella Fitzgerald, led the All Stars, and is closely associated with “West End Blues,” “Heebie Jeebies,” “Hello, Dolly!,” and “What a Wonderful World.”
  • What a Wonderful World — “What a Wonderful World” is the Louis Armstrong standard that celebrates green trees, red roses, and colorful skies. The song became even more famous through later covers and remains one of Armstrong’s signature recordings.

• Sidney Bechet — soprano saxophonist and clarinetist; major early voice alongside Armstrong. He was a New Orleans jazz pioneer best known as a soprano saxophonist and clarinetist. He composed pieces such as “Petite Fleur” and later re-established himself in France after a difficult American career.

• Dixieland / New Orleans jazz — collective improvisation style with cornet/trumpet carrying the melody, clarinet weaving above, trombone providing a bass countermelody; associated with the Original Dixieland Jass Band, whose 1917 recording is often cited as the first commercial jazz record.

• Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven — landmark recording sessions (1925–1928) for OKeh Records; shifted jazz from collective ensemble improvisation toward featured soloist performance; recordings include “Heebie Jeebies,” “Potato Head Blues,” and “West End Blues.”

• Jazz vocal techniques
  • scat singing — Scat singing is a jazz vocal technique in which performers improvise with nonsense syllables instead of lyrics. It is closely associated with Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, especially in performances such as Armstrong’s “Heebie Jeebies.”
• Cab Calloway — Cab Calloway was a jazz singer and bandleader who fronted the Cotton Club house band after replacing Duke Ellington there. He became famous for “Minnie the Moocher,” his high-energy scat singing, and the “Hi de ho”/“Hi-Dee-Ho” style, and was billed as the “King of Hi-Dee-Ho.” He also appears in Stormy Weather, where his orchestra performs “Jumpin’ Jive.”
  • Minnie the Moocher — “Minnie the Moocher” is the Cab Calloway jazz standard with the famous scat refrain and the dreamlike story of a trip to Chinatown, a king of Sweden, and a “diamond car.” It is especially associated with Calloway’s performance in The Blues Brothers and with a Betty Boop cartoon featuring spooky figures.
• Dixieland jazz
  • Dixieland — Dixieland is an early jazz style built on collective improvisation and associated with the revival of earlier New Orleans jazz. Its standard frontline features trumpet or cornet carrying the melody, with clarinet and trombone weaving around it. It is associated with the Original Dixieland Jass Band.

• When the Saints Go Marching In — When the Saints Go Marching In is the traditional gospel-and-jazz song associated with New Orleans and funeral processions.

• Bandleaders

  • James Reese Europe — James Reese Europe was an African-American bandleader and conductor associated with the Clef Club Orchestra and the Harlem Hellfighters. He helped popularize early jazz and ragtime, including major performances at Carnegie Hall and in France during World War I.

  • Paul Whiteman — Paul Whiteman was a bandleader nicknamed the “King of Jazz” who helped popularize symphonic jazz and early commercial jazz recordings. He commissioned Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and recorded hits such as “Whispering” and “Wang Wang Blues”; his orchestra also made the first hit recording of “Body and Soul.”

• Guitar
  • jazz guitar — Jazz guitar is the six-string instrument associated with Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green. It is a standard lead and comping instrument in jazz, with famous recordings ranging from “Minor Swing” to Smokin’ at the Half Note.

Swing Era

• swing-era bandleaders
  • Tommy Dorsey — Tommy Dorsey was a swing-era trombonist and bandleader who led one of the most famous big bands of the 1930s and 1940s. He is closely associated with ‘I’m Getting Sentimental Over You’ and with his brother Jimmy Dorsey, who was also a bandleader.

• Swing — big-band jazz dominant in the 1930s–early 1940s; dance music; rhythmically driving 4/4 feel. It was associated with Benny Goodman as its “king.” The term also names the uneven eighth-note rhythm used in jazz, and its ballroom dance culture included the Lindy Hop and the Savoy Ballroom.

• Duke Ellington — pianist, composer, and bandleader; led his orchestra for nearly 50 years; composed “Mood Indigo,” “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “Sophisticated Lady”; blended jazz with classical ambition; residency at the Cotton Club. His full name was Edward Kennedy Ellington. He also collaborated closely with Billy Strayhorn and wrote works including the suite Black, Brown, and Beige, “Caravan,” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).”

  • Mood Indigo — “Mood Indigo” is a Duke Ellington standard, originally titled “Dreamy Blues,” with lyrics by Irving Mills. Its famous arrangement inverts the usual jazz front line by placing the clarinet low and the trombone high, helping create Ellington’s distinctive sound.

  • Take the A Train — Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the A Train” became the Duke Ellington Orchestra’s signature tune, famous for its instantly recognizable trumpet solo usually copied from Ray Nance’s original. Its lyrics celebrate taking the subway to Sugar Hill in Harlem, and the standard was written after Ellington’s switch from ASCAP to BMI.

• Count Basie — pianist and bandleader; Kansas City swing; riff-based style; stripped-down rhythm section. His orchestra recorded standards such as “One O’Clock Jump,” “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” and “April in Paris,” and he worked with musicians including Walter Page, Freddie Green, Jo Jones, Lester Young, and Herschel Evans. He was later associated with the “Old Testament” and “New Testament” periods of his band and was discovered by John Hammond.

  • One O’Clock Jump — “One O’Clock Jump” is Count Basie’s signature 12-bar blues and a famous head-arrangement tune that became the orchestra’s customary closer. The song was first recorded in 1937 and is associated with Lester Young, Buck Clayton, and a title referring to the late-night hour of its first broadcast.

  • Count Basie Orchestra — The Count Basie Orchestra was the swinging big band led by pianist William “Count” Basie, later associated with arrangers like Frank Foster, Thad Jones, and Sammy Nestico. Clues for it often mention Kansas City roots, the “All-American Rhythm Section,” Lester Young, and standards such as “One O’Clock Jump” and “Jumpin’ at the Woodside.”

• Benny Goodman — clarinetist; “King of Swing”; integrated his bands in an era of segregation; Carnegie Hall concert 1938. His band’s Palomar Ballroom breakthrough and the integrated Benny Goodman Quartet are key parts of his legacy, and he also collaborated with players such as Charlie Christian and Gene Krupa.
  • Let’s Dance — ‘Let’s Dance’ is a big-band standard associated with Benny Goodman’s theme song. It is one of the best-known swing-era numbers linked to Goodman, even though it was not always his biggest hit.
• Glenn Miller (1904–1944) — American; trombonist and bandleader; defined the “Glenn Miller sound” with a clarinet-led reed section; “In the Mood,” “Moonlight Serenade,” “Pennsylvania 6-5000”; formed the Army Air Force Band during WWII; disappeared when his plane went missing over the English Channel in December 1944. His orchestra recorded “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and was central to the swing-era big-band sound.
  • Chattanooga Choo-Choo — “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” is a Glenn Miller song about a train leaving Pennsylvania Station and heading south to Tennessee. The title evokes the old railroad culture of the city of Chattanooga.

• Fletcher Henderson — arranger and bandleader; developed the swing big-band format that Goodman popularized.

• Billie Holiday — vocalist; deeply expressive phrasing, blues inflection; “Strange Fruit” (1939), a protest against lynching; collaborated closely with Lester Young, who gave her the nickname “Lady Day.” She is also associated with “God Bless the Child” and “Gloomy Sunday,” and wrote the memoir Lady Sings the Blues. Her early work included collaborations with Teddy Wilson and Artie Shaw; “Gloomy Sunday” was notably banned by the BBC.
  • Strange Fruit — An anti-lynching song adapted from Abel Meeropol’s poem and popularized by Billie Holiday. It was first performed at Café Society in 1939 and became associated with Holiday’s activism and resistance from record companies and authorities. Its lyrics contrast Southern pastoral imagery with the horrors of lynching, including “blood on the leaves,” bodies hanging from trees, and the victims’ “bulgin’ eyes” and “twisted mouth.” Nina Simone later covered it on Pastel Blues.
• Ella Fitzgerald — “First Lady of Song”; extraordinary scat technique; lifelong recordings with Norman Granz; celebrated “Songbook” series covering Berlin, Gershwin, Porter, and others defined the standard-song canon for jazz vocalists. She first became famous with Chick Webb’s band, and her 1938 hit “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” was one of her earliest major successes. Her Verve-era recordings include the Song Books devoted to composers such as Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, and Irving Berlin, along with celebrated performances of “Mack the Knife” and “How High the Moon”; Ira Gershwin also praised hearing her sing his songs.
  • How High the Moon — “How High the Moon” is a jazz standard closely associated with Ella Fitzgerald’s scat recordings and with bebop contrafacts such as Charlie Parker’s “Ornithology.” The song became a hit through Les Paul and Mary Ford, and Fitzgerald often used it as a showcase for improvisation.

• Dorsey — Dorsey is the surname of the brothers Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, big band leaders from the Swing Era. The name also belongs to musicians such as gospel composer Thomas A. Dorsey and bandleader Jimmy Dorsey, who recorded with a group called the Clambake Seven.

• King Porter Stomp — “King Porter Stomp” is a jazz standard by Jelly Roll Morton that Benny Goodman turned into a major big-band hit in 1935. Morton also recorded it with Joe “King” Oliver, and the tune is one of the signature pieces of the swing era.

• Swing drummers
  • Chick Webb — “Chick” Webb was a swing-era drummer and bandleader who led the Savoy Ballroom house band in Harlem. He was nicknamed for his short stature and became famous for the 1937 Battle of the Bands victory over Benny Goodman.
• Swing musicians
  • Artie Shaw — Artie Shaw was a swing-era clarinetist and bandleader best known for recordings such as “Begin the Beguine” and “Frenesi.” He led the Gramercy Five, often used unusual instrumentation in his arrangements, rivaled Benny Goodman, and had major hits with songs like “Stardust.” His career also included popular clarinet concert pieces and collaborations with singers like Helen Forrest.
• Glenn Miller Orchestra
  • Songs
    • Pennsylvania 6-5000 — Pennsylvania 6-5000 is a Glenn Miller Orchestra standard whose title gives an old New York telephone exchange number. The number was associated with the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City and later became a familiar jazz shorthand.
• Joe Garland
  • In the Mood — “In the Mood” is Joe Garland’s swing standard, most famously recorded by Glenn Miller and his orchestra. Its signature arrangement features a famous saxophone riff, a repeated build, and a climactic rimshot ending.
• Swing revival
  • Big Bad Voodoo Daddy — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a swing revival band best known for “You & Me & The Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)” and “Mr. Pinstripe Suit.” Questions on the group often mention its association with Swingers and its appearance at Super Bowl XXXIII.
• Swing revival bands
  • Cherry Poppin’ Daddies — Cherry Poppin’ Daddies are the swing-revival band that broke through in the late 1990s with “Zoot Suit Riot.” Their name is closely tied to the brief mainstream swing craze of that era.

• The Brian Setzer Orchestra — The Brian Setzer Orchestra is the swing revival big band led by Brian Setzer, the former Stray Cats guitarist. It is known for versions of Jump, Jive and Wail and Caravan, and for later recordings such as Wolfgang’s Big Night Out.

• American jazz bandleaders
  • Bennie Moten — Bennie Moten was an early Kansas City swing pianist and bandleader whose orchestra helped shape the Basie sound. After Moten’s death, many of his musicians joined Count Basie’s new orchestra, and his tune “Moten Swing” became a jazz standard.
• Big band leaders
  • Bert Kaempfert — Bert Kaempfert was a German bandleader and composer known for writing “Strangers in the Night.” He is also the figure referenced in the Barenaked Ladies lyric about having “the mad hits.”

• Thad Jones — Thad Jones was a jazz trumpeter, arranger, and composer who rose to prominence with Count Basie’s band and later left the Count Basie Orchestra to co-found the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, a major big-band ensemble. The group’s recordings and Village Vanguard residency made it famous. Jones is associated with “A Child Is Born,” “The Groove Merchant,” and “Big Dipper.”

• Sarah Vaughan — Sarah Vaughan, nicknamed “Sassy” and “The Divine One,” was a celebrated jazz vocalist with a wide range and a distinctive style. She became famous through work with Earl Hines and Billy Eckstine and recorded signature versions of songs like “Misty,” “Tenderly,” and “Send in the Clowns.”

• Benny Carter — Benny Carter was a major American jazz saxophonist and arranger known as “King” for his prominence on the instrument. His recordings and arrangements made him a central figure in jazz for decades, and he later received the National Medal of Arts.

• Nancy Wilson — Nancy Wilson is a singer and guitarist associated with Heart, and also a jazz vocalist who recorded with Cannonball Adderley. The evidence points to both her rock and jazz careers, including her work on soundtrack material and classic vocal albums.

• Maynard Ferguson — Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz trumpeter celebrated for an extreme high register and flashy performances. He led big bands, recorded hits such as “Gonna Fly Now,” and was known for high-note lines in arrangements like “Chameleon.”

• Stan Kenton — Stan Kenton was a progressive jazz bandleader whose orchestra recorded ambitious big-band arrangements and later hosted famous band clinics.

• Benjamin “Benny” David Goodman — Benny Goodman was the American clarinetist known as the King of Swing. His band helped popularize big-band swing, and his Carnegie Hall performance of “Sing, Sing, Sing” became one of the classic moments in jazz history.

• Louis Prima — Louis Prima was a trumpet-playing bandleader and singer associated with swing and New Orleans jazz. He is especially remembered for songs like “Sing, Sing, Sing,” “Jump, Jive an’ Wail,” and for voicing King Louie in The Jungle Book.
  • Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) — “Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)” is a Louis Prima song that became Benny Goodman’s signature swing hit. It is especially associated with Goodman’s 1938 Carnegie Hall performance, featuring Gene Krupa’s drumming, Jess Stacy on piano, an extended swing arrangement, and an explosive drum solo opening.

Bebop

• Bebop — 1940s revolution; fast tempos, complex harmony, virtuosic improvisation; explicitly not dance music; small combos.

• Charlie Parker (“Bird”) — alto saxophonist; co-creator of bebop with Dizzy Gillespie; reharmonized standards; recorded extensively for Savoy and Dial labels.

• Dizzy Gillespie — trumpeter; bebop co-founder; incorporated Afro-Cuban rhythms into jazz (Cubop); “A Night in Tunisia,” “Salt Peanuts.” He worked closely with Charlie Parker, and is also associated with “Groovin’ High” and “Manteca.” He was known for his bent trumpet and puffed cheeks.

  • A Night in Tunisia — “A Night in Tunisia” is Dizzy Gillespie’s Afro-Cuban jazz standard, originally titled “Interlude.” Its bass ostinato and later vocalese versions made it a bebop staple recorded by artists such as Charlie Parker and Art Blakey.

  • Manteca — “Manteca” is a Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo collaboration that became a landmark jazz standard built on Afro-Cuban rhythm. It is often cited as the first jazz standard built around a clave pattern and is closely tied to mambo and Latin jazz.

  • Salt Peanuts — “Salt Peanuts” is the Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clarke jazz standard built around the shouted title phrase. The tune appears on Jazz at Massey Hall and was also adapted into Gillespie’s “Vote Dizzy” campaign song.

  • John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie — Dizzy Gillespie was a bebop trumpeter known for his bent trumpet bell, puffed cheeks, and compositions like “Groovin’ High,” “Manteca,” and “A Night in Tunisia.” He helped develop bebop with Charlie Parker and worked with Chano Pozo on Latin jazz, including the clave-based “Manteca.” His fiery playing and stage persona made him one of jazz’s most recognizable figures.

• Thelonious Monk — pianist and composer; angular melodies, unorthodox technique; “‘Round Midnight,” “Straight, No Chaser.” He is also associated with dissonant voicings and rhythmic quirks, and with compositions such as “Epistrophy,” “Well, You Needn’t,” and “Brilliant Corners.” His album Brilliant Corners and performances with John Coltrane, including at the Five Spot, are also notable; some records mention his celesta playing on “Pannonica.”

  • Brilliant Corners — Brilliant Corners is Thelonious Monk’s 1957 album often treated as one of his masterpieces. Its title track is famous for its difficult form and many takes, and the record also includes “Pannonica,” “Bemsha Swing,” and a solo rendition of “I Surrender, Dear.”

  • Straight, No Chaser — “Straight, No Chaser” is Thelonious Monk’s B-flat twelve-bar blues standard, first recorded with Art Blakey on drums and Monk at the piano. It is also the title track of a Monk album that includes “Locomotive” and “I Didn’t Know About You.”

  • ‘Round Midnight — “’Round Midnight” is Thelonious Monk’s famous jazz standard and one of the most recorded tunes in jazz. It is associated with Cootie Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and the film Round Midnight starring Dexter Gordon.

• Kenny Clarke / Max Roach — drummers who moved the timekeeping function from the snare to the ride cymbal, enabling bebop’s fluidity.

• Bud Powell — bebop pianist; developed the piano’s role in small-group bop; influential alongside Parker and Gillespie in defining the style’s harmonic language. His compositions include “Un Poco Loco,” “Tempus Fugue-it,” and “Glass Enclosure,” and he played on the famed Jazz at Massey Hall recording.

• Charlie Parker Jr. — Charlie Parker Jr., nicknamed Bird, was a groundbreaking bebop saxophonist and composer of “Ko-Ko,” “Ornithology,” and “Yardbird Suite.” Clues also include his recordings with strings, his use of “Cherokee” changes, and his influence on modern jazz harmony.

• Clifford Brown — Clifford Brown was a brilliant bebop trumpeter who often played with Max Roach and died young in a car accident. His compositions include “Joy Spring” and “Sandu,” and Benny Golson’s “I Remember Clifford” was written in his memory.

Cool Jazz and Hard Bop

• Cool jazz — late 1940s–1950s; lighter tone, more relaxed tempos than bebop; West Coast association. It developed as a reaction to bebop and is often associated with Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, and the West Coast scene.

• Miles Davis — trumpeter and bandleader; central figure across multiple jazz eras; Birth of the Cool sessions (1949–1950); Kind of Blue (1959), widely regarded as the best-selling jazz album ever; later initiated jazz fusion. Associated with Milestones, Sketches of Spain, In a Silent Way, and Bitches Brew; he helped define cool jazz and modal jazz, and his collaborations with Gil Evans, Wayne Shorter, and Teo Macero shaped his later electric fusion period.
  • Albums
    • In a Silent Way — In a Silent Way is Miles Davis’s 1969 electric jazz album, often treated as the start of his fusion period. Its two extended sides include “Shhh/Peaceful” and the title track with “It’s About That Time,” and it features players such as Joe Zawinul and John McLaughlin.

  • Birth of the Cool — Birth of the Cool is a Miles Davis album assembled from 1949 and 1950 nonet sessions that helped define a relaxed, arrangements-heavy style of modern jazz. Its lineup and repertoire are closely associated with Gil Evans and Gerry Mulligan, and tracks such as “Boplicity,” “Jeru,” and “Venus de Milo” are among its best-known clues.

  • Bitches Brew — Bitches Brew is Miles Davis’s 1970 jazz fusion album that helped move him toward electric instruments and a freer, more improvisatory style. It includes tracks like “Pharaoh’s Dance,” “Spanish Key,” and the title track, and its iconic Mati Klarwein cover helped define the era.

  • Freddie Freeloader — “Freddie Freeloader” is the second track on Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue, a bluesy tune often linked to Wynton Kelly’s piano rather than Bill Evans’s modal style. Its title alludes to a Red Skelton character, and it is often paired with the album-opening “So What” as one of the record’s key transitional pieces.

  • Kind of Blue — Kind of Blue is Miles Davis’s 1959 modal jazz album, featuring “So What?,” “Freddie Freeloader,” “Blue in Green,” and “Flamenco Sketches.” Bill Evans plays on most of the album, while Wynton Kelly replaces him on “Freddie Freeloader,” and the record also features John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley.

    • Flamenco Sketches — “Flamenco Sketches” is the closing track on Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue, and Bill Evans is credited with composing its sequence of five modal scales. It is a Spanish-influenced jazz piece that appears in multiple takes on the album, with saxophone solos by John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley on one version.

    • So What — “So What” is the opening track on Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue, a landmark of modal jazz. The title also appears in other contexts, but the jazz standard is the most important clue set here.

  • Milestones — Milestones is a Miles Davis album noted for the title track’s modal-jazz importance and for performances such as “Sid’s Ahead” and “Straight, No Chaser.” The record was made by Davis’s quintet with Cannonball Adderley added, and it marked a key step in the shift from bop toward modal jazz.

  • Sketches of Spain — Sketches of Spain is the Miles Davis album arranged by Gil Evans that adapts Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez and other Iberian music. Quizbowl clues often mention “Saeta,” “Solea,” and the album’s third-stream blend of jazz orchestration with Spanish themes.

• Gerry Mulligan — baritone saxophonist; pianoless quartet; West Coast cool.

• Hard bop — mid-1950s reaction to cool; reintroduced blues and gospel elements; Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers were the central vehicle; Clifford Brown and Horace Silver key figures. It extends bebop with stronger blues, gospel, soul, and R&B influences. Miles Davis’s Walkin’, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and Horace Silver are standard associated examples.

• Art Blakey — drummer and bandleader; the Jazz Messengers served as a training ground for nearly every major hard-bop musician; percussive, gospel-drenched style. He is especially associated with Moanin’ and A Night at Birdland. He briefly converted to Islam and was also known for leading large ensembles in turbans and for extended drum solos.

• John Coltrane — tenor and soprano saxophonist; hard bop to modal to free; Giant Steps (1960) introduced “Coltrane changes,” rapid modulations through thirds; A Love Supreme (1964) is a four-part spiritual suite considered one of the greatest jazz recordings; developed “sheets of sound” technique; later influenced world and free music. His recordings with Miles Davis and on Impulse! helped reshape modern jazz. Albums such as Crescent and the suite A Love Supreme show his movement from complex chord cycles toward spiritual expression.

  • A Love Supreme — A Love Supreme is John Coltrane’s 1964 suite-length jazz album, divided into “Acknowledgement,” “Resolution,” “Pursuance,” and “Psalm.” It is famous for the opening gong, Elvin Jones’s drumming, the bass motif F-A-flat-F-B-flat, and Coltrane’s vocal chant of the title.

  • Giant Steps — Giant Steps is John Coltrane’s 1960 album, famous for the title track’s rapid chord progression and the Coltrane changes. The album also includes “Naima” and “Mr. P.C.” and is notorious for Tommy Flanagan’s difficult piano solo on the title track.

  • Naima — “Naima” is John Coltrane’s famous ballad from Giant Steps, named for his wife Juanita Grubbs. It is known for its slow, spacious opening over a pedal tone and for the calm contrast it provides within Coltrane’s otherwise intense style.

  • Blue Train — Blue Train is John Coltrane’s 1957 Blue Note album, a hard bop recording centered on its title track and known for tracks like “Moment’s Notice,” “Locomotion,” and “Lazy Bird.” It is Coltrane’s only major release on Blue Note and includes a version of Jerome Kern’s “I’m Old Fashioned.”

  • John William Coltrane — John William Coltrane was the jazz saxophonist whose style was described as “sheets of sound” and whose albums include Giant Steps, My Favorite Things, and A Love Supreme. He played with Miles Davis on Kind of Blue and developed the harmonic pattern later called Coltrane changes.

• Bill Evans — pianist; member of the Miles Davis Sextet on Kind of Blue; introduced impressionist chord voicings and interplay-based trio dynamics; Waltz for Debby (1962) recorded live at the Village Vanguard. He co-wrote “Blue in Green,” and his trio work helped define modern jazz piano interplay and rootless chord voicings, making him one of the most influential modern jazz pianists.
  • Songs
    • Waltz for Debby — “Waltz for Debby” is a Bill Evans jazz standard in 3/4 time, written for his niece Debby. It titles a famous 1961 live trio album from the Village Vanguard with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian, and it appears in other Evans recordings and covers.
• Charles Mingus — bassist and composer; bridged bebop, hard bop, and free; The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963); politically engaged; “Fables of Faubus” satirized Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. He was also a major jazz bandleader, with other notable works including Mingus Ah Um, Pithecanthropus Erectus, and “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.” He was nicknamed the “Angry Man of Jazz.”

  • Fables of Faubus — “Fables of Faubus” is Charles Mingus’s satirical protest song against Arkansas governor Orval Faubus and the Little Rock integration crisis. It is closely associated with the album Mingus Ah Um and later recordings with its lyrics restored.

  • Goodbye Pork Pie Hat — “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” is Charles Mingus’s tribute to Lester Young, the saxophonist famous for wearing pork pie hats. The tune first appeared on Mingus Ah Um and later received lyrics from Joni Mitchell for a collaborative recording.

  • Mingus Ah Um — Mingus Ah Um is Charles Mingus’s 1959 jazz album, famous for tracks like “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” and “Fables of Faubus.” Its title puns on Mingus’s name, and the record includes both elegiac ballads and politically charged pieces.

  • Pithecanthropus Erectus — Pithecanthropus Erectus is a Charles Mingus jazz album whose title track is a tone poem about prideful hominids rising up and then being destroyed. The album also includes Mingus’s version of “A Foggy Day” and is associated with early experiments in modal improvisation and collective ensemble playing.

  • The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady — The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is a 1963 Charles Mingus album conceived as a ballet and divided into six continuous movements. Its jazz-orchestral writing and unusual instrumentation make it one of Mingus’s most distinctive large-scale works.

• jazz arrangers
  • Gil Evans — Gil Evans was a jazz arranger and bandleader closely associated with Miles Davis. He helped shape Birth of the Cool and Sketches of Spain, and later led his own projects such as Out of the Cool.
• Jazz bassists

  • Paul Chambers — Paul Chambers was a jazz bassist who played with Miles Davis and on John Coltrane’s Giant Steps. He is memorialized in the Coltrane tune “Mr. P.C.”

  • Ron Carter — Ron Carter is a jazz bassist best known for his work with Miles Davis and for becoming one of the most recorded bassists in jazz history. He is also associated with jazz-rap sampling and with recordings such as the VSOP Quintet sessions.

• Cannonball Adderley

  • Mercy, Mercy, Mercy — “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” is a soul jazz standard by Joe Zawinul that became famous through Cannonball Adderley’s recording. The song titles an album subtitled Live at “The Club” and features the memorable spoken intro about adversity.

  • Somethin’ Else — Somethin’ Else is the 1958 Cannonball Adderley album that opens with an extended cover of “Autumn Leaves.” It is also notable for Miles Davis appearing as a sideman and for tunes associated with Nat Adderley and Hank Jones.

• Jazz groups
  • The Jazz Messengers — The Jazz Messengers were a hard bop group led by Art Blakey and, early on, Horace Silver. They are associated with recordings like “Moanin’” and “Blues March,” and with a roster that included musicians such as Freddie Hubbard and Wayne Shorter.
• Dave Brubeck Quartet — The Dave Brubeck Quartet was the jazz group led by pianist Dave Brubeck, known for unusual time signatures, especially in its album Time Out. Its best-known recording is “Take Five,” written by Paul Desmond. The group also toured colleges and was noted for its interracial lineup featuring bassist Eugene Wright.

  • Take Five — “Take Five” is Paul Desmond’s famous jazz standard for the Dave Brubeck Quartet, first heard on Time Out and distinguished by its 5/4 meter and Joe Morello’s extended drum solo. The tune was later recorded by groups and singers such as Carmen McRae and Al Jarreau, and it became the best-selling jazz single ever.

  • Time Further Out
    • Unsquare Dance — “Unsquare Dance” is a Dave Brubeck Quartet piece from Time Further Out, famous for its 7/4 meter and hand-clap percussion. The title is a play on a square dance, and the tune quotes “Turkey in the Straw” near the end.
  • Time Out — Time Out is the Dave Brubeck Quartet album famous for unusual meters, especially ‘Take Five’ and ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk.’ Recorded after Brubeck’s travels and featuring Paul Desmond and Joe Morello, it became one of the most recognizable jazz albums of the 1950s/60s.
• Wayne Shorter — Wayne Shorter was a major jazz saxophonist who played with Miles Davis and co-founded Weather Report with Joe Zawinul. He wrote standards such as “Footprints” and “E.S.P.” and later recorded acclaimed albums like JuJu and Speak No Evil. His music bridges hard bop and fusion.
  • Speak No Evil — Wayne Shorter’s Speak No Evil is a 1966 hard bop album recorded between the sessions for JuJu and The Soothsayer. Its best-known tracks include “Witch Hunt,” “Infant Eyes,” and “Dance Cadaverous,” and the cover shows Teruko Nakagami in the right foreground. The album is noted for Shorter’s non-functional harmony and for a title track that shares its name with the record itself.

Modal and Free Jazz

• Modal jazz — improvisation based on scales (modes) rather than rapid chord changes; Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue is the landmark. Miles Davis later explored it on Bitches Brew. It is associated with musicians such as George Russell and Herbie Hancock, and it contrasts with tonal harmony based on major and minor progressions.

• Free jazz — late 1950s onward; abandons fixed meter and chord structure; Ornette Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959) is the entry point; Coleman also recorded the double-quartet album Free Jazz (1960), which gave the style its name; Albert Ayler and Cecil Taylor also central. It also rejects preset instrumental roles.

• Dave Brubeck — pianist and bandleader; Time Out (1959) recorded in unusual time signatures; “Take Five” in 5/4 is the best-selling jazz instrumental single; brought jazz to college campuses and mainstream audiences. His quartet with Paul Desmond, Joe Morello, and Eugene Wright made him famous for unusual time signatures and crossover success, and he also composed pieces such as “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” and “Unsquare Dance.”
  • Albums
    • Jazz at Oberlin — Jazz at Oberlin is a 1953 Dave Brubeck live album recorded at Oberlin College in Ohio. It is known for live performances such as “Stardust,” “How High the Moon,” and “The Way You Look Tonight.”
  • Blue Rondo à la Turk — “Blue Rondo à la Turk” is a Dave Brubeck quartet standard from Time Out, famous for its 9/8 opening rhythm divided into 2+2+2+3. Its title points to Turkish street music and its unusual additive meter, which helped make the piece one of Brubeck’s signature recordings.

• Alice Coltrane — Alice Coltrane was a jazz pianist and harpist known for blending jazz with Indian spiritual influences. She recorded Journey in Satchidananda and Ptah, the El Daoud, was the wife of John Coltrane, and after his quintet she replaced McCoy Tyner on piano. She later became a swamini and took the name Turiyasangitananda.

• Cecil Taylor — Cecil Taylor was a pioneering avant-garde jazz pianist associated with free jazz and intense solo performance. His major recordings include Unit Structures and Silent Tongues, and he often collaborated with Steve Lacy.

• Coleman — Coleman is the surname shared by jazz musicians such as Ornette Coleman and Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman, as well as composer Valerie Coleman. Ornette Coleman helped define free jazz with albums like Free Jazz and The Shape of Jazz to Come.

• Ornette Coleman — Ornette Coleman was an American jazz saxophonist and one of the central pioneers of free jazz. He developed the idea of harmolodics and recorded The Shape of Jazz to Come and Free Jazz; his music with Don Cherry helped define the avant-garde jazz breakthrough of the late 1950s and 1960s. He later led the band Prime Time and recorded late-career work such as Sound Grammar.

  • Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation — Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation is Ornette Coleman’s 1961 album that coined the term free jazz. Its double-quartet stereo setup and refusal of fixed chord changes make it a landmark of modern jazz.

  • harmolodics — Ornette Coleman developed harmolodics, his theory of free improvisation and equal treatment of harmony, melody, and rhythm. He is a central figure in avant-garde jazz, associated with albums such as The Shape of Jazz to Come, Free Jazz, and Sound Grammar.

  • The Shape of Jazz to Come — The Shape of Jazz to Come is Ornette Coleman’s 1959 free jazz album, best known for tracks like “Lonely Woman.” It helped define harmolodic and avant-garde approaches through its loose meter, unusual instrumentation, and pitched-bending improvisation. Coleman’s white plastic alto saxophone and Don Cherry’s cornet are often mentioned in clues.

• Erroll Garner
  • Misty — Misty, or Kasumi, is the Cerulean City Gym Leader from Pokémon, known as the Tomboyish Mermaid and owner of a Psyduck. The same name also titles Erroll Garner’s jazz standard “Misty,” later associated with Johnny Mathis and Play Misty for Me.

Related Works, People, and Context

• Adderley — Adderley is the surname of jazz brothers Nat and Julian, the latter better known as Cannonball. The pair are associated with albums such as Work Song, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, and Know What I Mean?

• Instruments

  • bass guitar — The bass guitar, also called the electric bass or electric bass guitar, is a low-pitched string instrument that anchors a band’s rhythm section alongside the drums. It is usually a four-stringed member of the guitar family tuned E-A-D-G. It is associated with slap technique in funk and with players such as Jaco Pastorius, Kim Deal, Kim Gordon, D’arcy Wretzky, Paul McCartney, Flea, Victor Wooten, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, and Stu Hamm. Jaco Pastorius made the instrument famous in Weather Report and other jazz fusion settings with fretless playing and harmonics, especially on recordings such as “Birdland.” Other distinctive references include Flea’s national anthem rendition and the bass line in Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.”

  • jazz clarinet — Jazz clarinet is the single-reed woodwind associated with early New Orleans players like Jimmie Noone and Johnny Dodds and later stars such as Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. Goodman’s 1938 Carnegie Hall concert helped make the instrument a central sound of swing and early jazz.

  • jazz saxophone — Jazz saxophone is the family of single-reed woodwinds associated with Charlie Parker and Paul Desmond. In jazz, the most common types are alto and tenor, though soprano and baritone also appear.

• blue notes — Blue notes are the flattened pitches, often thirds or sevenths, that give jazz much of its expressive sound. The term also names Blue Note Records, whose modernist album covers became iconic in jazz history.

• Billy Strayhorn — Billy Strayhorn was a jazz composer and pianist closely associated with Duke Ellington, and he wrote many of the most famous tunes associated with Ellington’s band. His best-known songs include “Take the A Train,” “Chelsea Bridge,” and the lonely, autobiographical “Lush Life.” His work is noted for its lyricism, harmonic sophistication, and the limited public credit he often received during his collaboration with Ellington.

• Mary Lou Williams — Mary Lou Williams was a jazz pianist and composer associated with big-band arranging and modern jazz. She wrote the Zodiac Suite and other works for major jazz figures such as Louis Armstrong and Art Blakey.

• Smooth jazz musicians
  • Kenny G — Kenny G is the smooth jazz saxophonist famous for his soprano sax sound, long curly hair, and the hit “Songbird.” He is also associated with “Going Home,” a tune that became a closing-time fixture in China.
• Standards
  • jazz standards — Jazz standards are widely recorded songs that form part of the standard repertoire for jazz musicians and are often gathered in fake books like The Real Book. Typical examples include “Stella by Starlight,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Stardust,” and “Body and Soul.”

    • A-Tisket, A-Tasket — “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” is the nursery-rhyme-based jazz standard made famous by Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb’s band. Its lyric about a lost yellow basket helped turn it into one of Fitzgerald’s signature recordings.

    • Autumn Leaves — “Autumn Leaves” is the famous jazz standard by Joseph Kosma and Jacques Prévert, originally written in French as “Les Feuilles Mortes.” Its best-known versions include Cannonball Adderley’s Somethin’ Else opening and Miles Davis’s recording with its autumnal lyric about leaves drifting by the window.

    • Body and Soul — “Body and Soul” is the Johnny Green standard whose lyrics begin with a declaration of lonely, sad love. It became especially famous through Coleman Hawkins’s 1939 recording, often treated as a landmark in the development of bebop and one of the most recorded jazz standards.

    • It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) — This Duke Ellington standard says that a band can play everything right, but it still does not mean much unless it has swing. The song helped define swing-era jazz and became especially famous in Ella Fitzgerald’s performances.

    • Twisted — “Twisted” is a jazz standard better known through cover versions such as those by Bette Midler and Joni Mitchell. The lyric begins, “My analyst told me that I was right out of my head.”

    • You Don’t Know What Love Is — “You Don’t Know What Love Is” is a jazz standard from the Great American Songbook. Gene de Paul and Don Raye wrote it for the film Keep ‘Em Flying, and Dinah Washington later recorded a definitive vocal version.

    • “April in Paris” — “April in Paris” is the jazz standard by Vernon Duke and Yip Harburg that became especially famous in Count Basie’s version. Basie’s arrangement is known for its shouted reprise and triumphant final coda.

    • Caravan — “Caravan” is a Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol jazz standard first recorded in the 1930s. It became especially famous through later big-band performances and its appearance in the film Whiplash.

• Toshiko Akiyoshi — Toshiko Akiyoshi is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer known for her long-running big band with Lew Tabackin. Her compositions include Hiroshima: Rising from the Abyss, and she was the first Japanese student admitted to Berklee College of Music.

• Vijay Iyer — Vijay Iyer is an Indian-American jazz pianist and composer, a Harvard music professor known for technically intricate, rhythmically complex work. His projects include A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke with Wadada Leo Smith, the trio recordings Historicity and Break Stuff, and the collaboration Love in Exile.

• Vince Guaraldi — Vince Guaraldi was the jazz pianist and bandleader whose work became inseparable from the Peanuts specials. He is best known for “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” “Linus and Lucy,” and the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas.

• Vocal jazz groups
  • The Manhattan Transfer — The vocal jazz group is known for four-part harmonies and close-harmony and a cappella arrangements. Its members include Tim Hauser, Cheryl Bentyne, Alan Paul, and Janis Siegel. The group won multiple Grammys and recorded widely covered versions of “Birdland,” “Java Jive,” and “The Boy from New York City.”

Jazz Fusion and Contemporary Jazz

• Jazz fusion — late 1960s–1970s; electric instruments and rock/funk rhythms; Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew (1970); Weather Report; Herbie Hancock; Chick Corea. It is associated with Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew, Weather Report, Return to Forever, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea. Albums like Birds of Fire and Light as a Feather are classic examples of the style.

• Miles Davis’s electric period — Bitches Brew (1970) merged jazz improvisation with rock rhythms and electric instruments, launching jazz fusion; earlier In a Silent Way (1969) foreshadowed this direction.

• Jazz fusion bassists
  • Jaco Pastorius — Jaco Pastorius was the jazz-fusion bassist best known for his fretless Fender Jazz Bass, the “Bass of Doom,” and for his work with Weather Report. He recorded solo material like Word of Mouth and “Portrait of Tracy,” and helped define the sound of pieces such as “Teen Town” and “Birdland.” His playing also appears on Weather Report albums including Black Market and Heavy Weather.
• Jazz fusion guitarists
  • John McLaughlin — John McLaughlin is a jazz guitarist known for his fusion work with Miles Davis on In a Silent Way and for leading Mahavishnu Orchestra. He also recorded his own version of “Blue in Green” and associated his music with the teachings of Sri Chinmoy.
• Jazz fusion keyboardists
  • Joe Zawinul — Joe Zawinul was a key architect of Weather Report, the jazz fusion band he led with Wayne Shorter. His work helped define the group’s flexible, electrified sound, including pieces like “Birdland” and the bass work later associated with Jaco Pastorius.

• Mahavishnu Orchestra — Mahavishnu Orchestra was the jazz fusion band led by John McLaughlin that released The Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire. Its dense, virtuosic style helped define 1970s fusion and featured players like Billy Cobham and Jerry Goodman.

• Masayoshi Takanaka — Masayoshi Takanaka is a Japanese jazz fusion and city pop musician who first gained attention with the band Sadistics before a solo career. He is known for the Seychelles album and for a guitar built into a surfboard.

• Snarky Puppy — Snarky Puppy is a jazz fusion collective led by bassist Michael League. Their albums include We Like It Here, Sylva, and Culcha Vulcha, and their music frequently features Cory Henry and other virtuosic improvisers.

• Soft Machine — Soft Machine was a British Canterbury scene jazz-rock band named after a William S. Burroughs novel. Its albums include Third, Fourth, Five, Six, Seven, and Land of Cockayne, and members such as Mike Ratledge, Kevin Ayers, and Robert Wyatt were closely associated with the group.

• Weather Report — Weather Report was the influential jazz fusion band led by Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul. It is especially associated with the hit “Birdland,” the bassist Jaco Pastorius, and its shifting lineup through the 1970s and 1980s.

• Fusion Jazz — Fusion jazz is the late-1960s style that blends jazz with rock and soul influences. Miles Davis helped pioneer it with albums like In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, and later groups such as Weather Report became closely associated with the genre.

• Chick Corea — Chick Corea was a jazz pianist and composer who played with Miles Davis before leading Return to Forever and the Elektric and Akoustic Bands. He wrote “Spain,” one of his signature pieces, which opens with an adaptation of the Concierto de Aranjuez, and also recorded influential duet albums with Gary Burton.

• Samara Joy — Samara Joy is the contemporary jazz singer who won Best New Artist at the 2023 Grammys for Linger Awhile. She also won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and later earned a Grammy for her cover of Betty Carter’s “Tight.”

Jazz Venues, Instruments, and Performance Vocabulary

• Jazz clubs

  • Birdland — Birdland is the famous New York City jazz club named for Charlie Parker and the source of standards such as George Shearing’s “Lullaby of Birdland.” It also gives its name to Weather Report’s hit “Birdland” and appears in performances by Coltrane, Art Blakey, and Toshiko Akiyoshi.

  • The Village Vanguard — The Village Vanguard is a long-running New York jazz club in Greenwich Village. It is associated with live recordings by Bill Evans and Sonny Rollins, and its house orchestra was led by Mel Lewis.

• Jazz drummers

  • Buddy Rich — Bernard “Buddy” Rich was a celebrated jazz drummer and bandleader known for explosive technique and stage virtuosity. He performed as a child under the nickname “Baby Traps,” later became famous for big-band battles, especially with Gene Krupa, and often called himself the world’s greatest drummer. He led a high-energy big band that frequently closed with a West Side Story medley, and was associated with pieces such as “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “Channel One Suite.” He recorded albums including Big Swing Face.

  • Elvin Jones — Elvin Jones was a major jazz drummer whose triplet-heavy style became central to the modal jazz canon. He played with John Coltrane, including on A Love Supreme, where he opens “Acknowledgement” with a gong.

  • Gene Krupa — Gene Krupa was the jazz drummer famous for the iconic solo in Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing.” He is also a standard clue for drum battles with Buddy Rich and for early popularizing of the drum solo.

• Jazz duos
  • Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong — Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong were a celebrated jazz duo who recorded several albums together for Verve. Their collaborations include album material drawn from Porgy and Bess and the duet Dream a Little Dream of Me. Fitzgerald is known as the Queen of Jazz, while Armstrong was a trumpeter whose paired vocals with her became especially famous.
• jazz ensembles

  • big band — A big band is a large jazz ensemble, especially associated with swing-era leaders like Count Basie and Tommy Dorsey. These groups helped define the popular orchestral sound of 1930s and 1940s jazz.

  • Modern Jazz Quartet — The Modern Jazz Quartet was a cool-jazz ensemble led by vibraphonist Milt Jackson and pianist John Lewis. It is associated with tailored suits, Third Stream experiments, and standards such as “Django” and “Skating in Central Park.”}], It is associated with tailored suits, Third Stream experiments, and standards such as “Django” and “Skating in Central Park.”

• Jazz festivals

  • Monterey Jazz Festival — The Monterey Jazz Festival is a long-running annual jazz festival founded in 1958 by Jimmy Lyons. It has featured major performers such as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and Shelly Manne, and Clint Eastwood has served on its board.

  • Newport Jazz Festival — The Newport Jazz Festival is the long-running annual jazz event founded by George Wein in the Rhode Island resort town of Newport, now associated with Fort Adams State Park. It is especially tied to landmark live performances by Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane.

• jazz forms and rhythms
  • stomp — A stomp is a hard, percussive dance step and, in jazz titles, a term attached to songs like “King Porter Stomp” and “Stompin’ at the Savoy.” It can also name an eight-bar chord progression associated with early jazz and stride-era compositions.
• Jazz guitarists
  • Django Reinhardt — Jean-Baptiste “Django” Reinhardt was a Belgian-born Romani jazz guitarist and a pioneer of gypsy jazz. He co-founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France and recorded standards such as “Minor Swing” and “Nuages” with Stéphane Grappelli. After a fire left him with only two usable fingers on his left hand, he developed the distinctive two-finger technique that made him famous.
    • Quintette du Hot Club de France — The Quintette du Hot Club de France was Django Reinhardt’s influential jazz ensemble with Stéphane Grappelli. It helped define the Django-associated style of jazz manouche and popularized a chamber-like sound built around guitar and violin.

  • Bill Frisell — Bill Frisell is a jazz guitarist and composer known for his atmospheric, genre-blending style. His albums include Have a Little Faith, which features an arrangement of a Charles Ives piece about Saint-Gaudens in Boston Common.

  • Kevin Eubanks — Kevin Eubanks is a jazz guitarist best known as the longtime bandleader for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show band. He replaced Branford Marsalis in 1995 and was often mocked in pop-culture questions for his laugh and supposed substance-abuse jokes.

  • Wes Montgomery — Wes Montgomery was a jazz guitarist known for playing with his thumb, thumb-picked melodies, octave runs, and smooth, octave-heavy improvisations. His recordings include The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, Full House, Smokin’ at the Half Note, and the pop-leaning A Day in the Life. His work with strings and his hard-bop recordings made him one of the most influential guitarists in jazz.
• Jazz harmony

  • ii–V–I — The ii–V–I is the standard jazz turnaround, a three-chord progression that resolves from the supertonic to the dominant and then to the tonic. It underlies countless standards and bebop lines, and tunes like “Tune-Up” and “Solar” are built from chains of it.

  • tritone substitution — Tritone substitution replaces a dominant seventh chord with another dominant seventh chord a tritone away, as in swapping G7 for D-flat7 in C major. It is a standard jazz harmony device used to smooth ii–V–I progressions and blues progressions with chromatic motion.

• Jazz instruments
  • jazz piano — Jazz piano is the keyboard instrument associated with players such as Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Art Tatum, McCoy Tyner, and Duke Ellington. It is a standard part of the jazz rhythm section and underlies iconic recordings like Blue Rondo a la Turk, Kind of Blue, and A Love Supreme.
    • stride piano — A Harlem jazz piano style developed from ragtime, characterized by a left hand that makes wide leaps between bass notes and offbeat chords. It is associated with James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Willie “The Lion” Smith, and later performers such as Art Tatum; Thelonious Monk later admired the style.
• Jazz musicians

  • Ben Webster — Ben Webster was a jazz tenor saxophonist nicknamed “the Frog.” He was one of the big three swing tenors and was famous for his sharp, raspy tone on pieces like “Cotton Tail.”

  • Fats Waller — Fats Waller was an early jazz and Harlem stride pianist, singer, and composer. He wrote standards such as “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Black and Blue,” “Your Feet’s Too Big,” “Squeeze Me,” and “Handful of Keys,” often with lyrics by Andy Razaf, and he also recorded a celebrated version of “If You’re a Viper.” He wrote music for Broadway, including Hot Chocolates.
    • Ain’t Misbehavin’ — “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is a jazz standard associated with Fats Waller. Its playful lyrics describe staying home, listening to the radio, and avoiding trouble.
  • Herbie Hancock — Herbie Hancock is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer known for post-bop and fusion work. His albums include Takin’ Off, Maiden Voyage, Head Hunters, Mwandishi, and Sextant, and his best-known pieces include “Watermelon Man,” “Chameleon,” “Cantaloupe Island,” and “Rockit.” He also scored Blow-Up and won an Academy Award for his music for ’Round Midnight.
    • Future Shock
      • Rockit — “Rockit” is Herbie Hancock’s 1983 crossover hit from Future Shock, famous for helping bring scratch-based electro and jazz-funk into the mainstream. Its video features robot-like sculptures, Hancock on a monitor, and a landmark breakdancing performance.

    • Headhunters — Headhunters is a jazz-funk album by Herbie Hancock that marked a turn toward a more accessible sound after his earlier experimental work. Its best-known tracks include “Chameleon” and “Watermelon Man,” both frequently used as clues for the album.

    • Maiden Voyage — Maiden Voyage is a 1965 Herbie Hancock album whose title track appears alongside “Dolphin Dance,” “Little One,” and “Survival of the Fittest.” The album’s fusion sound and modal harmony helped make it a landmark jazz concept recording.

    • Watermelon Man — “Watermelon Man” is Herbie Hancock’s famous tune from Takin’ Off, later turned into a funkier Head Hunters track and popularized in a Latin version by Mongo Santamaría. It is a standard quizbowl clue for Hancock’s early hard-bop style and later fusion reworking.

    • Head Hunters — Head Hunters is Herbie Hancock’s jazz-fusion album best known for “Chameleon” and a reworked electric version of “Watermelon Man.” It became the first jazz album to sell over a million copies in the United States and helped define Hancock’s commercial peak.

  • Lee Morgan — Lee Morgan was a hard bop and soul jazz trumpeter known for Blue Note recordings such as The Sidewinder and Cornbread. He also played with Art Blakey and John Coltrane before being killed by his common-law wife in 1972.

  • Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke — Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke was a pioneering white jazz cornetist and pianist whose recordings with Frankie Trumbauer and Paul Whiteman helped shape early jazz and cool jazz. He is associated with “Singin’ the Blues” and “In a Mist,” and he died young at age 28 after a short, alcoholic life that made him a legendary cornet virtuoso. He also played with Paul Whiteman’s band and inspired Young Man with a Horn.

  • Paul Desmond — Paul Desmond was the cool-jazz alto saxophonist best known for writing “Take Five” and performing with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. His sound was often described as light and dry, and he also recorded in smaller-group settings later in his career.

  • Roy Hargrove — Roy Hargrove was a jazz trumpeter and composer best known for writing “Strasbourg / St. Denis.” He moved from hard bop to more hip-hop-influenced work with his group the RH Factor, and his later releases included Earfood and the posthumous duet album In Harmony.

  • Charlie Parker — Charlie Parker was an alto saxophonist and pioneering bebop musician nicknamed Bird or Yardbird. He helped create and define bebop, playing with Jay McShann and later with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and other major jazz figures. His best-known recordings and compositions include “Ko-Ko,” “Ornithology,” “Billie’s Bounce,” “Now’s the Time,” “Yardbird Suite,” and the reharmonized standard “Scrapple from the Apple.”
    • Charles “Yardbird” Parker — Charlie Parker was the alto saxophonist who helped popularize bebop. The jazz innovator died in 1955 after a heroin overdose.

  • Chuck Mangione — Chuck Mangione is the jazz flugelhorn player who became famous for “Feels So Good.” He later voiced a fictionalized version of himself on King of the Hill and served as a spokesman for Mega Lo Mart.

  • Claude Thornhill — Claude Thornhill was an American bandleader and pianist whose orchestra influenced the cool jazz of Birth of the Cool. He composed standards such as ‘Snowfall’ and ‘I Wish I Had You’ and is associated with Gil Evans arrangements.

  • Diana Krall — Diana Krall is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for standards albums and smoky vocal interpretations of classics. Her notable recordings include Steppin’ Out, Live in Paris, and When I Look in Your Eyes, and she has also appeared in film and advertising.

  • Eric Dolphy — Eric Dolphy was a jazz saxophonist, flautist, and bass clarinetist associated with free jazz and albums such as Out to Lunch! He helped make bass clarinet prominent on Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz and played flute on “Gazzelloni.” He died at 36 after touring Europe with Charles Mingus’s sextet and suffering undiagnosed diabetes.
    • Out to Lunch! — Out to Lunch! is Eric Dolphy’s 1964 avant-garde jazz album, recorded shortly before his death. Its best-known tracks include “Hat and Beard,” “Gazzelloni,” and “Straight Up and Down,” and the cover shows a sign reading “Will Be Back.”

  • Esperanza Spalding — Esperanza Spalding is a Grammy-winning jazz bassist, singer, and composer who won the 2011 Grammy for Best New Artist, the first jazz artist to do so. Her albums include Esperanza, Chamber Music Society, Radio Music Society, Emily’s D+Evolution, and 12 Little Spells, and her work often blends jazz with Brazilian influences and vocal writing that crosses into soul and R&B. She also taught at Berklee early in her career.

  • Grover Washington Jr. — Grover Washington Jr. was an American saxophonist and a major figure in the development of smooth jazz. His best-known work includes Winelight and the hit “Just the Two of Us,” recorded with Bill Withers.
    • Just the Two of Us — “Just the Two of Us” is a song associated with Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers. It later became familiar through Will Smith’s family-oriented cover.

  • Harry Connick Jr. — Harry Connick Jr. is the New Orleans singer and pianist known for jazz vocal albums and for writing the score to When Harry Met Sally. He also acted in films such as Memphis Belle and is widely identified by his work as a jazz interpreter.

  • Josef Zawinul — Josef Zawinul was the composer of the jazz standard “Birdland.” He is best known as a keyboardist and composer associated with jazz fusion.

  • Miles Davis III — Miles Davis was a pioneering jazz trumpeter whose album Kind of Blue became one of the most famous recordings in jazz. He moved from hard bop into electric fusion with albums such as In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, and also recorded Sketches of Spain.

  • Pat Metheny — Pat Metheny is a jazz guitarist associated with the Pat Metheny Group and albums such as Bright Size Life and Song X. His work is closely linked with keyboardist Lyle Mays and later collaborators such as Steve Rodby and Antonio Sánchez.

  • Sidney (Joseph) Bechet — Sidney Bechet was a New Orleans jazz clarinetist and soprano saxophonist. His clues often mention early recordings of “Wild Cat Blues,” “The Sheik of Araby,” and later French pieces like “Petite Fleur.”

  • Sonny — Sonny is a common stage first name in jazz, attached to musicians such as Rollins, Stitt, Sharrock, and Murray. The clue set points especially to Sonny Rollins, the tenor saxophonist of Saxophone Colossus and The Bridge. Other famous jazz Sonnys include Sonny Stitt and Sonny Sharrock.

  • Sun Ra — Sun Ra was the bandleader, composer, and pianist who led the Arkestra and built a long career around cosmic imagery and Afrofuturism. His albums include Space Is the Place and Lanquidity, and his music often links jazz to space travel, Saturn, and alien identity.

    • Arkestra — Arkestra is the large, often costumed jazz ensemble led by Sun Ra. The group is associated with Afrofuturist space imagery, extended improvisation, and albums such as Space is the Place.

    • Space Is the Place — Sun Ra was the Afrofuturist jazz leader of the Arkestra, known for claiming a Saturnian origin and for a huge, genre-bending discography. His clue set often includes Space Is the Place, Lanquidity, Rocket Number Nine, June Tyson, and his elaborate costume-heavy band.

• Jazz organists
  • Jimmy Smith — Jimmy Smith was a prominent jazz organist, commonly identified by that instrument rather than by the more familiar name shared with other people. His name appears in music-category prompts focused on jazz musicians and their instruments.
• jazz pianists

  • Ahmad Jamal — Ahmad Jamal was a jazz pianist and bandleader born Frederick Russell Jones before converting to Islam and changing his name. He became famous for the trio recordings of “Poinciana,” noted for their spacious use of silence and texture.

  • Horace Silver — Horace Silver was a hard bop pianist and composer known for blending jazz with Latin rhythms and for writing “Song for My Father.” His music was later sampled by Steely Dan, especially in “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”
    • Song For My Father — Song for My Father is a 1965 Horace Silver album whose title track became a jazz standard. The record also includes tunes such as Calcutta Cutie and The Natives Are Restless Tonight, and its title groove was later borrowed by Steely Dan.

  • Keith Jarrett — Keith Jarrett is an American jazz pianist best known for The Köln Concert, the best-selling solo piano album in jazz history. He is also associated with the Standards Trio with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette and with highly improvised solo performances.

  • Lennie Tristano — Lennie Tristano was a technically formidable jazz pianist and teacher associated with Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. His recordings such as Crosscurrents and his experiments with overdubbing and tape manipulation helped point toward cool jazz and early free improvisation.

  • Oscar Peterson — Oscar Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer known for virtuosic technique, especially in trio settings with Ray Brown and Herb Ellis. His best-known recordings include Night Train, Hymn to Freedom, and Canadiana Suite, and Duke Ellington praised him as the “Maharaja of the keyboard.”

  • Ramsey Lewis — Ramsey Lewis was a celebrated jazz pianist and composer whose 1965 hit was The ‘In’ Crowd. He also scored with songs like Hang On Sloopy and Wade in the Water and later recorded albums such as Apassionatta.

  • Art Tatum — Art Tatum was a nearly blind jazz pianist celebrated for dazzling speed, stride-influenced technique, and reharmonized improvisations. He was a cutting-contest champion, became especially associated with virtuosic versions of standards such as “Tea for Two,” “Tiger Rag,” and “Sweet Lorraine,” and recorded with Ben Webster, Lionel Hampton, and Buddy Rich. He influenced later pianists including Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, and Count Basie, and drew admiration from classical virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz.
• Jazz saxophonists

  • (Charles) “Charlie” Parker, Jr — Charles “Charlie” Parker Jr., nicknamed Bird, was the alto saxophonist who helped found bebop with Dizzy Gillespie. He is associated with “Ko-Ko,” “Ornithology,” “Moose the Mooche,” and the famous “Lover Man” recording.

  • Dexter Gordon — Dexter Gordon was a tenor saxophonist known for bebop recordings, including Go!, Our Man in Paris, and Dexter Rides Again. His career also included live Copenhagen recordings and later work such as The Other Side of Round Midnight, which made him one of jazz’s major hard-bop figures.

  • Kamasi Washington — Kamasi Washington is a jazz saxophonist and bandleader known for the album The Epic and the suite Harmony of Difference. He also appears in projects with Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, Lauryn Hill, and Kendrick Lamar.

  • Pharoah Sanders — Pharoah Sanders was a free-jazz saxophonist known for spiritual jazz albums such as Karma and Thembi. He played with John Coltrane, contributed to long-form improvisations like “The Creator Has a Master Plan,” and later collaborated on Promises with Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra.

  • Sonny Rollins — Sonny Rollins is an American tenor saxophonist associated with the albums Saxophone Colossus, Way Out West, and The Bridge. He is known for compositions and performances including “St. Thomas,” “Oleo,” and “Airegin,” and for practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge during a career hiatus or sabbatical from performing. His style helped make thematic improvisation a hallmark of modern jazz, and his name also appears in the standard pairing with John Coltrane on “Tenor Madness.”
    • Saxophone Colossus — Saxophone Colossus is Sonny Rollins’s 1956 album, named for his tenor-saxophone prowess. It includes “St. Thomas,” “Strode Rode,” “Moritat,” and “Blue 7,” and is known for its calypso opening and hard-bop lineup.

  • Branford Marsalis — Branford Marsalis is a jazz saxophonist and bandleader known for albums such as Crazy People Music, Braggtown, and Buckshot LeFonque. He also served as musical director for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and performed with artists ranging from Sting to Crosby, Stills and Nash.

  • Julian “Cannonball” Adderley — Julian “Cannonball” Adderley was a hard bop and soul jazz alto saxophonist who played with Miles Davis in the sextet era and on Kind of Blue. He is especially associated with “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” the live album In San Francisco, and the album Somethin’ Else. He led his own successful jazz career, including a quintet that featured his cornetist brother Nat Adderley, who also played in his groups.

  • Stan Getz — Stan Getz was a jazz tenor saxophonist nicknamed “the Sound,” known for his light, vibrato-free style. He did early work with Woody Herman’s Second Herd and the Four Brothers, and became central to the bossa nova craze in the United States through Jazz Samba and collaborations with João and Astrud Gilberto, including “The Girl from Ipanema” and “Desafinado.”
    • Getz/Gilberto — Getz/Gilberto is the 1964 bossa nova album by Stan Getz and João Gilberto that brought the style to a wide American audience. It includes “The Girl from Ipanema,” “Desafinado,” and “Corcovado,” and won the first Grammy for Best Record.
  • Albert Ayler — Albert Ayler was a free-jazz saxophonist known for Spiritual Unity and for blending hymns, marches, and children’s songs into his improvisations. He recorded for ESP-Disk, performed “Ghosts,” and was associated with the radical expansion of jazz vocabulary in the 1960s.
• jazz styles
  • third stream — Third stream is Gunther Schuller’s term for music that fuses jazz and classical elements. It is associated with works such as Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain and with composers like William Grant Still.
• Jazz techniques
  • sheets of sound — “Sheets of sound” is the phrase Ira Gitler used for John Coltrane’s dense, fast improvisational style. The term is especially associated with rapid arpeggios and cascading lines heard in pieces like “Giant Steps,” “Naima,” and “Mr. P.C.”
• Jazz theorists
  • George Russell — George Russell was a jazz composer and theorist best known for The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization. His modal ideas influenced Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and he later worked in Scandinavia and on pieces such as Othello Ballet Suite.
• Jazz trumpeters
  • Carl Hilding “Doc” Severinsen — Carl Hilding “Doc” Severinsen is a trumpeter known for leading the Tonight Show band after Skitch Henderson. He also worked as a jazz and classical performer and later became a prominent pops conductor.
• jazz trumpeters and singers

  • Chet Baker — Chet Baker was a West Coast jazz trumpeter and singer known for a cool, lyrical style. He is especially associated with “My Funny Valentine” and the vocal album Chet Baker Sings.

  • Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong — Louis Armstrong, often called Satchmo, was a landmark jazz trumpeter and singer whose recordings include “West End Blues,” “Hello, Dolly!,” and “What a Wonderful World.” He helped define early jazz with the Hot Five and became one of the most recognizable voices in American popular music.

• jazz vocalists

  • Bobby McFerrin — Bobby McFerrin is a vocalist and improviser best known for the hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” He is also known for his vocal work with jazz musicians, including collaborations with Chick Corea and Yo-Yo Ma.

  • Ethel Waters — Ethel Waters was a singer and actress known for standards such as “Dinah,” “Stormy Weather,” and “Am I Blue?” She was the first African American to star in her own television show and later received an Oscar nomination for Pinky.

  • Nat King Cole — Nat King Cole was a jazz pianist and baritone singer who first gained fame with his piano trio before becoming a major pop vocalist. He recorded songs such as “Nature Boy,” “Unforgettable,” and “The Christmas Song,” and hosted one of the first network variety shows fronted by an African American. His early trio included Oscar Moore and helped make Capitol Records a major label.
    • Unforgettable — This Nat King Cole standard became famous again in 1991 as a duet with his daughter Natalie Cole on the album of the same name. The song is remembered for its romantic lyric, “Like a song of love that clings to me.”
  • Sarah Vaughn — Sarah Vaughan, nicknamed Sassy, was a jazz vocalist whose break came from winning an Apollo talent contest as a teenager. She sang bebop with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie and was celebrated for her wide vocal range and performances such as “My Funny Valentine.”
• Music festivals

  • Woodstock 1999 — Woodstock 1999 was the chaotic anniversary music festival in Rome, New York that ended in riots and fires. It became notorious for performances by bands such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

  • Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival — Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual music festival in Manchester, Tennessee. It began as a jam-band-oriented event and is named from a Cajun phrase popularized by Dr. John meaning a really good time.

  • Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — The large annual spring music festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It has become a major pop-music showcase, with headline-making sets and recent editions featuring acts such as Ariana Grande, BLACKPINK, Bad Bunny, Calvin Harris, and Peck in 2020.

  • Glastonbury Festival — Glastonbury Festival is the large annual music festival held in Somerset that began as the Pilton Pop, Blues & Folk Festival. Quizbowl clues link it to British acts such as T. Rex, Fontaines D.C., and the broader history of English popular music.

  • Monterey International Pop Music Festival — The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a landmark 1967 California concert organized by John Phillips. It featured early American performances by Jimi Hendrix and the Who and a final major appearance by Otis Redding.

  • Woodstock Festival — The 1969 counterculture music festival held at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, upstate New York. Advertised as “three days of peace and music,” it became a defining symbol of the era amid a huge crowd that overflowed the barriers. It is especially remembered for Jimi Hendrix’s distorted performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and for performers such as The Who and Melanie, whose candles-and-lighters moment became iconic.

    • Woodstock ‘94 — Woodstock ‘94 was the revival rock festival held in Saugerties, New York, more than forty miles from Max Yasgur’s farm. Its lineup included acts such as Green Day, Sheryl Crow, Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, and the Violent Femmes.

    • Woodstock Music Festival — The Woodstock Music Festival was the 1969 upstate New York concert associated with the counterculture and a crowd of well over 400,000. Richie Havens opened amid delays, and performers included Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Jimi Hendrix.

  • Lollapalooza — Lollapalooza is the annual multi-day music festival held in Chicago’s Grant Park. It has become a pop-culture fixture, with performances and moments that often circulate widely online.

Country and Rhythm and Blues

Follow country and rhythm and blues through major styles and artists.

Country Music

• Country music singers
  • Tanya Tucker — Tanya Tucker is a country singer who broke through as a teenager with “Delta Dawn.” She later became known for songs such as “What’s Your Mama’s Name” and “Strong Enough to Bend,” and for her long career as a Texas-born country star. Her collaborations and early fame made her one of the genre’s enduring names.
• Country music duos
  • Florida Georgia Line — Florida Georgia Line is a bro-country duo known for songs including “Cruise,” “This Is How We Roll,” “H.O.L.Y.,” and “Get Your Shine On.” Their collaborations include Nelly and Luke Bryan. The group’s name evokes the Florida-Georgia border, and they were discovered at a county fair by a Nickelback producer.
    • Cruise — Cruise is a word for a pleasure voyage, and it also titles a 2012 Florida Georgia Line hit. The song’s chorus about rolling the windows down helped make it a major country crossover single.
• Country music groups
  • The Highwaymen — The Highwaymen were the outlaw-country supergroup of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. They released a few albums together, including The Highwaymen and The Road Goes on Forever, and are known for songs such as “Highwayman” and “Silver Stallion.”
• Roots and Mid-Century Country

  • The Carter Family — A.P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter; recorded for Victor from 1927; foundational repertoire of American country; Maybelle’s “Carter scratch” guitar style.

  • Jimmie Rodgers — “The Singing Brakeman”; first country music star; blue yodels; tuberculosis cut short his career; died 1933. He recorded the “Blue Yodels,” including “T for Texas,” and was also known for early country recordings that helped make him the genre’s first major star.

  • Grand Ole Opry — Nashville radio barn dance broadcast from 1927; central institution of country music. It is historically associated with the Ryman Auditorium and is commonly described as the longest-running live radio show in American history. It began as the WSM Barn Dance, was renamed in 1928, and later broadcast nationally as The Prince Albert Show. It became the most prestigious stage in country music.

  • Hank Williams — singer-songwriter; 1940s–early 1950s; “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”; alcoholism and drug use; died 1953 age 29; defined the classic honky-tonk sound.

    • Hey Good Lookin’ — “Hey Good Lookin’” is one of Hank Williams’s best-known songs, with lyrics about a date book and finding someone for five or ten cents. It was also written with Little Jimmy Dickens in mind before Williams kept it for himself.

    • Songs

      • I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry — “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” is a Hank Williams song that became a country standard through covers by artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and B. J. Thomas. Its lyrics use images like the whipoorwill, the midnight train, and the silence of a falling star.

  • Honky-tonk — electric guitar, pedal steel, fiddle; themes of heartbreak and drinking; venue-driven.

  • Johnny Cash — “The Man in Black”; outlaw image; Sun Records in the 1950s; crossover appeal; At Folsom Prison (1968); later American Recordings with Rick Rubin. He is also associated with signature songs such as “I Walk the Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and “Ring of Fire.” His prison performances and later revival recordings helped reinforce his outlaw image, and he became known for an iconic San Quentin mugshot. He was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix in a biopic about his relationship with June Carter.

    • A Boy Named Sue — “A Boy Named Sue” is Shel Silverstein’s song made famous by Johnny Cash. The story follows a boy who resents the father who gave him a feminine name and finally confronts him in a brawl at a tavern.

    • Folsom Prison — Folsom Prison is the California penitentiary made famous by Johnny Cash’s 1968 live album At Folsom Prison and the song “Folsom Prison Blues.” The album includes prison-themed songs such as “Greystone Chapel” and became one of Cash’s signature performances.

    • Folsom Prison Blues — “Folsom Prison Blues” is a Johnny Cash song narrated by a prisoner who regrets shooting a man in Reno and longingly imagines trains and freedom. It became especially famous through Cash’s live performances at Folsom Prison and San Quentin.

    • I Walk the Line — “I Walk the Line” is Johnny Cash’s 1956 country hit about loyalty and self-restraint. Its title later gave its name to a film about Cash, while an abbreviated version was used for the 2005 biopic Walk the Line.

  • Patsy Cline — landmark female country voice; “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces”; died in a plane crash 1963.
    • I Fall to Pieces — This Patsy Cline hit reached number one in 1962 and describes falling apart whenever someone mentions a particular name. It is a classic country breakup song about trying to find someone else to love.
  • Bluegrass — fast acoustic string music derived from Appalachian tradition; Bill Monroe (“Father of Bluegrass”) and his Blue Grass Boys; Earl Scruggs’s three-finger banjo picking. Bluegrass is a fast acoustic string band style rooted in Appalachian folk traditions and associated with Bill Monroe. Its standard instrumentation centers on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass, and five-string banjo, with styles ranging from traditional bluegrass to progressive and newgrass.
    • Progressive bluegrass
      • Nickel Creek — Nickel Creek is a progressive bluegrass trio featuring Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, and Sean Watkins. They rose through albums like This Side and Why Should the Fire Die?, with Alison Krauss associated with their early success.

  • Nashville Sound — 1950s–1960s production style; lush strings, smooth vocals; Chet Atkins and producer Owen Bradley; aimed at mainstream pop crossover; a deliberate industry strategy to retain audience during the rock and roll challenge.

  • Bakersfield Sound — California alternative to the polished Nashville Sound; harder, twangier, electric Telecaster guitars; Buck Owens and Merle Haggard; developed at clubs in Bakersfield, California in the late 1950s–1960s.
• Outlaw Country and Later Singer-Songwriters

  • Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings — figures in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, resisting Nashville’s polished “countrypolitan” sound.

  • Willie Nelson — Austin, Texas; key figure in outlaw country and the “Austin Sound”; Red Headed Stranger (1975); “Crazy” (written for Patsy Cline), “On the Road Again”; co-organized Farm Aid in 1985. He is also associated with the song “Highwayman,” with the supergroup the Highwaymen, and with his guitar Trigger. He began his career singing with the group Bohemian Polka.

  • Dolly Parton — Appalachian roots; blended traditional country with pop; “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You” (her own composition, later covered by Whitney Houston); founding of Dollywood theme park; broad cultural crossover and philanthropy. She wrote “9 to 5” and founded the Imagination Library. She also appeared in projects such as Heartstrings and Run, Rose, Run.

    • I Will Always Love You — “I Will Always Love You” is a Dolly Parton song that she wrote on the same night as “Jolene.” Whitney Houston turned it into a huge hit with her 1992 version for The Bodyguard.

    • Jolene — “Jolene” is the Dolly Parton song in which the narrator begs a seductive rival not to steal her man. It became a major country standard and has been covered by artists including the White Stripes and Miley Cyrus. The song’s repeated name in the chorus is one of its most recognizable features.

  • Kris Kristofferson — Rhodes Scholar and songwriter; “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”; epitomized the outlaw/singer-songwriter wing of Nashville. He also acted in films such as A Star Is Born, Heaven’s Gate, and the Blade movies as Abraham Whistler.

  • Emmylou Harris — country, folk-rock, and Americana singer; “Luxury Liner,” “Boulder to Birmingham”; collaborator with Gram Parsons and later Daniel Lanois (Wrecking Ball, 1995); influential on alt-country.

  • Gram Parsons — International Submarine Band; the Byrds (Sweetheart of the Rodeo, 1968); Flying Burrito Brothers; coined “Cosmic American Music”; bridged country and rock.

• Origins — rooted in Southern Appalachian string-band traditions, gospel, and British folk ballads; commercialized from the 1920s onward.

• Carter Family
  • Mother Maybelle Carter — “Mother” Maybelle Carter was a member of the Carter Family known for popularizing the influential “Carter scratch” guitar style. She played guitar, autoharp, and banjo, helping shape the sound of early country and bluegrass music.
• country — Country is the popular American music genre associated with Jimmie Rodgers, Red Foley, Johnny Cash, and the Nashville sound. The word also appears in literary and cultural clues about land, indigenous Australian country, and pastoral settings.
  • Roger Miller — Roger Miller was the country singer-songwriter best known for “King of the Road.” He wrote and performed music for Disney’s Robin Hood, including the song “Oo-De-Lally,” and composed the film’s soundtrack.

• Homer and Jethro — Homer and Jethro were a country comedy duo known for parody songs and playful satirical covers. One of their best-known numbers was “The Battle of Kookamonga,” and they also recorded comic versions of popular songs with other country performers.

• Rodgers family
  • Rodgers — Rodgers is the surname of a major American musical dynasty associated with Richard Rodgers and Mary Rodgers. It also appears in country and pop culture through figures such as Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Rogers, and Kenny Rogers.
• Country comedians
  • Minnie Pearl — Minnie Pearl was a country-comedy performer best known for her long run at the Grand Ole Opry and her exaggerated rural persona. She was identified with a wide-brimmed hat carrying a price tag and the catchphrase drawn out as “How-dee.”
• Country performers
  • Grandpa Jones — Grandpa Jones was a country and bluegrass performer best known as a long-running banjo player on Hee Haw. He also had a novelty hit with “Mountain Dew.”

• If Tomorrow Never Comes — This Garth Brooks song became his first number-one single and appears on his self-titled debut album. Its lyric worries about what happens if a lover dies in sleep before tomorrow comes.

• I’ve Been Everywhere — “I’ve Been Everywhere” is a travel song popularized in versions by Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, and others. Its lyrics race through a long list of place names, with the American version ending at Dodge City.

• country and western songs
  • Ghost Riders in the Sky — “Ghost Riders in the Sky” is a country and western song about a cowboy who sees spectral riders herding devil-owned cattle across the sky. It became a major hit for Vaughn Monroe and was later covered by artists such as Johnny Cash and the Outlaws.
• Jeannie C. Riley
  • Harper Valley PTA — “Harper Valley PTA” is the Jeannie C. Riley hit about a school meeting scandalized by Mrs. Johnson’s letter calling out the local PTA. Written by Tom T. Hall, it became the first song by a woman to reach number one on both the pop and country charts at the same time.
• Brooks & Dunn — Brooks & Dunn are the country duo known for albums such as Steers & Stripes, Red Dirt Road, and Hillbilly Deluxe. They are also closely associated with the hit “It Won’t Be Christmas Without You” and repeated CMA Vocal Duo of the Year wins.
  • Boot Scootin’ Boogie — “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” is a Brooks & Dunn song that became a huge country hit from the album Brand New Man. Its honky-tonk setting helped inspire a line dance associated with the track.
• Jamey Johnson
  • That Lonesome Song
    • In Color — This Jamey Johnson song won Song of the Year and is about an old picture that brings a life story back into focus.
• Alison Krauss & Union Station
  • Lonely Runs Both Ways — Lonely Runs Both Ways is a 2004 Alison Krauss and Union Station album that won the Grammy for Best Country Album. Its bluegrass material includes “A Living Prayer,” and it was their first studio album in three years.
• Bluegrass bands
  • Hayseed Dixie — Hayseed Dixie is a bluegrass novelty band known for acoustic covers of hard rock and metal songs, especially AC/DC material. Their albums include tributes that recast classic rock songs in a hillbilly style.
• bluegrass music — Bluegrass music is an Appalachian genre associated with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, and later figures such as Jimmy Martin. Its sound is tied to Kentucky and to virtuoso picking on instruments like the banjo and mandolin.
  • Alison Krauss — Bluegrass singer and fiddler who fronted Union Station and recorded her debut as a teenager. Her albums include Too Late to Cry, New Favorite, So Long So Wrong, and the Robert Plant collaboration Raising Sand. She was a child violin prodigy from Illinois, became the youngest member inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and is among the most awarded female artists in Grammy history. Her soundtrack work includes songs from Twister, Happy, Texas, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Bluegrass musicians

  • Bill Monroe — Bill Monroe was the mandolinist and bandleader known as the Father of Bluegrass. He led the Blue Grass Boys and wrote or performed standards such as “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and “Uncle Pen.”}], He led the Blue Grass Boys and wrote or performed standards such as “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and “Uncle Pen.”

  • Earl Scruggs — Earl Scruggs was the pioneering five-string banjo player who helped define bluegrass through his three-finger picking style. He partnered with Lester Flatt in the Foggy Mountain Boys and later led the Earl Scruggs Revue, with signature pieces such as “Earl’s Breakdown” and “Flint Hill Special.”

  • Ricky Skaggs — Ricky Skaggs is a country and bluegrass musician associated with Kentucky Thunder and with early performances alongside Bill Monroe. He had major country hits including “Highway 40 Blues” and “Heartbroke,” and is known for reviving traditional bluegrass sounds.

• Béla Fleck — Béla Fleck is the banjo virtuoso known for blending bluegrass with jazz and leading the Flecktones. His career includes work with New Grass Revival, frequent collaborations with Victor Wooten, and a reputation as one of the instrument’s most decorated modern players.

• mandolinists
  • Chris Thile — Chris Thile is an American mandolin virtuoso associated with Nickel Creek and the Punch Brothers. He has also collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma and Brad Mehldau and appears in the contemporary roots-music world.

• Mark O’Connor — Mark O’Connor is a fiddle virtuoso whose work bridges country, bluegrass, and classical music. He won major CMA honors and recorded the crossover album Appalachian Waltz with Yo-Yo Ma.

• Jim Reeves — Jim Reeves was a country singer associated with the smooth Nashville Sound and remembered for songs like “He’ll Have to Go” and “Four Walls.” He was also a former baseball prospect, and he died in a 1964 plane crash that left him with posthumous hits such as “I Won’t Forget You” and “Distant Drums.”

• Buck Owens — Buck Owens was a country singer and co-host of Hee Haw with Roy Clark. He is associated with songs such as “Act Naturally,” “Together Again,” and “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail,” and with the Buckaroos.

  • Act Naturally — “Act Naturally” is a Buck Owens song best known through the Beatles’ Ringo Starr cover on Help!. Its lyrics joke about becoming a movie star after being cast as the one who looks naturally sad.

  • I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail — “I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail” is a Buck Owens hit written with Harlan Howard. The song uses a tiger metaphor for a trouble that is getting out of hand, with the singer warning that not much will be left when it is through.

• Vicki Lawrence songs
  • The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia — Vicki Lawrence’s 1973 country-pop single about betrayal and murder in a small Southern town. It became her only number-one hit.

• Margaritaville — Margaritaville is Jimmy Buffett’s tropical escape, evoked by the line about being ‘wastin’ away’ in a beach paradise and the place between the Port of Indecision and Southwest of Disorder. The name also appears on consumer products, including a tequila brand.

• Sam Hunt
  • Leave the Night On — “Leave the Night On” is a Sam Hunt country single from Montevallo and the first single released from that album. The song’s lyrics describe staying out all night, with lines about catching a second wind and not having to go home.
• 9 to 5 — “9 to 5” is Dolly Parton’s working-class anthem, originally written for the film of the same name. Sheena Easton’s hit “Morning Train” was retitled from “9 to 5” to avoid confusion with Parton’s song.
  • Nine to Five — “9 to 5” is Dolly Parton’s song about workplace drudgery and the frustrations of office life. The phrase also names a workplace-reform organization whose Office Workers’ Bill of Rights was drawn up in 1973.
• American country singer-songwriters
  • Mary Chapin Carpenter — Mary Chapin Carpenter is the country and folk-influenced singer-songwriter behind albums such as Come On Come On, Stones in the Road, and Shooting Straight in the Dark. Her work made her one of the major female voices in 1990s country music.
• Billy Ray Cyrus — Billy Ray Cyrus is the country singer behind ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ who later starred in the TV series Doc. He is also known as Miley Cyrus’s father and for his crossover success into television and remixes.
  • Achy Breaky Heart — “Achy Breaky Heart” is Billy Ray Cyrus’s 1992 country hit that became a line-dancing staple and his best-known song. Its lyrics play with a string of body-part commands and the repeated warning that the singer’s heart would not understand the rejection.
• Carrie Underwood — American country singer who won American Idol and became a major crossover star. Her hits include Some Hearts, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Before He Cheats,” and “See You Again.” In 2015, World Cup-era profile discussions often centered on her powerhouse vocals and award-winning albums.

  • Blown Away — “Blown Away” is a country-pop song by Carrie Underwood about a storm, an abusive father, and a tornado. The title also names a notorious movie about bomb squad drama and another film remembered for its explosive excess.

  • Some Hearts — Some Hearts is Carrie Underwood’s debut album, released in 2005 and anchored by the hit “Before He Cheats.” Other singles from the album include “Wasted” and the title track, which reflects on the luck and heartbreak of love.

    • Jesus, Take the Wheel — “Jesus, Take the Wheel” is a Carrie Underwood country hit from Some Hearts. Its narrative centers on a woman driving near Cincinnati on Christmas Eve who nearly crashes and asks for divine help.
• Country-pop singers
  • Juice Newton — Juice Newton is a country-pop singer best known for crossover hits such as “Angel of the Morning,” “Queen of Hearts,” and “Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me.” She also recorded “The Sweetest Thing I’ve Ever Known” and had an early band called Silver Spur after fronting Dixie Peach.
    • Queen of Hearts — “Queen of Hearts” is the song made famous by Juice Newton, who took it into country-pop territory. The Queen of Hearts is also the Wonderland monarch who orders executions and is served by playing cards.
  • Kacey Musgraves — Kacey Musgraves is a country-pop singer-songwriter whose albums include Same Trailer Different Park, Golden Hour, and Deeper Well. She won the 2018 Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Golden Hour. Her songs include “Follow Your Arrow,” “Merry Go ’Round,” “Butterflies,” “Slow Burn,” and “I Miss You.” She also performed a tribute to Dolly Parton at the 2016 Country Music Awards.

• Delta Dawn — “Delta Dawn” is a country-pop song about a woman in Brownsville who still waits for the man who promised to marry her. The title figure is remembered as a faded, suitcase-carrying beauty queen, and the song became a hit for Tanya Tucker and Helen Reddy.

• Lorrie Morgan
  • Something in Red — “Something in Red” is a Lorrie Morgan country song built around a repeated request for a striking red outfit. Its verses move from a strapless sequined dress to matching shoes and purse, then to a wedding dress and finally a tiny baby’s outfit.

• Luke Bryan — Luke Bryan is the country singer behind songs like “Country Girl (Shake It for Me),” “That’s My Kind of Night,” and “Kick the Dust Up.” His releases also include a series of spring break EPs and the album Doing My Thing.

• Maddie & Tae
  • “Girl in a Country Song” — “Girl in a Country Song” is a Maddie & Tae single that criticizes bro-country. Its lyrics push back on the way women are portrayed in the genre, especially in trucks and other country-song clichés.
• Sammy Johns
  • Chevy Van — “Chevy Van” is a 1973 Sammy Johns song about a brief encounter in the title vehicle. The song’s narrator drops the passenger off in a small town after the encounter.
• Country singer-songwriters
  • Brad Paisley — Brad Paisley is a country singer-songwriter from Glen Dale, West Virginia. His hits include “We Danced,” “Mud on the Tires,” “Ticks,” “Then,” “Alcohol,” and “Welcome to the Future,” and his work also includes “Whiskey Lullaby,” his debut album Who Needs Pictures, and the album American Saturday Night. He has won multiple CMA Male Vocalist awards and has collaborated with artists including Dolly Parton and Keith Urban.
    • Accidental Racist — “Accidental Racist” is a 2013 song by Brad Paisley featuring LL Cool J. It became notorious for its clumsy attempt to address race relations in America and was widely mocked and parodied after release.

  • Carolyn Dawn Johnson — Carolyn Dawn Johnson is a Canadian country singer-songwriter who first drew attention after co-writing Chely Wright’s hit “Single White Female.” Her own debut album, Room with a View, produced songs such as “Complicated” and “Georgia.”

  • John Prine — John Prine was an American folk and country singer-songwriter known for sharp, humane storytelling and dry humor. His debut album included songs such as “Sam Stone,” “Paradise,” and “Angel from Montgomery.”

  • Lyle Lovett — Lyle Lovett is a Texas singer-songwriter known for country, folk, and Americana songs such as “If I Had a Boat” and “Cowboy Man.” He won Grammy attention, toured with his Large Band, and briefly married Julia Roberts.
    • Joshua Judges Ruth — Joshua, Judges, and Ruth are the three consecutive books of the Bible that form an English sentence. Lyle Lovett used that sequence as the title of an album.
  • Townes Van Zandt — Townes Van Zandt was a Texas singer-songwriter closely associated with stark, melancholy country writing. He is known for songs such as “Pancho and Lefty,” and his life and career were later revisited in the documentary Be Here to Love Me. His name can also appear in rock-style clue sets as a composer or performer referenced by title-only prompts.
    • “Pancho and Lefty” — “Pancho and Lefty” is a Townes Van Zandt song about a Mexican bandit and the companion who betrays him. Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson made the song especially familiar through a popular cover version.
• Country songs
  • Stays in Mexico — “Stays in Mexico” is a Toby Keith country song about a brief border-crossing romance between Steve and Gina. Its story includes a cantina meeting, a morning phone call home, a swim, and an airport farewell.
• Shel Silverstein
  • 25 Minutes to Go — This Shel Silverstein song follows the last minutes of a condemned man as he counts down to execution. Johnny Cash performed it on Live at Folsom Prison, where its grim prison-ballad refrain made it especially memorable.
• Bluegrass singers
  • Dan Tyminski — Dan Tyminski is a bluegrass singer and guitarist associated with Alison Krauss and Union Station. He is known for providing the vocals associated with “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” and for appearing on Avicii’s “Hey Brother.”
• Country singers

  • Alan Jackson — Alan Jackson is a country singer known for songs such as “Chattahoochee,” “Remember When,” and “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” His career is associated with albums like Don’t Rock the Jukebox and A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ’Bout Love), as well as the duet “Murder on Music Row.”

  • Blake Shelton — Blake Shelton is a country singer and television coach known for hits like “Austin,” “Honey Bee,” and “God Gave Me You.” He has also released the song “Corn,” appeared on The Voice, and is married to Gwen Stefani.

  • Boxcar Willie — Boxcar Willie was the country singer born Lecil Martin who adopted a hobo persona for his stage act. He recorded railroad-themed country songs, worked as a DJ, and appeared on shows like Hee Haw and the Grand Ole Opry.

  • Charley Pride — Charley Pride was a landmark African American country singer and a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He became one of RCA’s biggest stars after Chet Atkins heard his demo, and he was the second African-American member inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. His best-known songs include “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone?”, “Kiss an Angel Good Morning,” and “All I Have to Offer You Is Me.”

  • Charlie Rich — Charlie Rich was a country singer known as the Silver Fox and for hits like “Behind Closed Doors” and “The Most Beautiful Girl.” He drew attention at the 1975 Country Music Awards by burning the envelope announcing John Denver as Entertainer of the Year.

  • Chris Stapleton — Chris Stapleton is a soul-influenced country singer whose breakout recording was “Tennessee Whiskey.” His later work includes songs like “Broken Halos,” “White Horse,” and tracks from the albums From a Room and Higher.

  • Clint Black — Clint Black is a country singer associated with songs like “Killin’ Time,” “No Time to Kill,” and “Better Man.” He also appeared in Maverick and was married to actress Lisa Hartman.

  • Conway Twitty — Conway Twitty was the country singer born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, famous for a huge run of number-one hits such as Hello Darlin’ and Tight Fittin’ Jeans. He was a major showman in country music and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Questions about him often emphasize that he had more number-one songs than any other musician for a time and that his stage name came from towns in Texas and Arkansas. He remains a standard clue for classic country.

  • Crystal Gayle — Crystal Gayle is the country singer and younger sister of Loretta Lynn known for the crossover hit “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” She is also famous for her exceptionally long hair.

  • Darius Rucker — Darius Rucker is the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish who later launched a successful country solo career. His solo hits include “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” “Alright,” and “Wagon Wheel,” after the band’s breakout success with Cracked Rear View.
    • Albums
      • Learn to Live — Learn to Live is Darius Rucker’s first solo country album, released in 2008. It produced crossover singles including “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” “It Won’t Be Like This for Long,” and “Alright.”
  • David Allan Coe — David Allan Coe is an outlaw country singer and songwriter best known for “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” and “The Ride.” His persona and songs made him a cult figure in country music, along with material that pushed the boundaries of the genre’s sensibilities.

    • Take This Job and Shove It — “Take This Job and Shove It” is a country song written by David Allan Coe and made famous by Johnny Paycheck. The song inspired a 1981 film about a brewery, starring Robert Hays and Art Carney.

    • You Never Even Called Me By My Name — “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” is a country novelty song performed by David Allan Coe and written by Steve Goodman. Goodman later added a final verse that supplied the self-parodying “perfect country and western song” formula.

  • Dwight Yoakam — Dwight Yoakam is a country singer associated with the Bakersfield sound, known for albums like Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. and Hillbilly Deluxe. He also had acting roles in films like Sling Blade and Panic Room, and scored hits such as “Streets of Bakersfield” and “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere.”

  • Eddie Rabbitt — Eddie Rabbitt was a country-pop singer-songwriter and country singer whose hits included “I Love a Rainy Night,” “Drivin’ My Life Away,” and “Every Which Way But Loose.” He first broke through as a songwriter when Elvis Presley recorded “Kentucky Rain,” was also associated with “American Boy,” and had numerous number-one hits. He died of lung cancer in 1998 at age 56.

  • Faith Hill — Faith Hill is a country singer married to Tim McGraw and the daughter-in-law of Tug McGraw. Her early success included albums that sold in the millions and songs such as “This Kiss,” making her a major 1990s crossover country act.
    • Faith
      • Everywhere — “Everywhere” is a country-pop song associated with Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. It was a major hit for the pair and appears on a 1997 release.
    • This Kiss — “This Kiss” is a 1998 crossover hit by Faith Hill, built around the ecstatic feeling of a kiss that is described as irresistible and almost illicit.
  • George Jones — George Jones was the country singer known as ‘The Possum,’ famous for songs such as ‘White Lightning,’ ‘The Grand Tour,’ and ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today.’ He also had a long, turbulent career and was closely associated with Tammy Wynette. A common clue is that he struggled with addiction and was once placed in a mental hospital.

    • He Stopped Loving Her Today — “He Stopped Loving Her Today” is a George Jones country ballad about a man who keeps loving an old flame even after death. Written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman, it became one of the most celebrated country songs of all time and won major awards around 1980.

    • White Lightning — “White Lightning” is a song associated with George Jones and also the title of a 1973 Burt Reynolds film about a moonshine ring.

  • George Strait — An American country singer known as the King of Country. He joined the Ace in the Hole Band before signing with MCA, and his long run of number-one singles helped him surpass earlier chart records. His best-known songs include “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” “Amarillo by Morning,” and “Give It All We Got Tonight,” which did not become his 60th chart-topper.

    • All My Ex’s Live in Texas — All My Ex’s Live in Texas is a George Strait country hit from Ocean Front Property in which he jokes about former lovers forcing him to live elsewhere. The song was written by Whitey Shafer, who described it as a true story with altered names.

    • All My Exes Live in Texas — “All My Exes Live in Texas” is a George Strait country song from the album Ocean Front Property. Its narrator explains that his former lovers are scattered across Texas while he now lives in Tennessee.

  • Hank Williams Jr. — Hank Williams Jr. is the country singer and son of Hank Williams, remembered for songs like “Family Tradition,” “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound,” and “A Country Boy Can Survive,” and for singing the Monday Night Football theme. He is known for his distinctive stage persona with sunglasses. “Bocephus” is the nickname Hank Williams Sr. gave his son, Hank Williams Jr., and it is also used as a familiar country-music reference in later songs and jokes.

  • Hank Williams, Sr. — Hank Williams Sr. was the iconic country singer behind ‘Lovesick Blues,’ ‘Hey Good Lookin’,’ and ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart.’ Known for hard living and alcoholism, he was fired from the Grand Ole Opry and died young in 1953.

  • Jason Aldean — Jason Aldean is a country singer from Georgia known for songs such as Dirt Road Anthem, Big Green Tractor, and Fly Over States. He records for Broken Bow and has been associated with a more rock-leaning country sound. He has also been linked with Duck Commander and the Buck Commander brand.

  • Jimmy Dean — Jimmy Dean was a country singer and actor best known for ‘Big Bad John.’ He also founded the Jimmy Dean sausage brand and appeared in Diamonds Are Forever as Willard Whyte.

  • Johnny Horton — Johnny Horton was a country singer nicknamed the Singing Fisherman, a nod to his early work in Alaska and his fishing-industry background. He recorded swaggering historical hits like “The Battle of New Orleans,” “North to Alaska,” and “Sink the Bismarck,” and died in a 1960 car crash after a concert in Austin.

  • Keith Urban — Keith Urban is an Australian-American country singer who moved to Australia young and later became known for hits like “Somebody Like You.” His albums include Be Here and Defying Gravity, and quizbowl clues often tie him to “Raining on Sunday,” “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” and his marriage to Nicole Kidman.

  • Kenny Chesney — Kenny Chesney is a country singer known for songs like “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,” “How Forever Feels,” and “The Good Stuff.” Quiz clues about him often note his rise in the late 1990s with No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems and his brief marriage to Renée Zellweger.
    • When the Sun Goes Down — When the Sun Goes Down is Kenny Chesney’s country hit and album title track, featuring a duet with Uncle Kracker.

  • Lee Ann Womack — Lee Ann Womack is a country singer known for the hit “I Hope You Dance” and an earlier number one with “The Fool.” She emerged as a major late-1990s Nashville artist and won recognition as a female star of tomorrow.

  • Maren Morris — Maren Morris is an American country singer-songwriter whose breakout hit was “My Church.” She later crossed over into pop and mainstream collaborations with songs like “The Middle,” “The Bones,” and “80s Mercedes.”

  • Marie Osmond — Marie Osmond is a singer and television personality from the Osmond family who co-hosted Donny & Marie with her brother Donny. She was a first female artist to reach number one on the Billboard country singles chart with a debut single, co-founded the Children’s Miracle Network, and became widely associated with her Las Vegas act and QVC appearances.

  • Martina McBride — Martina McBride is a country singer known for crossover hits and socially conscious songs such as “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing,” and “Concrete Angel.” She released her first album, The Time Has Come, and later won repeated CMA Female Vocalist of the Year honors.

  • Mason Ramsey — Mason Ramsey is the young country singer who became famous after a Walmart yodeling video went viral. He later appeared on official remixes of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and built a career on that sudden burst of internet attention.

  • Merle Ronald Haggard — Merle Ronald Haggard was a major country singer-songwriter associated with Bakersfield country and outlaw country. His best-known songs include “Okie from Muskogee,” “Swinging Doors,” “Branded Man,” “Mama Tried,” and “If We Make It Through December.” His song “Irma Jackson” was suppressed by his record company, and he later recorded the album Last of the Breed. He was also noted for defending dissenting musicians and for later albums of spiritual and duet material.

  • Miranda Lambert — American country singer who broke out through Nashville Star and became a major contemporary country artist. Her albums Kerosene and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend produced hits including “Me and Charlie Talkin’,” “Gunpowder & Lead,” and “White Liar.” She is also known for “Mama’s Broken Heart,” was previously married to Blake Shelton, and has recorded tribute material associated with classic country songwriting.

  • Morgan Wallen — Morgan Wallen is a country singer who first gained notice on The Voice and later broke through with songs such as “Whiskey Glasses” and “More Than My Hometown.” His career was briefly disrupted in 2021 after a video surfaced of him using a racial slur, even as his album sales increased afterward.
    • Last Night — “Last Night” is a recent hit by Morgan Wallen, and the phrase also appears in songs by The Smiths and the Strokes. The title can refer to the previous night, often used in lyric prompts and song titles.

  • Natalie Maines — Natalie Maines is the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, and she became a target of conservative backlash after saying she was ashamed to be from the same state as George W. Bush. She later released the solo album Mother and is also known for guest work and for following in her father’s musical footsteps.

  • Otis Dewey “Slim” Whitman, Jr. — Slim Whitman, born Otis Dewey Whitman Jr., was a country singer known for his yodeling and for songs such as Indian Love Call and Keep It a Secret. He also became known for television marketing of his albums and for the widely repeated claim that his singing helped repel Martians in Mars Attacks.

  • Reba McEntire — Reba McEntire is a country singer and actress who starred in a WB sitcom and appeared in films such as Tremors and North. Her hits include “Fancy” and “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.”

  • Ronnie Milsap — Ronnie Milsap is a blind country singer from Robbinsville, North Carolina, known for a long run of chart-topping hits. Songs such as “Smoky Mountain Rain,” “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me,” and “Stranger in My House” are among his best-known recordings.

  • Roy Acuff — Roy Acuff was a Grand Ole Opry star and fiddler known as the “Caruso of Mountain Music.” He led the Smoky Mountain Boys and popularized songs such as “The Great Speckled Bird” and “The Wabash Cannonball.” He also ran as the Republican candidate for governor of Tennessee in 1948.

  • Sara Evans — Sara Evans is a country singer whose hits include “I Could Not Ask for More,” “Every Little Kiss,” and “Cheatin’.” Her albums Born to Fly and Restless helped establish her as a mainstream country artist, and she also appeared on Dancing with the Stars.

  • Tammy Wynette — Tammy Wynette was a major country singer known as the “First Lady of Country Music.” She is best remembered for “Stand By Your Man” and for hits such as “Golden Ring” and “D-I-V-O-R-C-E.” Her career and personal life were also tied to her marriage to George Jones and later collaboration with The KLF.
    • Stand By Your Man — “Stand by Your Man” is Tammy Wynette’s signature country song, opening with advice about loving and supporting a difficult man. It appears in films such as Five Easy Pieces and GoldenEye, and it was famously performed by the Blues Brothers in The Blues Brothers.

  • Terri Clark — Terri Clark is a Canadian country singer who grew up in Alberta before moving to Nashville. She is known for songs such as “Better Things to Do,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” and “Girls Lie Too.”

  • Toby Keith — Toby Keith is an Oklahoma country singer known for the hits “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” and “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” He was a two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, briefly played football in Oklahoma City, and became associated with patriotic, jingoistic country songs.

    • Beer for My Horses — “Beer for My Horses” is the Toby Keith and Willie Nelson country duet about punishing criminals and raising a toast to justice. It also gave its title to a western film adaptation starring Keith and Rodney Carrington.

    • Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue — “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” is Toby Keith’s 2002 pro-war country song subtitled “The Angry American.” Its lyrics invoke Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty as symbols of American retaliation.

  • Trisha Yearwood — Trisha Yearwood is a country singer who became one of the genre’s major mainstream voices in the 1990s through hit recordings and award success. She is known for “She’s in Love with the Boy” and duets with Garth Brooks such as “In Another’s Eyes.” She won the 1997 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year and received Grammy recognition for “How Do I Live,” for which she had a competing hit version.

  • Vince Gill — Vince Gill is a country singer and guitarist who was once asked to join Dire Straits. He also performed with Pure Prairie League, won major country Grammys, and became a Grand Ole Opry member.

  • Waylon Arnold Jennings — Waylon Jennings was an outlaw country singer known for his deep, rebellious style and for helping define the outlaw country movement. He played the Balladeer on The Dukes of Hazzard, sang “Good Ol’ Boys,” and was Buddy Holly’s bassist before giving up his seat on the plane that crashed near Clear Lake.

  • Wynonna — Wynonna is a country singer who found major success after leaving her family group, the Judds. A clue to her identity is a song that hit number one on the country charts in early 1996.

  • Darryl Worley — Darryl Worley is a country singer from Tennessee who rose to success with songs like “When You Need Love” and albums such as Hard Rain Don’t Last and I Miss My Friend. He is also associated with the patriotic hit “Have You Forgotten.”

  • Deana Carter — American country singer best known for “Strawberry Wine” and “We Danced Anyway.” Her debut album Did I Shave My Legs for This? made her a notable mid-1990s country star, and she was known for performing barefoot. She was named after Dean Martin, which explains the pronunciation of her first name.
    • Did I Shave My Legs for This? — Did I Shave My Legs for This? is Deana Carter’s 1995 debut album, best known for the hit single “Strawberry Wine.” Its title comes from a song about a woman frustrated by a shabby domestic life and failed romance.

  • Marty Robbins — Marty Robbins was a country singer best known for “El Paso” and “A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation).” He was named the Academy of Country Music’s Artist of the Decade for the 1960s.

  • Orville Peck — Orville Peck is a masked Canadian country singer known for keeping his identity private and performing in a Lone Ranger-style fringe mask. His albums include Bronco and Stampede, and he recorded a duet version of “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other.”

  • Shelby Lynne — Shelby Lynne is an American singer who won the Grammy for Best New Artist after having recorded for years before that award. She is associated with the 2001 hit “Killin’ Kind,” from the alt-country side of her career.

  • Trace Adkins — Trace Adkins is a country singer known for songs including “Every Light in the House,” “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing,” and “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.” His career includes albums such as Dreamin’ Out Loud and Chrome, and he is also known for his deep voice and outspoken politics.
    • Honky Tonk Badonkadonk — Honky Tonk Badonkadonk is Trace Adkins’s novelty country hit built around admiring a woman’s rear end. Its lyrics include the lines about it being ‘so hard not to stare’ and ‘going on like Donkey Kong.’
  • Tracy Byrd — Tracy Byrd is a country singer behind songs such as “Keeper of the Stars,” “Watermelon Crawl,” and “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo.” He first broke through in the 1990s and later released albums including No Ordinary Man and The Truth About Men.
• Gretchen Wilson — Gretchen Wilson is the country singer behind ‘Redneck Woman’ and ‘Here for the Party,’ and she later joined the Muzik Mafia. Her rise came from working in bars before moving to Nashville and getting noticed by John Rich.

  • Here for the Party — Here for the Party is Gretchen Wilson’s album featuring “Redneck Woman” and the title track as singles. Its title song presents the singer as arriving to have a good time and not leaving until she is thrown out.

  • Redneck Woman — “Redneck Woman” is Gretchen Wilson’s 2004 country hit about a proud working-class woman who likes Charlie Daniels and buys lingerie at Wal-Mart. The song became a major crossover success and reached the top of country and download charts.

• Luke Combs — Luke Combs is the country singer known for “Beautiful Crazy” and for a 2023 cover of “Fast Car” that reached the top tier of the Billboard Hot 100. His 2020 deluxe album What You See Ain’t Always What You Get followed the earlier What You See Is What You Get.

• Big & Rich — Big & Rich is a country duo made up of Big Kenny and John Rich, formerly associated with Lonestar and the Muzik Mafia. They are best known for “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),” along with songs such as “Comin’ to Your City” and “Lost in This Moment.”

• Country bands

  • Lonestar — Lonestar is a country band that crossed over to pop success with songs such as “Amazed,” “I’m Already There,” and “Smile.” The group was originally called Texassee and included Richie McDonald, John Rich, Dean Sams, Michael Britt, and Keech Rainwater.

  • Rascal Flatts — Rascal Flatts is a contemporary country trio known for polished harmonies and major crossover hits. Their best-known songs include ‘Bless the Broken Road,’ ‘What Hurts the Most,’ ‘Mayberry,’ and their cover of ‘Life Is a Highway’ from Cars.

  • Zac Brown Band — Zac Brown Band is an American country group led by Zac Brown. Their hits include “Chicken Fried,” “Toes,” and “As She’s Walking Away,” and their songs mix Southern imagery with radio-friendly country rock.

    • Chicken Fried — “Chicken Fried” is a Zac Brown Band song whose chorus celebrates simple pleasures like fried chicken, cold beer, and jeans that fit just right. It drew attention again after an Applebee’s advertisement used it during CNN coverage of the invasion of Ukraine.
• Country duos

  • Sweethearts of the Rodeo — Sweethearts of the Rodeo is the country duo of Janis Gill and Kristine Arnold. They are known for hits like “Since I Found You,” “Chains of Gold,” and “Midnight Girl/Sunset Town.”

  • The Judds — The Judds were the mother-daughter country duo of Naomi and Wynonna Judd, known for hits such as “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Why Not Me,” and “Love Can Build a Bridge.” They rose to major success in the 1980s before Naomi’s health problems forced the act to end.

• Country groups

  • Diamond Rio — Diamond Rio is a country band formed as the Tennessee River Boys, with members including Marty Roe, Jimmy Olander, and Gene Johnson. They broke through with “Meet in the Middle” and followed with hits like “Mirror, Mirror” and “Norma Jean Riley.”

  • Lady Antebellum — Lady Antebellum is the country trio of Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, and Hillary Scott. Their best-known songs include “Need You Now,” “I Run to You,” and “American Honey,” which made them a major crossover act in the late 2000s and 2010s.

    • American Honey — “American Honey” is a country crossover song associated with a nostalgic, summer-tinged portrait of youth and sweet-tasting freedom. It was recorded by Lady Antebellum and later gave its title to Andrea Arnold’s road film about a magazine-selling crew.

    • Need You Now — “Need You Now” is a Lady Antebellum hit built around a late-night call to an ex-lover and the repeated line about it being a quarter after one. The song was one of the group’s biggest singles and followed “I Run to You.”

• Country musicians

  • Glen Campbell — Glen Campbell was a country singer and guitarist known for ‘Rhinestone Cowboy,’ ‘Wichita Lineman,’ ‘Galveston,’ and ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix.’ He also appeared in True Grit and became a familiar Branson performer.

  • Roy Clark — Roy Clark was a country musician and entertainer who co-hosted Hee Haw with Buck Owens. He also had crossover visibility through television appearances, hit songs, and his role as a prominent country performer in the 1960s through the early 1990s.

  • Tim McGraw — Tim McGraw is a country singer and actor married to Faith Hill. His breakthrough album Not a Moment Too Soon featured hits like “Indian Outlaw” and “Don’t Take the Girl,” and he is also known for “Live Like You Were Dying.” He is the son of Tug McGraw and appeared in The Blind Side, Friday Night Lights, and Country Strong.

• Country rock
  • The Flying Burrito Brothers — The Flying Burrito Brothers were a pioneering country-rock band formed by Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman after their Byrds era. They are closely associated with The Gilded Palace of Sin, Nudie suits decorated with marijuana leaves, and early versions of songs like “Christine’s Tune” and “Wild Horses.”
• Country vocal groups
  • The Statler Brothers — The Statler Brothers were a country vocal group best known for “Flowers on the Wall” and for appearing on a TNN variety show. Though they were billed as brothers, only Don and Harold Reid were actually related, and Jimmy Fortune later replaced Lew DeWitt.
• Country-pop duos
  • The Kinleys — The Kinleys were twin sisters from Philadelphia best known for the country-pop single “Somebody’s Out There Watching.” Their name is also associated with “Just Between You and Me,” another of their recognizable songs.
• Country-rock bands
  • The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band — The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is the country-rock group known for Mr. Bojangles and the collaborative Will the Circle Be Unbroken albums.
• Joe Diffie — Joe Diffie was a country singer known for hits like “Pickup Man,” “Third Rock From the Sun,” and “Bigger Than the Beatles.” His style mixed humor with honky-tonk and novelty-country themes.
  • “John Deere Green” — “John Deere Green” is a Joe Diffie country song about a young man who paints a love message on a water tower. Its title refers to the farm-equipment brand’s distinctive green color.

• Johnny Paycheck — Johnny Paycheck was an outlaw country singer born Donald Lytle, best known for “Take This Job and Shove It.” He worked as a backup singer for George Jones before striking out on his own and later became identified with hard-living, blue-collar themes. Other clues mention prison time and songs that parody his persona.

• Junior Brown — Junior Brown is an alternative country singer-songwriter known for his deep voice and his self-invented “guit-steel,” a hybrid of guitar and steel guitar. His best-known songs include “My Wife Thinks You’re Dead,” “Highway Patrol,” and “Venom Wearin’ Denim.”

• Kellie Pickler — Kellie Pickler is a country singer and former American Idol contestant who finished sixth on the show before joining the tour. She released songs including “Red High Heels,” “Small Town Girl,” “Wild Ponies,” and “Best Days of Your Life,” and her debut album included “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful.”

• Kenny Rogers
  • Songs
    • Coward of the County — “Coward of the County” is a Kenny Rogers song about Tommy, a man urged by his father to avoid violence. After Becky is assaulted by the Gatlin boys, he exacts revenge in a barroom fight, and the chorus repeats that he does not need to fight to prove he is a man.
• Lee Greenwood — Lee Greenwood is the country singer best known for “God Bless the USA,” the patriotic anthem that gained wide play during the Persian Gulf War. He also had country hits such as “Dixie Road” and “Hearts Aren’t Made to Break,” and he won a Country Music Award for Song of the Year for “God Bless the USA.”
  • God Bless the USA — “God Bless the USA” is Lee Greenwood’s patriotic country song, famous for its chorus about being proud to be American. It surged in popularity during the Gulf War, after September 11, and again during the Iraq War.

• Neko Case — Neko Case is an alt-country singer and songwriter known for her solo work and for singing with the New Pornographers. Her albums include The Virginian, Furnace Room Lullaby, The Tigers Have Spoken, and Middle Cyclone.

• Randy Travis — Randy Travis is a country singer associated with major hits like “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “Deeper Than the Holler,” and “Three Wooden Crosses.” He first broke through with Storms of Life and later turned increasingly toward gospel material such as Rise and Shine and Worship and Faith.

• Redneck Yacht Club — “Redneck Yacht Club” is a Craig Morgan country song about an improvised party flotilla with no dues or sign-up. Its imagery includes bass boats, party barges, and a “floating trailer park.”

• Richard “Kinky” Friedman — Richard “Kinky” Friedman was a Texas country singer, satirist, author, and mystery novelist who led the Texas Jewboys. He became known for novelty songs, political campaigns, humorous books about Texas culture, and a string of detective novels featuring himself as the protagonist, including the fictional detective Kinky Friedman.

• Shaboozey — Shaboozey is an American singer-songwriter associated with contemporary country and pop crossover success. He broke through with 2024 material including Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going and the hit “A Bar Song,” which interpolates J-Kwon’s “Tipsy.” He has also collaborated with Beyoncé and Linda Martell on Cowboy Carter.

• SheDaisy — SheDaisy is a country trio made up of the Osborn sisters, best known for harmony-driven songs such as “Little Goodbyes” and “Come Home Soon.” The group started performing as children and later found success after moving to Nashville.

• Son Volt — Son Volt is an alt-country band formed by Jay Farrar after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo. Its best-known albums include Trace, Straightaways, and Wide Swing Tremolo.

• Stephen Fain Earle — Stephen Fain Earle is an American alt-country/country singer-songwriter known for songs such as “Copperhead Road,” “Guitar Town,” and “The Revolution Starts Now.” He also drew attention for the post-9/11 song “John Walker’s Blues,” honored Townes Van Zandt with “Fort Worth Blues,” and acted on The Wire.
  • Copperhead Road — “Copperhead Road” is a Steve Earle song about a Tennessee backroad and a family of moonshiners, framed by Vietnam-era and backwoods outlaw imagery. It later became one of Tennessee’s state songs.

• Sugarland — Sugarland is a Georgia country duo centered on Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush after Kristen Hall’s departure. They are known for songs such as “Baby Girl” and for their collaboration with Jon Bon Jovi on “Who Says You Can’t Go Home.”

• Take Me Home, Country Roads — “Take Me Home, Country Roads” is a John Denver song celebrating West Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. It later became one of West Virginia’s official state songs and opens with the line “Almost heaven, West Virginia.”

• The Charlie Daniels Band — The Charlie Daniels Band is the country and southern rock group best known for “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” The song tells of a fiddle contest between a young Georgia virtuoso and Satan.

• The Devil Went Down to Georgia — “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” is a Charlie Daniels Band song about Johnny challenging the Devil to a fiddling contest for a golden fiddle. Its signature frantic instrumental break and references to songs like “The House of the Rising Sun” helped make it a country-rock staple.

• The Dixie Chicks — The Dixie Chicks are a Texas country trio led by Natalie Maines with sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer. They are known for songs like “Wide Open Spaces,” “Goodbye Earl,” and their cover of “Landslide,” and for albums such as Wide Open Spaces, Home, and Taking the Long Way. They became famous for the political controversy sparked by Maines’s comments about George W. Bush and later recorded “Not Ready to Make Nice.”

  • Goodbye Earl — “Goodbye Earl” is a Dixie Chicks song about Mary Anne and Wanda, two friends who kill Wanda’s abusive husband. The story ends with the women running a roadside stand after the crime.

  • Taking the Long Way — Taking the Long Way is a 2006 Dixie Chicks album produced by Rick Rubin. It includes “Not Ready to Make Nice” and “Lullaby.”

  • White Trash Wedding — “White Trash Wedding” is a Dixie Chicks song about a wedding the singer views as a low-budget, socially disapproved union.

  • Wide Open Spaces — “Wide Open Spaces” is the Dixie Chicks title track that became one of the group’s signature songs. Its lyrics tell the story of a daughter leaving home for independence, with parents urging her onward despite the emotional goodbye.

• Travis Tritt — Travis Tritt is a country singer known for hits such as “Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares),” “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’,” and “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.” He sang the Devil in the 1993 sequel “The Devil Comes Back to Georgia,” and another of his notable songs is “Best of Intentions.”}], He sang the Devil in the 1993 sequel “The Devil Comes Back to Georgia,” and another of his notable songs is “Best of Intentions.”

• Whiskeytown — Whiskeytown was a North Carolina alt-country band fronted by Ryan Adams. Their best-known releases include Faithless Street, Stranger’s Almanac, and the post-breakup album Pneumonia.

• Wilco — Wilco is an American alternative country and rock band led by Jeff Tweedy. Their acclaimed albums include Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and A Ghost Is Born, and they also collaborated with Billy Bragg on the Merle Haggard-based Mermaid Avenue project. The band grew out of the breakup of Uncle Tupelo and became a major critical favorite in the 2000s. Their songs include “Box Full of Letters” and “Jesus, Etc.”, and they are the subject of the documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.
  • Yankee Hotel Foxtrot — Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a 2002 Wilco album that includes “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” “Jesus, etc.,” and “Kamera.” Its troubled release history and critical reputation made it one of the band’s best-known records.
• Willis Alan Ramsey
  • Muskrat Love — “Muskrat Love” is a novelty pop song originally written by Willis Alan Ramsey and later covered by America and by Captain and Tennille. Its playful lyrics describe the rodents’ courtship, including jitterbugging and twirling.
• Wynonna Judd
  • Come Some Rainy Day — This Wynonna Judd single is built around nostalgia for a girl’s childhood memories and first love before the title event arrives. The song’s chorus reflects on dreams set aside and asks when that title weather pattern will finally come.

• Alabama — This is the country group fronted by Randy Owen, with Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry, and Mark Herndon as the other named members. It is Alabama, a major hitmaking band often identified by its core lineup rather than a single song title.

• Alt-country bands
  • The Jayhawks — The Jayhawks are a Minneapolis alt-country band led by Mark Olson and Gary Louris. Their albums include Hollywood Town Hall, Tomorrow the Green Grass, Sound of Lies, Smile, and Rainy Day Music.
• Alt-country singer-songwriters
  • Ryan Adams — Ryan Adams is an alt-country singer-songwriter who fronted Whiskeytown before launching a solo career. He wrote “When the Stars Go Blue” and released a track-for-track cover of Taylor Swift’s 1989.
• Alternative country bands
  • Cowboy Junkies — Cowboy Junkies are a Canadian alt-country band fronted by the softly sung vocals of Margo Timmins. They are known for their stripped-down version of the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” and albums such as The Trinity Session, Pale Sun Crescent Moon, Open, and 200 Miles.
• C. W. McCall
  • Convoy — “Convoy” is the C. W. McCall novelty song about a rebel trucker convoy led by Rubber Duck and Pig Pen. Its lyrics describe a cross-country run that turns into a sprawling traffic-evading spectacle and later inspired a 1978 film. The song became a crossover country hit in the 1970s.

• Cowboy — A cowboy is the American cattle herder often invoked in Western imagery and country music. The word also appears in old-time pool variants and in nicknames for politicians. Questions may also use cowboy to refer to a carom pool game or to a style associated with George Strait and similar country performers. It is a broad clue word with both cultural and sporting uses.

• Midland — Midland is a Canadian country music group known for songs such as “Drinkin’ Problem,” “Burn Out,” and “Cheatin’ Songs.” Their album Stages shares its name with a notorious Kingston nightclub.

• Music executives

  • Tommy Mottola — Tommy Mottola is a music executive who became head of Sony Music and later served as its president and CEO. He was also married to Mariah Carey and had earlier managed artists including Hall and Oates.

  • Clive Davis — Clive Davis is a major record executive who rose through Columbia Records and later founded Arista Records. He is associated with signing artists such as Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, and Alicia Keys.

  • Simon Cowell — Simon Cowell is the British music executive and television judge known for his blunt criticism on American Idol and The X Factor. Before television fame, he worked in record labels and helped launch acts such as Westlife and the Teletubbies into the charts.

• music industry — The music industry includes record labels, publishers, and the companies targeted by disputes over payola, explicit lyrics, and copyright enforcement. It also produced the parental advisory sticker era and the loudness-war culture of modern recordings.

  • Arista Records — Arista Records is the label Clive Davis founded in 1974 after leaving Columbia. Its name comes from a high school honor society, and Davis later left it to found J Records.

  • Cash Money Records — Cash Money Records is a New Orleans rap label founded by Birdman and Slim that first broke nationally with the Hot Boys. It is strongly associated with Lil Wayne, Juvenile, and B.G., and later became embroiled in disputes over Tha Carter V.

  • Columbia Records — Columbia Records is the American label associated with classical Masterworks releases and major jazz recordings by artists such as Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis. It also issued notable classical recordings such as the Nathan Milstein performance used for an early 12-inch LP.

  • Curb Records — Curb Records is a Nashville-based country music label known for artists such as Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, Hank Williams Jr., and Sawyer Brown. It has also issued recordings by a wide range of other country and contemporary Christian performers.

  • Def Jam — Def Jam is the record label founded by Russell Simmons that released early rap acts such as Run-DMC and LL Cool J. It also lends its name to a fighting-game series featuring musicians and performers like Ghostface Killah and Ice-T.

  • Def Jam Recordings — Def Jam Recordings is a major hip-hop and R&B label founded with Rick Rubin in the 1980s. Its roster has included artists such as Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Iggy Azalea, and Justin Bieber.

  • ECM — ECM is a German record label known for cleanly produced jazz releases and for Manfred Eicher’s restrained aesthetic. Its catalog includes The Köln Concert and a New Series that issued works by John Adams, Steve Reich, and Arvo Pärt.

  • Fueled by Ramen — Fueled by Ramen is a Gainesville-based record label founded by John Janick and Vinnie Fiorello. It is associated with artists and acts such as Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and twenty øne piløts.

  • Interscope — Interscope is a record label associated with artists such as Tupac Shakur, Nine Inch Nails, No Doubt, and Primus. It became notorious during controversies over gangsta rap and later became part of the Geffen/MCA orbit.

  • Matador — Matador is the New York independent record label founded in 1989 that released bands such as Pavement, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Belle & Sebastian, Interpol, Cat Power, Liz Phair, Superchunk, and Spoon. Matador is also the title of Pedro Almodóvar’s 1986 film about a former bullfighter and a criminal defense lawyer who become murderers.

  • Matador Records — Matador Records is an independent record label associated with artists such as Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Interpol, and The New Pornographers. It is one of the best-known U.S. indie labels of the 1990s and 2000s.

  • Murder Inc. — Murder Inc., also called The Inc., was the record label headed by Irv Gotti. It was best known for Ja Rule and later changed its name after controversy surrounding the label.

  • PC Music — PC Music is the electronic music label founded by A. G. Cook in 2013 and associated with hyperpop and bubblegum bass. Its roster and orbit include artists such as Hannah Diamond, Danny L Harle, GFOTY, and the performance persona QT.

  • Rawkus — Rawkus was an influential independent hip-hop label known for compilations like Soundbombing and Lyricist Lounge. Its catalog included releases by Mos Def, Company Flow, and Reflection Eternal.

  • record label — A record label is a company that issues and promotes recorded music, often specializing in particular artists or catalogs. Examples include RCA, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, BIS, and Hyperion.

  • Rhino Records — Rhino Records is a Los Angeles label founded in 1978 and known especially for reissues, box sets, and archival compilations. Its catalog includes collections such as Nuggets and later DVD releases tied to cult television.

  • Ruthless Records — Ruthless Records was the label co-founded by Eazy-E and Jerry Heller that released N.W.A. material and other West Coast rap. Its roster also included acts such as J.J. Fad, Above the Law, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and MC Ren.

  • Sub Pop — Sub Pop is the Seattle independent label that helped break grunge acts like Nirvana, Mudhoney, and Soundgarden. It began as a fanzine and later became famous for early releases and subscription-style singles clubs.

  • Sugar Hill Records — Sugar Hill Records was an early hip-hop label best known for releasing “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang. It also issued Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and helped define the commercial rise of rap.

  • Virgin Records — Virgin Records is the record label founded by Richard Branson. Its early signature release was Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, and it later signed acts such as the Sex Pistols.

• Music industry scandals
  • payola scandal — The payola scandal was the 1950s broadcasting corruption case in which record companies bribed DJs for airplay. It helped ruin Alan Freed’s career and led to congressional action on radio regulation.
• Music managers

  • Andrew Loog Oldham — Andrew Loog Oldham was the early manager and producer of the Rolling Stones before founding Immediate Records. He later wrote about that period and remained associated with the band’s early rise in British rock.

  • Jerry Heller — Jerry Heller was a manager and cofounder of Ruthless Records who is closely associated with N.W.A.’s breakup and later dramatizations of the group’s history. He is especially tied to Eazy-E and to the feud involving Suge Knight and the Jewish Defense League.

• music producers
  • Quincy Jones — Quincy Jones was a major bandleader, composer, arranger, and producer whose seven-decade career helped shape modern popular music and jazz. He produced Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Bad, helped define their sound, and won a huge number of Grammys. He also composed film scores including The Color Purple and The Wiz, and worked extensively as a jazz collaborator and arranger.
• One Voice — “One Voice” is a country-pop song associated with a group album featuring artists such as Trisha Yearwood, Amy Grant, and Patty Loveless. The title also appears as the name of a #1 single and title track from another artist’s first album.

Rhythm and Blues, Soul, and Funk

R&B Origins

• Rhythm and blues (R&B) — term coined by music journalist Jerry Wexler in 1948 to describe African American popular music; drew from jump blues, gospel, and boogie-woogie.

• Ray Charles — pianist and vocalist; pioneered merging gospel with secular R&B in the early 1950s; called “The Genius”; crossover country (“I Can’t Stop Loving You”); “Georgia on My Mind,” “Hit the Road Jack”; his fusion of gospel fervor with secular content was initially controversial in Black church communities. His full name was Ray Charles Robinson. He was blind and helped define soul and rhythm and blues; other songs associated with him include “Unchain My Heart,” “I Got a Woman,” and “What’d I Say.” His version of “Georgia on My Mind” became Georgia’s official state song.

  • Georgia on My Mind — “Georgia on My Mind” is the standard most famously associated with Ray Charles, whose 1961 version made it iconic. Earlier recordings by Frankie Trumbauer helped establish the song before it became Georgia’s unofficial musical emblem.

  • Mess Around — “Mess Around” is a Ray Charles song built around a lively dance groove and the refrain about everyone doing the title dance. It appears memorably in Planes, Trains and Automobiles during John Candy’s dance scene.

• The Clovers
  • Love Potion No. 9 — “Love Potion No. 9” is the novelty song about a magic potion bought from Madame Rue that makes the singer fall for everyone he meets. The Clovers originally recorded it, and the Searchers made it a hit in the 1960s.
• The Coasters
  • Yakety Yak — This Coasters hit tells someone not to talk back while listing chores such as taking out the trash and bringing in the dog. The song is Yakety Yak.

• The Drifters — The Drifters were a long-running rhythm-and-blues vocal group best known for hits like “There Goes My Baby,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” and “Under the Boardwalk”. They also launched Ben E. King’s solo career after he sang with the group.

• The Flamingos
  • I Only Have Eyes For You — This 1959 hit for the Flamingos is a dreamy R&B ballad in which the singer sees only his beloved. It was later covered by Art Garfunkel.
• Big Joe Turner
  • Shake, Rattle and Roll — “Shake, Rattle and Roll” was first made famous by Big Joe Turner and later became a major hit for Bill Haley and His Comets. The song’s memorable lyric about a “one-eyed cat” helped make it a rock and roll standard.
• R&B
  • Groups
    • Blackstreet — Blackstreet was an R&B group founded by Teddy Riley and best known for the hit “No Diggity.” The group also collaborated with major hip-hop artists and released a greatest-hits set built around its biggest singles.
      • No Diggity — “No Diggity” is Blackstreet’s 1996 R&B hit featuring Dr. Dre, Queen Pen, and the repeated refrain “I like the way you work it.” The song became the group’s signature track and a late-1990s pop-culture staple.
    • The Commodores — The Commodores are a Motown R&B band known for funk hits like “Brick House” and “Machine Gun” as well as softer songs such as “Easy” and “Three Times a Lady.” Lionel Richie was one of their best-known vocalists before his solo career. The group formed in the late 1960s and won a Grammy for “Night Shift.” Their name came from the merger of earlier Tuskegee Institute groups, and they later continued after Richie’s departure.

  • new jack swing — New jack swing is a genre that fused R&B vocals with hip-hop and dance production. Teddy Riley is credited with creating it, and groups like Bell Biv DeVoe and En Vogue are closely associated with it.

  • Singers
    • Lionel Richie — American singer and songwriter who left the Commodores for a solo career and became known for hits such as “All Night Long,” “Endless Love,” and “Say You, Say Me.” His 1984 album Can’t Slow Down helped make him one of the defining R&B-pop crossover artists of the era and a major figure in 1980s pop culture.
      • Dancing on the Ceiling — “Dancing on the Ceiling” is Lionel Richie’s hit song whose video famously depicts a room where gravity seems to reverse. The clip became a comic celebrity showcase, with appearances by figures such as Cheech Marin and Rodney Dangerfield.
    • The Weeknd — The Weeknd is the stage name of Toronto, Ontario R&B singer Abel Tesfaye. He is known for songs such as “Wicked Games,” “The Hills,” “Earned It,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” and “Blinding Lights.” He released the 2020 album After Hours and performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2021. He collaborated with Drake and became associated with the XO collective and the project OVOXO.
      • Blinding Lights — “Blinding Lights” is a song by The Weeknd whose synth-pop chorus was first heard in a Mercedes-Benz commercial and later appeared on After Hours. The song’s video won Video of the Year and follows him wandering bloodied through Las Vegas.
  • Sisqó — R&B singer Mark Althavean Andrews, known as Sisqó, fronted Dru Hill before launching a solo career. His 1999 album Unleash the Dragon included the hit “Thong Song” and “Incomplete”; he later released Return of the Dragon and other solo tracks such as “Dance for Me.” He also appeared in film and television projects.
    • The Thong Song — Sisqo’s “Thong Song” is the major hit from Unleash the Dragon and became famous for its playful celebration of revealing clothing. Its video and lyrics reference club culture, flashy fashion, and the song’s obsession with the titular garment.
  • Teena Marie — Teena Marie was an R&B singer known for her duet with Rick James and for 1980s hits like “Square Biz” and “Lovergirl.” She was one of the few white women to achieve sustained success on the R&B charts in that era.
• R&B girl groups
  • Danity Kane — Danity Kane was the R&B girl group formed through P. Diddy’s Making the Band 3, with Dawn Richards helping inspire the name. They are identified with songs such as “Show Stopper,” “Ride for You,” and “Damaged,” and their debut album and later Welcome to the Dollhouse also surface as key clues.
• R&B groups

  • Bell Biv DeVoe — Bell Biv DeVoe is a New Edition spinoff R&B group best known for hits such as “Poison” and “Do Me.” The trio became one of the signature acts of early 1990s new jack swing.

  • En Vogue — En Vogue is an American R&B quartet known for hits like “Hold On,” “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” “Free Your Mind,” and “Don’t Let Go.” The group featured Dawn Robinson and appeared on television shows such as Roc and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper.

  • Jodeci — Jodeci is an R&B group formed from members who first sang in separate gospel groups before joining together in the early 1990s. They are known for songs like “Come and Talk to Me” and for the album The Show, the After Party, the Hotel, while members K-Ci and JoJo later had success as a duo with “All My Life.”

• R&B singers

  • Babyface — Babyface is the R&B singer, songwriter, and producer Kenneth Brian Edmonds. He became known through The Deele and later produced hits for artists such as Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Eric Clapton, and Madonna.

  • Ciara Harris — Ciara Harris is the singer who broke out in 2004 with crunk-and-B material such as “Goodies” and “1, 2 Step.” She was promoted as the “First Lady of Crunk & B” and collaborated with artists such as Lil Jon and Petey Pablo.

  • Ginuwine — Ginuwine is the American R&B singer born Elgin Baylor Lumpkin, best known for the 1996 hit “Pony.” His song “Pony” later resurfaced in a viral mashup with Britney Spears’s “Toxic,” bringing renewed attention to his work.
    • Pony — “Pony” is a Ginuwine song with a famous seductive hook about coming and jumping on it. It is also the title of the debut album by the masked country singer Orville Peck.

  • H.E.R. — H.E.R. is the stage name of singer Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, an R&B artist known for keeping her identity partially concealed. She won the Oscar for “Fight for You” and the Grammy for “I Can’t Breathe,” and also performed “Best Part” with Daniel Caesar.

  • Johnny Ace — Johnny Ace was an R&B singer whose posthumous hit was “Pledging My Love,” and he died in a Russian-roulette incident on Christmas Eve 1954. He was born John Marshall Alexander Jr. and had a string of hits in the early 1950s before his death.

  • Johnny Gill — Johnny Gill is the singer who replaced Bobby Brown in New Edition and later had solo hits like “Rub You the Right Way” and “Wrap My Body Tight.” He also sang with LSG and is associated with the smooth R&B style heard in songs such as “My, My, My.”

  • Kelis — Harlem-born American R&B singer. She first drew attention on Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Got Your Money” and later broke through with the Neptunes-produced album Tasty; her early work includes Kaleidoscope and the Europe-only release Wanderland. Her biggest hit is “Milkshake,” and her later work continued to mix R&B and pop with offbeat production credits, including Neptunes-associated material.
    • Milkshake — “Milkshake” is Kelis’s 2003 hit about a title concept that “brings all the boys to the yard.” The song is famous for its playful bragging chorus, including the line that she can teach it but has to charge.

  • Kelly Rowland — Kelly Rowland is a singer best known as a member of Destiny’s Child and for her duet with Nelly on “Dilemma.” Her solo debut Simply Deep included “Stole” and “Everytime You Walk Out That Door.”

  • Keri Hilson — Keri Hilson is an R&B singer and songwriter who first gained notice through work with The Clutch and later released the album In a Perfect World…. She had hits such as Turnin Me On, Knock You Down, and Pretty Girl Rock, and also wrote for artists including Ciara, Britney Spears, and Usher.
    • Pretty Girl Rock — “Pretty Girl Rock” is a 2010 R&B single by Keri Hilson from No Boys Allowed. Its chorus repeats that the singer is beautiful and tells the listener not to hate her, while the music video pays homage to figures such as Billie Holiday, Janet Jackson, Dorothy Dandridge, and T-Boz.
  • Monica Arnold — Monica Arnold is an American R&B singer who released Miss Thang and later Still Standing, whose single “Everything to Me” reached the top of the Billboard Hip-Hop and R&B singles chart. She also appeared on LL Cool J’s Mr. Smith soon after her debut album.
    • Angel of Mine — “Angel of Mine” is a Monica song that presents the beloved as a heavenly gift. Its lyrics include an affectionate meditation on a perfect partner and are often identified from the line about the best things being free.

  • Natalie Cole — Natalie Cole was an R&B singer and the daughter of Nat King Cole, best known for the album Unforgettable and songs like “This Will Be.”

  • Philip Bailey — Philip Bailey is the vocalist and drummer best known for his work with Earth, Wind & Fire. He had an 1980s hit duet with Phil Collins on “Easy Lover.”

  • R. Kelly — R. Kelly is the R&B singer behind “Ignition (Remix),” “I Believe I Can Fly,” and Trapped in the Closet. His career was overshadowed by legal scandal, including a child pornography trial and long-running allegations of sexual abuse.

    • Ignition (Remix) — This R. Kelly song is best known in its remix version, which became far more famous than the original. It features the lines about listening to the song on the radio and the refrain that “after the party is the afterparty.”

    • Trapped in the Closet — Trapped in the Closet is R. Kelly’s long-form musical narrative told through a serial of connected music videos. It follows Sylvester and other characters through a deliberately outrageous chain of infidelity, secret lovers, and escalating revelations.

  • SZA — SZA is the stage name of Solána Imani Rowe, an R&B singer known for the album Ctrl and for songs like “Good Days,” “Shirt,” “Kill Bill,” and “Drew Barrymore.” Her work is often identified by confessional lyrics, modern pop-R&B production, and collaborations that brought her wide acclaim.

  • T-Pain — T-Pain is the stage name of Faheem Najm, an American R&B singer and rapper known for his heavy use of Auto-Tune. He became widely known through hits and features such as “Buy U a Drank,” “I’m Sprung,” “I’m on a Boat,” and appearances on songs like “Low” and “Kiss Kiss.” He later became known for a distinctive top hat and for collaborations that won major Grammy awards.

  • Deborah Cox — Deborah Cox is a Canadian R&B singer best known for ‘Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here’ and ‘We Can’t Be Friends.’ Her recordings also include dance and club-oriented covers such as ‘Something Happened on the Way to Heaven.’

  • Mya — Mya is an R&B singer known for tracks like “It’s All About Me” and for her feature on the Moulin Rouge! version of “Lady Marmalade.” The clue also points to collaborations with Pras and Silkk the Shocker.

  • Ray J — Ray J is the stage name of Willie Norwood Jr., Brandy’s younger brother and an R&B singer. He became widely known through his relationship with Kim Kardashian and the release of their private tape.

  • Tevin Campbell — Tevin Campbell is an American R&B singer known for early-1990s hits like “Round and Round,” “Tell Me What You Want Me to Do,” “Can We Talk,” and “I’m Ready.” He was mentored by Q as a teenager, which helped launch him from an early career performance at the Seattle Goodwill Games to chart success.
• R&B singers and songwriters
  • Victoria Monét — Victoria Monét is an R&B singer and songwriter known for “On My Mama” and for co-writing Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings.” She won major Grammy awards for Jaguar II and was named Best New Artist.
• R&B songs
  • My Boo — “My Boo” is a 2004 hit sung by Usher and Alicia Keys on one version and Beyonce on another, and its title phrase is echoed in songs like “Me and My Boo” and “Still My Boo.” The song is about a former flame who still has a special place in the singer’s heart, and the Ghost Town DJs song of the same name became famous again through the Running Man Challenge.
• R&B supergroups
  • Lucy Pearl — Lucy Pearl was an R&B supergroup formed by Raphael Saadiq, Dawn Robinson, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. The group’s best-known hit was “Dance Tonight.”
• Rhythm and blues singers
  • Lloyd Price — Lloyd Price was an American singer nicknamed Mr. Personality. He is known for songs such as “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “Stagger Lee,” and “Personality.”
• doo-wop groups
  • The Platters — The Platters were a successful doo-wop group known for hits like ‘Only You,’ ‘The Great Pretender,’ ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,’ and ‘Twilight Time’. Their lineup changed over time, and Zola Taylor was their only female singer.
    • Only You — “Only You” is a song associated with the Platters and later covered by Yazoo, making it a recurring romantic soundtrack cue. It is also remembered for its use in Fallen Angels and the 1994 film Only You starring Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr.
• Doo-wop revival groups
  • Sha Na Na — Sha Na Na is the nostalgia group that began as Columbia University students singing 1950s-style a cappella songs. They appeared at Woodstock and later had a television variety show fronted by Jon “Bowzer” Bauman.

Motown

• Motown Records — founded by Berry Gordy in Detroit, 1959; “The Sound of Hitsville, U.S.A.”; polished production aimed at mainstream radio; in-house band the Funk Brothers played on virtually all Motown hits. The label’s roster included Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, and the Jackson 5. Its polished “Motown sound” was shaped by producers and songwriters such as Holland-Dozier-Holland, and it became the most successful independent label of its era.

  • Berry Gordy (III) — Berry Gordy III is the founder of Motown Records and a key architect of its “Sound of Young America.” He wrote and produced for the Jackson 5 and was once Marvin Gaye’s brother-in-law.

  • Berry Gordy Jr. — Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown Records in Detroit in 1959. He is a central clue for the label’s rise, especially when questions mention Motown’s founding, its stars, or Gordy’s role as president and executive producer.

  • Singers
    • Mary Wells — Mary Wells was a Motown singer known for songs such as “The One Who Really Loves You” and “My Guy.” She was billed as the Queen of Motown and is the singer Monica impersonates when performing “My Guy” in a Friends episode.
  • I Heard It Through the Grapevine — “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” is a Motown song first released by Gladys Knight & the Pips and later made famous by Marvin Gaye. It became a major hit, was famously covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and is known for lyrics about learning of a lover’s infidelity through gossip.
• Motown singers
  • William “Smokey” Robinson — This Motown singer led the Miracles and wrote classics such as “Shop Around” and “The Tears of a Clown.” Berry Gordy discovered him, and he became known for his light falsetto as one of the key architects of the label’s early sound.
• Motown girl groups
  • The Marvelettes — The Marvelettes were a Motown girl group best known for “Please Mr. Postman.” Other notable songs associated with them include “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game” and “Don’t Mess with Bill.”
    • Please Mr. Postman — This Marvelettes hit asks a postman for word from a boyfriend, with the famous refrain about waiting for mail and a card or letter from him. It was later covered to number one by the Carpenters and is also sampled in hip-hop tracks by artists such as Juelz Santana and Lil Wayne.

• Supremes — Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard; run of twelve number-one hits 1964–1969.

• Marvin Gaye — Motown artist who pushed for artistic autonomy; What’s Going On (1971) addressed Vietnam and social upheaval; “Sexual Healing.” He also recorded soulful duets with Tammi Terrell and hits such as “Let’s Get It On,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and the title song from Trouble Man. He was killed by his father in 1984.
  • Midnight Love
    • Sexual Healing — “Sexual Healing” is Marvin Gaye’s 1982 comeback hit, released on the album Midnight Love. The song’s title refers to the relief he says he needs, and it became one of his signature late-career singles.

  • What’s Going On — What’s Going On is Marvin Gaye’s landmark 1971 album, built around a title track that protests violence and social injustice. Its other key songs include “Mercy Mercy Me,” “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler),” and “Save the Children,” and it features the Funk Brothers on backing instrumentation.

  • “Let’s Get It On” — “Let’s Get It On” is Marvin Gaye’s famous 1973 soul hit and title track from the album of the same name. The song is widely remembered for its sensual appeal and opening plea to hold back the feeling no longer.

  • Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On — 1971 Motown concept album addressing Vietnam War, poverty, and environmental degradation; Gordy initially resisted releasing it; became the label’s best-selling album to that point.
• Stevie Wonder — signed to Motown as “Little Stevie Wonder” at age 12; virtuosic multi-instrumentalist; classic albums Talking Book, Innervisions, Songs in the Key of Life. Born Stevland Hardaway Morris; known for songs such as “Living for the City,” “Higher Ground,” “Superstition,” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.”

  • Higher Ground — “Higher Ground” is a Stevie Wonder song later covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It is also the title of a 2011 drama directed by Vera Farmiga about a woman inside a close-knit religious group.

  • I Just Called To Say I Love You — “I Just Called to Say I Love You” is Stevie Wonder’s Oscar-winning 1984 hit from The Woman in Red. It is often remembered for its list of holidays and occasions the singer says are not the reason for the call.

  • My Cherie Amour — “My Cherie Amour” is a Stevie Wonder song about longing for a woman who never seems to notice the singer despite their closeness. Its best-known lyrics compare her to a summer day and the Milky Way.

  • Sir Duke — Sir Duke is Stevie Wonder’s tribute to jazz and swing pioneers such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, and Glenn Miller. The song opens by insisting that music is a world unto itself and celebrates the enduring importance of those musicians.

  • Songs in the Key of Life — Songs in the Key of Life is Stevie Wonder’s 1976 double album, often treated as his masterpiece. It contains “Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” and “Isn’t She Lovely,” along with the sampled track “Pastime Paradise.” The album won the Grammy for Album of the Year and reflects Wonder’s strong turn toward social commentary.

  • Talking Book

    • Superstition — “Superstition” is a 1972 Stevie Wonder song from Talking Book, built around a famous clavinet riff. Its lyrics warn that believing in things you do not understand leads to suffering, and its opening line refers to a writing on the wall.

• Temptations — vocal group; psychedelic soul era produced by Norman Whitfield; “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.”

• Four Tops — Motown vocal group; “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).”

• Jackson 5 — entered Motown 1969; Michael Jackson as child lead vocalist.
  • Tito Jackson — Tito Jackson was a member of the Jackson 5 and the Jackson family’s second-eldest brother after Jackie. He mostly sang backup, though he occasionally led songs and is the father of Taj, Taryll, and T.J. Jackson.
• Commodores
  • Brick House — “Brick House” is a funk song by the Commodores about an extremely well-built woman. Its lyrics describe her as “mighty mighty” and famously compare her shape to a brick house.
• Martha and the Vandellas — Martha and the Vandellas were the Motown girl group led by Martha Reeves, known for hits such as “Dancing in the Street,” “Heat Wave,” and “Nowhere to Run.” Their original name was The Del-Phis before they adopted the lineup and name that made them famous.
  • Dancing in the Street — “Dancing in the Street” is the Motown anthem most associated with Martha and the Vandellas, though many later covers made it even more famous. Clues often mention Martha Reeves, the Motor City, and the 1985 David Bowie and Mick Jagger version made for Live Aid.
• The Supremes — The Supremes were a dominant Motown vocal group led by Diana Ross. They recorded hits such as “Stop! in the Name of Love,” “Where Did Our Love Go,” and “You Can’t Hurry Love.”

  • Florence Ballard — Florence Ballard was one of the original Supremes alongside Diana Ross and Mary Wilson. She later left the group after being replaced by Cindy Birdsong, and the character Effie White in Dreamgirls was based on her.

  • Where Did Our Love Go? — Where Did Our Love Go? is the Supremes’ 1964 album, notable for hits such as “Baby Love” and “Come See About Me.” Its title track became one of the group’s signature songs and was later echoed in Soft Cell’s version of “Tainted Love.”

• The Temptations — The Temptations are a Motown vocal group associated with songs like “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” “Cloud Nine,” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.” Their lineup changed over time, but members such as David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks helped define their sound.

  • Ain’t Too Proud to Beg — “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” is a Motown hit written by Norman Whitfield with lyrics by Eddie Holland. The Temptations made it famous, and the Rolling Stones later covered it.

  • My Girl — “My Girl” is the Temptations’ 1964 hit written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White. David Ruffin sings the lead, opening with “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day,” and the song later inspired a 1991 film of the same name.

• R&B groups
  • Destiny’s Child — Destiny’s Child was the Beyoncé-led R&B trio that completed its best-known lineup with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The group released songs such as “Say My Name,” “Survivor,” and “Bootylicious,” and later reunited after its members pursued solo careers.

    • Say My Name — “Say My Name” is a 1999 Destiny’s Child song about suspecting infidelity from a boyfriend’s evasive behavior on the phone. Its video was the first public sign that LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson had been replaced, and it includes the line “You actin’ kinda shady, ain’t callin’ me baby.”

    • Songs

      • bootylicious — Bootylicious is a Destiny’s Child song from the album Survivor that helped popularize the adjective describing a bodacious rear end. The song samples Stevie Nicks’s “Edge of Seventeen,” and its remix appeared on the Carmen: A Hip Hopera soundtrack with a guest verse from Missy Elliott.

Soul

• Soul duos
  • Sam & Dave — Sam & Dave were the Memphis soul duo behind hits like “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Comin’.” They are also remembered for the Stax sound and for songs sampled in later hip-hop tracks.
• Soul groups
  • Booker T and the MGs — Booker T and the MGs were the Stax house band best known for instrumentals like “Green Onions” and for backing soul and R&B artists. Their lineup included Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, and Al Jackson Jr.
• Soul musicians

  • Curtis Mayfield — Curtis Mayfield was a soul singer-songwriter and guitarist who first rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Impressions. His solo work includes “Move On Up” and the Super Fly soundtrack, and his career was cut short after a 1990 stage accident left him paralyzed.

  • Junior Walker — Junior Walker was the Motown saxophonist whose band, the All-Stars, scored several hits in the 1960s. He is remembered for that group’s horn-driven soul sound.

• soul singer-songwriters
  • Bill Withers — Bill Withers was the soul singer-songwriter behind “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean on Me,” “Use Me,” and “Just the Two of Us.” His career clues often include his 1971 debut Just As I Am, his Navy service, and his long retreat from the music industry.
    • Lean on Me — “Lean on Me” is a 1972 Bill Withers song about mutual support in hard times. It is also the title song of the film about principal Joe Clark.
• Soul singers

  • Gladys Knight — Soul singer who fronted the Pips and was known for hits including “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.” She won early attention on Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour and later recorded “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” with The Pips.

  • Lou Rawls — Lou Rawls was a velvet-voiced soul and R&B singer best known for ‘You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine.’ He also hosted major United Negro College Fund telethons and appeared in a few television and film cameos.

  • Al Green — Al Green is the soul singer and minister behind hits like “Let’s Stay Together,” “Take Me to the River,” and “I’m Still in Love with You.” His career is also marked by the hot-grits incident that preceded his conversion to gospel music, plus later Grammy-winning gospel recordings.
    • Let’s Stay Together — Let’s Stay Together is an Al Green soul hit that asks a lover to remain together through good times and bad. It is famously covered by Tina Turner and appears in Pulp Fiction.

  • Barry White — Barry White was a soul singer with a deep baritone voice, known as the “Maestro of Love.” He became a defining figure of 1970s romantic soul through lush orchestral love songs and hits including “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” and “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe.” He also appeared as a guest voice on The Simpsons.

  • David Ruffin — David Ruffin was a lead singer for the Temptations, known for his soulful voice on songs like My Girl. After leaving the group he had solo success with songs such as My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) and Walk Away from Love.

  • Jackie Wilson — Jackie Wilson was a soul singer nicknamed Mr. Excitement, known for hits like “Lonely Teardrops,” “Baby Workout,” and “Higher and Higher.” He collapsed onstage in 1975 and spent his final years in a coma, which is another common clue.

  • Roberta Flack — Roberta Flack is the singer associated with “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” She won the Grammy for Record of the Year in consecutive years, making her one of the defining soul and pop vocalists of the 1970s.

    • Killing Me Softly with His Song — “Killing Me Softly with His Song” is the song popularized by Roberta Flack and later covered by the Fugees. Its lyrics describe a singer making the narrator feel exposed and emotionally overwhelmed by performing a song about her life.

    • The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face — “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” is Ewan MacColl’s 1962 ballad, most famously recorded by Roberta Flack. Flack’s version became a major hit after its use in Play Misty for Me and won Grammys for Song and Record of the Year.

  • Teddy Pendergrass — Teddy Pendergrass was the soul singer who rose to fame with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes before launching a successful solo career. He became a major R&B star in the 1970s and was left paralyzed in a 1982 car crash.

  • Terence Trent D’Arby — Terence Trent D’Arby is the singer behind the hit singles “Sign Your Name” and “Wishing Well,” from the debut album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby. He later changed his name to Sananda Maitreya and continued releasing music under that name.

• Atlantic Records — New York and later Muscle Shoals; key soul label; Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding.

• Aretha Franklin — “Queen of Soul”; gospel roots; “Respect” (originally Otis Redding’s song, 1967), “Chain of Fools,” “Natural Woman.” She also recorded “Think” and famously performed “Nessun dorma” at the Grammys, and sang at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral and Barack Obama’s inauguration.
  • Respect — “Respect” is Aretha Franklin’s signature hit, a reworking of Otis Redding’s original song that became an anthem of self-assertion. Franklin’s version adds the famous spelling of the title and the demand for “just a little bit” of respect when she gets home.
• Otis Redding — raw, intense voice; “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”; died in a plane crash 1967.
  • (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay — “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” is Otis Redding’s signature song and a posthumous number-one hit. Co-written with Steve Cropper, it includes whistling at the end and is associated with Redding’s final recordings.
• Wilson Pickett — “In the Midnight Hour,” “Mustang Sally”; Muscle Shoals sessions.
  • Mustang Sally — “Mustang Sally” is a Wilson Pickett soul hit built around the image of a woman who wants to keep driving. Its lyrics ask her to “ride, Sally, ride,” and the song later became especially associated with performances and screen uses in later popular culture.
• James Brown — “Godfather of Soul”; relentless performer; pioneered funk with stripped-down, rhythm-section-forward sound; “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” “I Got You (I Feel Good),” “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud.” He fronted the Famous Flames before launching a solo career, and his vocal style and stage theatrics made him one of the central figures in soul and funk.

  • Live at the Apollo — Live at the Apollo is James Brown’s landmark 1963 live album recorded at the Harlem theater of the same name. Its success helped establish the commercial market for live albums and includes performances such as “Try Me” and “Night Train.”

  • The Payback — “The Payback” is a James Brown funk song built around a bitter demand for revenge after betrayal. It became especially famous for its sampled drum, bass, and guitar figures, and is also the title track of Brown’s most commercially successful album.

• Stax Records — Memphis; grittier than Motown; house band Booker T. and the MGs; Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes; unlike Motown’s polished approach, Stax emphasized a raw, spontaneous studio sound recorded at 926 E. McLemore Avenue.
  • Donald “Duck” Dunn — Donald “Duck” Dunn was a Stax Records bassist closely associated with Steve Cropper and Al Jackson Jr. He gained wider fame through The Blues Brothers and also played on sessions for artists like Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, and Tom Petty.
• Isaac Hayes — Stax artist; Shaft soundtrack (1971); proto-rap spoken-word passages. He also released Hot Buttered Soul, co-wrote “Soul Man,” and won an Academy Award for the “Theme from Shaft,” becoming the first African American to win in that songwriting category. Hayes acted in films including Escape from New York and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and voiced Chef on South Park.

  • Hot Buttered Soul — Hot Buttered Soul is Isaac Hayes’s 1969 soul album, famous for its lush orchestral arrangements and long, expansive covers. It includes versions of “Walk on By” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” along with the track “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic.”

  • Theme from Shaft

    • The Theme from Shaft — Isaac Hayes’s “Theme from Shaft” is the 1971 title song from Shaft, a hit that won the Academy Award for Best Song and is known for its signature spoken-line refrain.
• Sam Cooke — smooth crossover voice; “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1964), a civil rights anthem; founded his own label, SAR Records; his business acumen made him an early model of artist self-ownership.

  • A Change Is Gonna Come — “A Change Is Gonna Come” is Sam Cooke’s civil rights anthem, famous for its hopeful refrain and reflective verses. Cooke wrote it in response to racial discrimination and as a reply to Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

  • Wonderful World — Sam Cooke’s ‘Wonderful World’ is the song that says he does not know much about history, biology, or science books, but knows he loves the addressee. It is often confused with Louis Armstrong’s similarly titled ‘What a Wonderful World’.

• James Ingram — James Ingram was an R&B singer and songwriter who first drew attention with Quincy Jones collaborations such as “Just Once” and “One Hundred Ways.” His solo work included the album It’s Your Night and hits like “I Don’t Have the Heart,” while duets with Patti Austin and Michael McDonald also boosted his profile.

• Jazz singers

  • Billy Eckstine — Billy Eckstine began as a trumpeter and bandleader before becoming a popular jazz ballad singer with a hit on “At Long Last Love.” His 1945 album Mr. B and the Band helped define bop, and later jazz figures such as Dizzy Gillespie played in and around his band.

  • Al Jarreau — Al Jarreau was a jazz vocalist known for scatting on standards, singing the theme to Moonlighting, and recording hits like “We’re In This Love Together.” He is also notable as the only singer to win Grammys in R&B, jazz, and pop categories.

  • Flora Purim — Flora Purim is a Brazilian jazz singer best known for her work in fusion, especially with Chick Corea’s Return to Forever. Her albums include Butterfly Dreams and Speak No Evil, and clues about her often mention her six-octave range and marriage to drummer Airto Moreira.

  • Mel Torme — Mel Tormé was a jazz singer, composer, and scat vocalist nicknamed ‘the Velvet Fog.’ He wrote ‘The Christmas Song’ and worked early in his career as a child performer, radio actor, and drummer with Chico Marx’s band. He later became known for his smooth crooning, songwriting, and recurring television work.

  • Nina Simone — Nina Simone was the pianist and singer whose performances ranged from Bach-inflected improvisation to civil-rights anthems like “Mississippi Goddam” and “Four Women.” She is also associated with “Feeling Good,” “I Loves You, Porgy,” and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.”

• American soul singers
  • Gloria Richetta Jones — American singer Gloria Richetta Jones first recorded “Tainted Love” in 1964 and became associated with Northern Soul. She also recorded soul and R&B material such as “Heartbeat” and wrote or co-wrote songs for major Motown acts, including “If I Were Your Woman.”
    • Tainted Love — “Tainted Love” is the pop song first recorded by Gloria Jones and later turned into a synth-pop hit by Soft Cell. Its later fame includes Marilyn Manson’s cover and Rihanna’s sampling of the chorus in “SOS.”
• Blue-eyed soul
  • The Righteous Brothers — The blue-eyed soul duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, best known for hits such as “Unchained Melody,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” and “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration.” They had early success on the Moonglow and Philles labels, were associated with Phil Spector’s production style, and later recorded “Rock and Roll Heaven.” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” became famous again through the film Ghost.
    • Songs
      • You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ — “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” is a 1964–65 Righteous Brothers hit written and produced by Phil Spector. The song is famous for its soaring build and for being one of the most heavily played songs in 20th-century popular music.
    • Unchained Melody — “Unchained Melody” is the love song most famously recorded by The Righteous Brothers and used memorably in the film Ghost. It was written by Alex North and Hy Zaret, and later versions also charted for artists such as Gareth Gates and LeAnn Rimes.

• Bobby Womack — Bobby Womack was a soul singer and guitarist who had hits such as “Across 110th Street” and “Woman’s Gotta Have It.” He was also a former member of the Valentinos and worked as a session guitarist for major R&B artists.

• Gladys Knight and the Pips
  • Midnight Train to Georgia — “Midnight Train to Georgia” is the Gladys Knight and the Pips hit about a man leaving Los Angeles and returning home to Georgia. The singer promises to join him on the titular train ride.

• I’m Every Woman — “I’m Every Woman” is the Chaka Khan song later covered by Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard soundtrack. Its lyrics celebrate the singer’s versatility and confident self-presentation.

• Amy Winehouse — Amy Winehouse was a British singer whose album Back to Black made her a Grammy-winning star. Her songs “Rehab,” “Valerie,” and “You Know I’m No Good” became signature hits before her death in 2011 from alcohol poisoning.

  • Back to Black — Back to Black is Amy Winehouse’s second and final studio album, named for its title track. The album includes songs such as “Rehab,” “You Know I’m No Good,” “Love Is a Losing Game,” and “Just Friends,” and it won acclaim for its soul and R&B revival sound.

  • Songs

    • Rehab — “Rehab” is Amy Winehouse’s signature hit from Back to Black, with a refrain about refusing to go to treatment. The title also appears in songs by Rihanna and Justin Timberlake, but the most famous version is Winehouse’s.
• Ashford & Simpson
  • Ain’t No Mountain High Enough — “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is a soul duet later turned into a major solo hit by Diana Ross after her departure from the Supremes. Written by Ashford and Simpson, it was first associated with Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell before Ross made it a chart-topper.

• Erykah Badu — Erykah Badu is a Dallas-born neo-soul singer and songwriter whose real name is Erica Wright. Her albums include Baduizm, Mama’s Gun, and New Amerykah, and her best-known songs include “On and On”/“On & On,” “Bag Lady,” “Didn’t Cha Know,” and “Tyrone.” Her voice also appears on collaborations ranging from the Wu-Tang Clan’s “The RZA/Ghostface” reworking to tributes and guest spots across jazz and hip-hop. She was once married to André 3000, an allusion echoed in Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson.”

• Alicia Keys — Alicia Keys is an American singer-songwriter whose debut album Songs in the Key of A Minor and later hits like “No One” and “Girl on Fire” made her a major R&B star. She also recorded “If I Ain’t Got You,” “Back to Life,” and “Blended Family,” and is known for singing the theme-like hook on “Empire State of Mind.”

  • Fallin’ — “Fallin’” is Alicia Keys’ breakthrough 2001 single from Songs in A Minor, and it won the Grammy for Song of the Year. Its lyrics center on a turbulent relationship, with the singer repeatedly insisting she keeps “fallin’” for the same person.

  • Girl on Fire — “Girl on Fire” is an Alicia Keys song and title track from the album of the same name. The song’s versions include an Inferno remix with Nicki Minaj, and its imagery links the title figure to strength and isolation.

  • Songs in A Minor — Songs in A Minor is the 2001 debut album by Alicia Keys. The album includes the hit single “Fallin’” along with songs such as “A Woman’s Worth,” “Girlfriend,” and a cover of Prince’s “How Come You Don’t Call Me.”

• Best of My Love — “Best of My Love” is a song recorded by the Eagles in 1975 and later by the Emotions in 1977. The Emotions’ version became a major hit and was followed by “Boogie Wonderland.”

• Betcha by Golly, Wow — “Betcha by Golly, Wow” is a 1970s hit song by the Stylistics. The song later appeared in a Duracell commercial and was covered by Prince.

• Booker T. & the M.G.’s
  • Green Onions — “Green Onions” is the signature instrumental hit by Booker T. and the M.G.’s, driven by its famous Hammond organ riff. It was released in 1962, issued with “Behave Yourself” as the B-side, and later appeared in films such as American Graffiti and The Sandlot.
• Boyz II Men — Boyz II Men are the Philadelphia R&B quartet known for hits such as “Motownphilly,” “End of the Road,” and “I’ll Make Love to You.” They became one of the defining vocal groups of the 1990s and briefly dominated the pop charts with emotional ballads.
  • On Bended Knee — “On Bended Knee” is a hit song by Boyz II Men. It is a plea for reconciliation, with lyrics about wanting things to return to the way they used to be and asking for one more chance.
• Brian McKnight — Brian McKnight is an R&B singer known for the hit single “Back at One.” He also recorded “Love Is” with Vanessa Williams and was formerly associated with New Edition.
  • Back at One — “Back at One” is a 1999 Brian McKnight song built around a numbered sequence of steps toward winning someone’s love. Its lyrics include the repeated line about being “one” through “three” and being together as a couple.
• Destiny’s Child songs
  • Bills, Bills, Bills — “Bills, Bills, Bills” is a Destiny’s Child single about a boyfriend who freeloads and runs up the narrator’s expenses. The song hit number one after dethroning Jennifer Lopez’s “If You Had My Love.”
• Luther Vandross — Luther Vandross was an R&B singer famed for his velvet tenor and songs like “Never Too Much” and “Dance with My Father.” He broke out singing lead for Change on The Glow of Love, later scored a major duet hit with Mariah Carey on “Endless Love,” and won a 2004 Grammy for Song of the Year shortly before his death.
  • Dance With My Father — “Dance With My Father” is the Luther Vandross song co-written with and later associated with Richard Marx. It became a major Grammy-winning hit and is remembered as one of Vandross’s signature late-career ballads.
• TLC — TLC was a 1990s American R&B girl group best known for “Waterfalls,” “Creep,” and “No Scrubs.” The trio included Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and its name originally stood for The Learning Channel.

  • CrazySexyCool — CrazySexyCool is TLC’s 1994 breakthrough album, powered by hits like “Waterfalls,” “Creep,” and “Diggin’ on You.” It won the Grammy for Best R&B Album and is often noted for its glossy production and status as one of the biggest albums ever by a female group.

  • Members
    • Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes — American rapper and singer Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes was a member of TLC and also pursued a solo career. She was especially known for her rap verse on TLC’s “Waterfalls” and for collaborations outside the group. She died in a 2002 car crash in Honduras.
  • No Scrubs — “No Scrubs” is a TLC single that rejects men who boast without substance. The song became known for its chorus about not wanting a “buster” and for the music video featuring Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas on a silver swing.

• Ain’t No Sunshine — “Ain’t No Sunshine” is Bill Withers’s 1971 soul song from Just As I Am. Its lyrics dwell on the absence of a lover and were inspired by the doomed romance in Days of Wine and Roses.

• Minnie Riperton — Minnie Riperton was an American singer known for the 1975 hit “Lovin’ You.” Her background included work with the Gems, the Rotary Connection, and Stevie Wonder’s Wonderlove before her solo success with Perfect Angel.

• Mississippi Goddam — “Mississippi Goddam” is Nina Simone’s civil-rights protest song written in response to racial violence in Mississippi and elsewhere in the South. Its refrain about Alabama and Tennessee makes it a classic of protest music from the era of Medgar Evers and Selma.

• Singers and rappers
  • CeeLo Green — CeeLo Green is an American singer and rapper from Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley. He is known for songs including ‘Crazy’ and ‘Fuck You’ and for serving as a coach on The Voice.

    • Cee-Lo Green — Cee-Lo Green, born Thomas DeCarlo Callaway, first gained fame with Goodie Mob before a solo career and work with Gnarls Barkley. He is best known for songs like “Crazy” and “Forget You,” and for his Southern rap and soul style.

    • The Lady Killer

      • “Fuck You” — “Fuck You” is a 2010 CeeLo Green song from The Lady Killer that became widely known under the cleaner title “Forget You.” Its lyrics address a former lover and include the opening line about driving around town with the girl the singer loves.
• Singers
  • Amy (Jade) Winehouse — Amy Winehouse was a British soul singer known for songs such as “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good.” Her distinctive voice and image made her a widely recognized figure in 2000s pop and soul music before her death in 2011.

Funk and Disco

• Funk — James Brown as originator; rhythmic emphasis on the “one”; complex interlocking bass and rhythm guitar; reduced harmonic movement. It is a dance-oriented genre with a prominent bass line and is also associated with later jazz-funk fusion.
  • The Ohio Players — The Ohio Players were a funk band from Ohio known for songs like “Love Rollercoaster,” “Fire,” “Skin Tight,” and “I Love Music.” Their sound helped define 1970s funk, and “Love Rollercoaster” is especially remembered for its screamed instrumental break.

• Sly and the Family Stone — San Francisco; integrated band; fused funk, rock, and psychedelia; There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971). Pioneering funk band led by Sylvester Stewart, better known as Sly Stone. The group recorded classics such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).”

• Parliament-Funkadelic (P-Funk) — George Clinton’s overlapping groups; elaborate science-fiction mythology; “Flash Light,” “One Nation Under a Groove,” “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker).”

• Prince — Minneapolis; virtuosic multi-instrumentalist; fused funk, rock, pop, and R&B; Purple Rain (1984) accompanied his film debut and produced “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy”; famous for prolific recording output and fiercely independent ownership stance; legally changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol in 1993 in a dispute with Warner Bros. His full name was Prince Rogers Nelson. He was also associated with the Minneapolis sound and albums such as Sign o’ the Times, Dirty Mind, Controversy, Around the World in a Day, 3121, and Musicology, as well as songs including “Raspberry Beret,” “Little Red Corvette,” “7,” and “I Would Die 4 U.” He later performed “All Along the Watchtower” at the Super Bowl halftime show, and was often identified with purple imagery.

  • Darling Nikki — “Darling Nikki” is a Prince song from Purple Rain that became notorious for its explicit lyrics and for helping spur the PMRC controversy. The track centers on a sexually charged encounter in a hotel lobby and was later covered by the Foo Fighters.

  • Let’s Go Crazy — “Let’s Go Crazy” is Prince’s celebratory opening song from Purple Rain. Its spoken intro asks whether the audience will let the de-elevator bring them down, and the song is also known through a YouTube copyright case involving a toddler dancing to it.

  • Prince and the Revolution — Prince and the Revolution was Prince’s backing band during his mid-1980s peak. The group is associated with songs from the Purple Rain era, including tracks like “When Doves Cry” and “Raspberry Beret.”

  • Purple Rain — Purple Rain is Prince’s 1984 album that gave its name to the title song and the accompanying film. It includes ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ and ‘When Doves Cry,’ and its cover is associated with Prince’s Love Symbol era imagery.
    • First Avenue — First Avenue is a Minneapolis nightclub and music venue closely associated with the Twin Cities rock scene. It is also known for its role as a filming location and cultural landmark in Purple Rain, alongside the 7th St. Entry.

  • Raspberry Beret — ‘Raspberry Beret’ is a Prince song about a woman wearing the title hat, described as the kind found in a secondhand store. The song features a rural scene with Mr. McGee, old man Johnson’s farm, and a narrator who remembers working part-time in a five-and-dime.

  • Sign o’ the Times — Sign o’ the Times is a 1987 Prince album that includes the title track, “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” and “U Got the Look.” The title song evokes storm damage and social unrest.

  • Songs
    • Little Red Corvette — “Little Red Corvette” is a Prince hit from the album 1999, released as the record’s second track and one of his best-known singles. The song begins with Prince noticing that his lover’s red car was a warning sign that she would not stay long.

  • The New Power Generation — The New Power Generation was Prince’s backing band in the early 1990s, associated especially with Diamonds and Pearls and the Love Symbol Album. It was named after a song from Graffiti Bridge and featured musicians such as Levi Seacer Jr., Tony M., and Rosie Gaines.

  • the Revolution — The Revolution is the backing band most associated with Prince’s 1980s sound. They are a recurring clue through their role in Prince’s recordings and performances and their later recognition in rock history discussions.
• Disco — late 1970s; four-on-the-floor beat, lush strings, bass guitar on every beat; emerged from Black and gay club culture in New York. Disco was a late-1970s dance-music genre built around a steady beat, lush production, and club culture. It became both a cultural phenomenon and a backlash target, especially after the success of Saturday Night Fever. The genre’s influence continued into post-disco club music.
  • disco music — Disco music was the 1970s dance genre associated with Saturday Night Fever, glittering dance floors, and the four-on-the-floor beat. A famous backlash against it was Disco Demolition Night, when records of the genre were blown up at a baseball game.
• Donna Summer — “Queen of Disco”; Giorgio Moroder productions; “I Feel Love” (1977) with all-electronic backing was influential on later electronic music. Donna Summer was the American disco singer known as the “Queen of Disco.” Her hits include “I Feel Love,” “Hot Stuff,” “Love to Love You Baby,” and “She Works Hard for the Money,” many of them produced by Giorgio Moroder.

  • Hot Stuff — “Hot Stuff” is a Donna Summer hit from the Bad Girls era, and the title also appears in other entertainment contexts such as a film and a comic character. The song was a major disco single later used in film and advertising, and it is one of Summer’s best-known #1 hits.

  • I Feel Love — “I Feel Love” is Donna Summer’s 1977 disco hit, produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. Its pulsing synthesizer line and four-on-the-floor beat made it a landmark of electronic dance music and a major influence on later artists.

  • Last Dance — “Last Dance” is Donna Summer’s hit from Thank God It’s Friday, written by Paul Jabara and later awarded both an Oscar and a Grammy. The song’s slow-to-fast structure and lines about being guided and scolded made it one of her signature disco numbers.

• Bee Gees — Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (1977); falsetto harmonies; “Stayin’ Alive,” “Night Fever.” The Bee Gees were the Gibb brothers—Barry, Robin, and Maurice—whose early pop-rock work gave way to disco-era dominance. They are also known for “How Deep Is Your Love,” and Barry Gibb co-wrote Barbra Streisand’s hit “Woman in Love.” Their music later became associated with the film sequel Staying Alive.

  • “Stayin’ Alive” — “Stayin’ Alive” is a Bee Gees disco anthem from Saturday Night Fever, famous for its falsetto vocals and driving beat. Its tempo has been cited as ideal for CPR chest compressions, and the song’s title refers to keeping on living through urban struggle.

  • Gibb — The Bee Gees were the brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. Their name is built from their shared surname, and the trio is strongly associated with disco-era hits such as Stayin’ Alive.

  • Maurice Gibb — Maurice Gibb was a bassist and keyboardist for the Bee Gees. He died in 2003 from complications related to an intestinal twist during surgery for bowel blockage.

  • To Love Somebody — “To Love Somebody” is a 1967 Bee Gees song that has been widely covered by other artists. Its lyrics plead for reciprocated affection and it appeared on Billy Corgan’s solo project TheFutureEmbrace.

• Disco Demolition Night — 1979 Chicago White Sox event; white-rock backlash against disco; marked disco’s commercial decline. It encouraged fans to bring disco records to be destroyed and the promotion turned chaotic at Comiskey Park, becoming a symbol of anti-disco backlash.

• Average White Band — Average White Band was a Scottish R&B and funk group best known for “Pick Up the Pieces” and “Cut the Cake.” They also recorded Benny and Us with Ben E. King and later reunited for Aftershock.

• Cameo
  • Word Up! — Cameo’s ‘Word Up!’ is a funk hit built around the command to ‘wave your hands in the air like you don’t care.’ It was later covered by artists including Melanie B., Gun, and Korn, and became the group’s signature crossover single.

• Chaka Khan — Chaka Khan is the singer nicknamed the Queen of Funk, first known as the lead vocalist of Rufus. She is associated with songs such as “Tell Me Something Good,” “Sweet Thing,” and her cover of “I Feel for You.”

• Deee-Lite
  • Groove Is in the Heart — “Groove Is in the Heart” is Deee-Lite’s best-known dance-funk single. The song features a prominent slide whistle, Bootsy Collins, and a guest rap from Q-Tip.
• Frankie Smith
  • Double Dutch Bus — “Double Dutch Bus” is Frankie Smith’s 1981 funk hit, best known for its playful double-speak and repeated use of the infix “izz.” It later became familiar through Raven-Symoné’s cover for College Road Trip.
• Funk bands
  • Earth, Wind & Fire — Earth, Wind & Fire is the Chicago funk and soul band founded by Maurice White in 1971. Their music blends funk, soul, disco, and R&B with polished horn-driven arrangements. They are known for hits such as “September,” “Shining Star,” “Boogie Wonderland,” and “Let’s Groove,” and became the first all-black group to top both the pop singles and album charts at the same time. Classic albums include Spirit, Gratitude, and That’s the Way of the World.

    • Boogie Wonderland — “Boogie Wonderland” is the Earth, Wind & Fire hit recorded with the Emotions that imagines a place where dancing brings romance.

    • Shining Star — “Shining Star” is an Earth, Wind & Fire single from That’s the Way of the World. It is remembered as one of the group’s signature songs and has also appeared in advertising campaigns such as Texaco’s.

    • Songs

      • Let’s Groove — “Let’s Groove” is an Earth, Wind & Fire song built around the hook urging the listener to dance and “share the spice of life.” The song is a recognizable sample source for later music and is one of the group’s best-known singles.
  • KC and the Sunshine Band — An American disco and funk group founded by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch. They became a staple of 1970s dance-pop and are best known for songs including “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “Get Down Tonight,” “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” and “Give It Up.”

    • Boogie Shoes — “Boogie Shoes” is a KC and the Sunshine Band song that became associated with dancing and party scenes. Its lyrics are built around a repeated invitation to keep going until sunrise and until the singer cannot get enough.

    • Get Down Tonight — Get Down Tonight is a 1975 disco hit by KC and the Sunshine Band and their first Billboard Hot 100 number one. Its famous refrain begins with the line about doing a little dance and making a little love.

  • Ohio Players — The Ohio Players were a funk band known for songs like “Love Rollercoaster,” “Funky Worm,” and “Fire.” They were an important 1970s R&B and funk act.

  • The Gap Band — The Gap Band is the Tulsa funk group led by the Wilson brothers, known for songs such as Outstanding, You Dropped a Bomb on Me, and Oops Upside Your Head. Its name comes from the streets in the Greenwood, Archer, and Pine neighborhood of Tulsa.
• Funk music
  • Bands
    • Funkadelic — Funkadelic was the George Clinton-led funk band associated with Parliament and P-Funk. Their albums include Maggot Brain, Cosmic Slop, Free Your Mind… and Your Ass Will Follow, and America Eats Its Young.
      • Maggot Brain — “Maggot Brain” is the opening track of Funkadelic’s 1971 album of the same name. The long guitar solo by Eddie Hazel and George Clinton’s spoken introduction helped make it one of the band’s most famous songs.

• Kool & the Gang — Kool & the Gang is an R&B and funk group whose hits include “Celebration,” “Get Down on It,” and “Jungle Boogie.” Their early-1980s commercial revival came after bringing in James “J.T.” Taylor as lead vocalist.

• Mark (Daniel) Ronson — British-American producer, DJ, and songwriter known for sleek pop and soul productions, including Uptown Funk. He has collaborated with Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, and Lily Allen; produced work for Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen; and co-wrote Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks.” He also appeared in the music video for Lily Allen’s “Boys” and hosted Watch the Sound, a series about music production and electronic sound.
  • Uptown Funk — “Uptown Funk” is the Mark Ronson hit featuring Bruno Mars whose chorus says “don’t believe me just watch.” Its video features the salmon-suited Bruno Mars and the title’s uptown party vibe.
• The Time
  • Jungle Love — “Jungle Love” is The Time’s best-known single and appears on Ice Cream Castle. The song repeats the title phrase alongside lines like “I think I wanna know ya” and “Girl I’d like to show ya,” and it later turned up in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
• War
  • Low Rider — “Low Rider” is War’s funk anthem about cruising in customized cars, with a groove later reused in other pop songs and TV themes. It became especially associated with The George Lopez Show and with the culture of lowriding.
• Wild Cherry
  • Play That Funky Music — “Play That Funky Music” is the 1976 Wild Cherry hit that urges a “white boy” to play funk music. It became a major chart hit and was later famously covered by Vanilla Ice. The song was written by Robert Parissi and was originally intended as the B-side to a cover of “I Feel Sanctified.”
• funk musicians
  • Sly Stone — Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, led Sly and the Family Stone, the integrated band behind albums like There’s a Riot Goin’ On. He also produced other artists and is associated with songs such as “Everyday People” and “I Want to Take You Higher.”
• Funk singers
  • Rick James — Rick James was a funk singer and producer best known for “Super Freak,” “You and I,” and his album Street Songs. He also produced hits for other artists, including Teena Marie and Eddie Murphy, and became a notorious figure for his flamboyant life, legal troubles, and the catchphrase “I’m Rick James, bitch.”
    • Super Freak — “Super Freak” is a Rick James funk hit and one of his signature tracks. It appears on Street Songs, is about a “very kinky girl” who lives in Room 714 and “won’t let your spirits down,” and became especially famous after M.C. Hammer sampled it in “U Can’t Touch This.” The song is noted for its infectious hook and later pop-culture afterlife in films and television.
• George Clinton

  • Parliament — Parliament was the name of George Clinton’s 1970s funk collective, often paired with Funkadelic in the P-Funk universe. It is also the name for the British legislative body made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

  • Parliament-Funkadelic — The George Clinton-led funk collective and style associated with Parliament and Funkadelic, known for songs such as “Give Up the Funk,” “Flash Light,” and “One Nation Under a Groove.” Its concerts and albums helped build the elaborate P-Funk mythology, including the Mothership imagery; the term also evokes the opening of “Give Up the Funk” from Mothership Connection and Clinton’s larger musical universe.
    • Starchild — Starchild is a divine alien figure in the P-Funk mythos, sent from the Mothership to bring funk to Earth. He is associated with the battle against Sir Nose D’Voidoffunk and the struggle against the Placebo Syndrome.
  • Songs
    • Atomic Dog — “Atomic Dog” is George Clinton’s 1982 funk song known for the refrain that inspired later rap sampling. Its lyrics about canine instincts and the chant “Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah” made it one of his signature tracks.

• Sheila E. — Sheila E., born Sheila Escovedo, is a percussionist, drummer, and singer who gained fame working with Prince before launching a solo career. She is known for the Prince-written song “The Glamorous Life,” her 1980s Top 10 success, and the album Sex Cymbal.

• Thundercat — Thundercat is the stage name of bassist and singer Stephen Lee Bruner, whose solo work blends funk, jazz, and neo-soul. He is known for songs like “Them Changes” and “Dragonball Durag,” and he also appears on collaborative tracks such as “After Last Night.”
  • Them Changes — “Them Changes” is a song by Thundercat that became widely associated with online memes and later live tributes. It samples the opening drum figure from the Isley Brothers’ “Footsteps in the Dark” and appears on Drunk after the EP The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam.
• Andrea True Connection
  • More, More, More — “More, More, More” is a disco song by the Andrea True Connection. It became familiar to many listeners through Len’s sampling on “Steal My Sunshine.”
• Carl Douglas — Carl Douglas is the Jamaican-born singer best known for the disco hit “Kung Fu Fighting.” The song became his defining success and eclipsed the rest of his recording career. He also recorded other novelty-tinged singles such as “Dance the Kung Fu.”
  • Kung Fu Fighting — “Kung Fu Fighting” is Carl Douglas’s disco hit from 1974. The song is famous for its exaggerated martial-arts imagery and its memorable oriental riff.

• Casablanca Records — Casablanca Records was a 1970s label founded by Neil Bogart and named after the film, with KISS as its first signing. It became famous for disco acts such as Donna Summer and the Village People, and was later revived under the same name by Tommy Mottola.

• Chic — Chic is the Nile Rodgers-led disco band behind hits like “Le Freak,” “Everybody Dance,” and “I Want Your Love.” The group’s polished groove and dance-floor style made it one of the defining acts of late-1970s disco.

• Disco groups
  • Lipps, Inc. — Lipps, Inc. was a Minneapolis-based disco group best known for the number-one hit ‘Funkytown.’ The name is a punning stylization, and the band also released songs such as ‘All Night Dancing.’

    • Funky Town — “Funky Town” is a disco song written by Steven Greenberg and made famous by Lipps, Inc., with Cynthia Johnson on the original recording. It later returned to the charts in a version by Pseudo Echo.

    • Funkytown — “Funkytown” is the big hit by Lipps Inc., sung by Cynthia Johnson and famously asking to be taken to the titular town. Its lyrics emphasize a desire to move to a place with more energy and groove.

  • The Village People — The Village People are the disco act known for songs such as “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man,” and “In the Navy.” Their members adopted costume personas like construction worker, cowboy, and policeman, and the group became a staple of late-1970s pop. They are often clued by the ad that recruited macho men with mustaches and by the arm-gesture dance associated with “Y.M.C.A.”

  • Village People — Village People is the disco group known for character-based performances and songs like “Y.M.C.A.” and “In the Navy.” Its members dressed as figures such as a construction worker, cop, cowboy, and Native American.
    • IN THE NAVY — “In the Navy” is a Village People song that became a recruiting anthem for the U.S. Navy. Its lyrics invite the listener to join the service and “learn science and technology” while traveling the world.
  • Boney M. — Boney M. was a disco group produced by Frank Farian and known for hits such as “Rasputin” and “Daddy Cool.” They also recorded “Rivers of Babylon” and a successful Christmas medley featuring “Mary’s Boy Child.”
• Disco musicians
  • Van McCoy — Van McCoy was the singer and producer associated with the disco hit “The Hustle.” His name is often asked for in music questions about 1970s soul and disco.
• Disco singers

  • Andy Gibb — Andy Gibb was the youngest Gibb brother, known for disco-era hits such as “Shadow Dancing” and “I Just Want to Be Your Everything.” His career was shortened by drug abuse and his death at a young age.

  • Grace Jones — Grace Jones is a Jamaican-born singer, model, and actress known for her androgynous image and collaborations in disco, reggae, funk, and pop. Her credits include A View to a Kill and Conan the Destroyer, and her album Nightclubbing is a common clue reference.

  • Yvonne Elliman — Yvonne Elliman is a Hawaiian singer best known for the hit “If I Can’t Have You.” Her song appeared on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack alongside other major Bee Gees-era disco hits.

• Disco songs

  • Disco Inferno — “Disco Inferno” is a disco song by The Trammps, famous for the refrain “Burn, baby, burn!” A later hit by 50 Cent also used the same title, making it a common music name clue.

  • The Hustle — “The Hustle” is Van McCoy’s 1970s disco hit, famous for its simple repeated lyric and for winning the Grammy for Best Instrumental Pop Recording. The title also names a line dance that developed in black and Puerto Rican clubs in Manhattan and Queens, with later variants such as Latin, Lindy, American, and street versions.

• DJ Casper
  • Cha Cha Slide — The Cha Cha Slide is a DJ Casper dance song whose lyrics give listeners step-by-step instructions. Its signature calls include “to the left,” “criss cross,” and “right foot let’s stomp,” with the intro identifying it as a sequel to the earlier Casper Slide.
• Female vocal duos
  • The Weather Girls — The Weather Girls were the duo of Martha Wash and Izora Armstead, first known as Two Tons O’ Fun. They are best remembered for the hit “It’s Raining Men,” and Wash later sang uncredited lead vocals on several dance-pop hits.
    • It’s Raining Men — “It’s Raining Men” is a disco hit originally recorded by the Weather Girls and later covered by Geri Halliwell. It became a gay anthem and is also remembered as Homer Simpson’s favorite jukebox song.
• Hot Chocolate
  • You Sexy Thing — “You Sexy Thing” is a 1975 disco hit by Hot Chocolate. It became widely recognizable again through later commercial use and through The Full Monty.

• Hues Corporation — The Hues Corporation was an R&B and disco trio best known for “Rock the Boat,” a major hit that helped define early disco. The group also recorded “Rockin’ Soul” and appeared in the film Blacula.

• McFadden & Whitehead
  • Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now — “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” is a 1979 disco anthem by McFadden and Whitehead. The song urges listeners to keep moving forward despite obstacles and was widely covered, including by Luther Vandross and George Michael.
• Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots
  • Disco Duck — “Disco Duck” is a 1976 novelty hit by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots about a dancing duck. The song became a major pop-culture novelty record and is remembered for its comic disco parody style.
• Rose Royce
  • Car Wash — “Car Wash” is a Rose Royce song tied to the 1976 film of the same name. Its opening handclaps and upbeat groove made it a recognizable soul and funk hit.
• The Hues Corporation
  • Rock the Boat — “Rock the Boat” is a Hues Corporation hit that reached number one in 1974 and is often cited as an early disco classic. The title line evokes sailing a cargo full of love and devotion, and the song shares its name with a later Aaliyah single.
• Vicki Sue Robinson
  • Turn the Beat Around — “Turn the Beat Around” is a disco song first recorded by Vicki Sue Robinson and later covered by Laura Branigan and Gloria Estefan. The song is identified by its percussion-heavy chorus and its shouted invitations to horns and flute.
• Walter Murphy
  • A Fifth of Beethoven — “A Fifth of Beethoven” is Walter Murphy’s disco instrumental adaptation of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. It became a hit in 1976 and appeared on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

• “Macho Man” — “Macho Man” is the Village People song celebrating a hypermasculine title figure with a distinctive walk and leather-and-western style. It was later parodied in early-1990s advertising, including Tostitos commercials.

• KC and the Sunshine Band songs
  • That’s the Way (I Like It) — “That’s the Way (I Like It)” is a hit by KC and the Sunshine Band built around a simple dance-floor refrain and repeated vocal hooks. It was the song associated with the Burger King commercial clue and the line “uh-huh, uh-huh.”
• Thelma Houston
  • Don’t Leave Me This Way — “Don’t Leave Me This Way” is the disco hit most closely associated with Thelma Houston. The song became especially notable in the 1980s because of its association with the AIDS epidemic.

Related Works, People, and Context

• soul bands
  • The Rascals — The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul band known for “Good Lovin’,” “Groovin’,” “A Beautiful Morning,” and “People Got to Be Free.” They began as the Young Rascals and dropped “Young” from their name in 1968.
• soul music — Soul music is a gospel-influenced African American genre associated with Motown and singers like Aretha Franklin, the so-called Queen of Soul. It helped inspire later hybrid styles such as soca, whose name combines calypso with this genre.
  • Edwin Starr — Edwin Starr was a soul singer born Charles Hatcher, known for songs like “Agent Double-O Soul,” “25 Miles,” and “War.” His music mixed Motown-style pop with protest energy, and “War” became his signature hit.
    • Twenty-Five Miles — “Twenty-Five Miles” is an Edwin Starr soul single about a man walking the title distance to reach his girlfriend. It became Starr’s second-biggest hit and reached number 6 on the pop singles chart in 1969.
• The Isley Brothers — The Isley Brothers are the long-running R&B group behind songs like “It’s Your Thing,” “Shout,” and “That Lady.” Quizbowl clues may also mention their sampled hit “Footsteps in the Dark” and the plagiarism lawsuit involving Michael Bolton’s “Love Is a Wonderful Thing.”

Contemporary R&B and Neo-Soul

• I Wanna Sex You Up — “I Wanna Sex You Up” is a Color Me Badd single built around an invitation to come inside and take off a coat. The chorus repeats the title phrase while promising to rub the listener down and make love until they drop.

• Jeremih
  • Birthday Sex — “Birthday Sex” is a Jeremih single from his self-titled debut album. The song is a slow R&B hit built around the lyric about giving the title reward because it is “the best day of the year, girl.”
• Mark Morrison
  • Return of the Mack — “Return of the Mack” is Mark Morrison’s 1996 hit about returning after betrayal, with the chorus repeating the title phrase and the refrain “you lied to me.” The song has been widely sampled and covered, including in later versions by G-Eazy and French Montana.

• Bobby Brown — Bobby Brown is the New Edition singer whose solo career produced hits like “My Prerogative,” “Roni,” and “Don’t Be Cruel.” He is often clued through his marriage to Whitney Houston and tabloid stories about arrests and public misbehavior.

• Brandy and Monica
  • The Boy is Mine — “The Boy Is Mine” is the 1998 Brandy and Monica duet that became a huge hit and appeared on Never Say Never. The song is built around the two singers’ back-and-forth over a man’s affections.

• Brandy Norwood — Brandy Norwood is a singer and actress who starred on Moesha and Thea before becoming a major R&B artist. She is known for songs such as “I Wanna Be Down” and the duet “The Boy Is Mine” with Monica.

• Hip hop soul
  • Mary J. Blige — Mary J. Blige is the singer often called the queen of hip-hop soul, first breaking through with What’s the 411? and later scoring with albums such as Share My World and The Breakthrough. Her work ranges from R&B hits like “Real Love” to the Oscar-nominated song “Mighty River.”

• Toni Braxton — Toni Braxton is the Maryland-born R&B singer known for hits like “Un-Break My Heart,” “Breathe Again,” and “You’re Makin’ Me High.” Her debut and the album Secrets made her a major ’90s star, and later appearances ranged from Broadway to Dancing With the Stars. She also appeared in rumor-laden NBA gossip connected to Jason Kidd and Jimmy Jackson.

• Montell Jordan
  • This Is How We Do It — ‘This Is How We Do It’ is Montell Jordan’s biggest hit and the title track of his 1995 album. The song rides a sample of Slick Rick’s ‘Children’s Story’ and celebrates a party atmosphere with a singalong chorus.
• neo-soul
  • Me’shell NdegeOcello — Me’shell NdegeOcello is an American singer, bassist, and songwriter known for albums such as Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape. She also guested on John Mellencamp’s “Wild Night,” contributing songs such as “Right Here’s the Spot” and “Feels Like Home.”
• Neo-soul singers
  • D’Angelo — D’Angelo is the neo-soul singer-songwriter behind Brown Sugar and Voodoo, including the hit “Untitled (How Does It Feel).” Quiz clues often mention his Apollo Theater amateur-night victories, his collaborations with Lauryn Hill and Black Men United, and the famous nude video that boosted his fame.

• One Minute Man — “One Minute Man” is a Missy Elliott single from Miss E…So Addictive, featuring Ludacris and a remix with Jay-Z and Trina. The song asks for a lover who can make sex last longer, and its video helped make the title a recognizable pop and R&B clue.

• Usher — Usher is the stage name of Usher Raymond IV, an R&B singer known for hits including “U Remind Me,” “Yeah!,” “Burn,” “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love,” and “I Don’t Mind.” His album Confessions is a frequent reference point, and his songs have featured Lil Jon and Ludacris.

  • Confessions Part II — “Confessions Part II” is an Usher song about admitting he has gotten another woman pregnant and revealing a personal betrayal. The song is closely associated with Jermaine Dupri and later received a remix featuring Twista, Kanye West, and Shyne.

  • Usher Raymond IV — Usher Raymond IV is an American R&B singer-songwriter known for smooth, dance-oriented pop hits including “Nice & Slow,” “Yeah!,” “My Boo,” “Confessions Part II,” “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love,” “My Way,” and “Climax.” He has also appeared in films and television and is often referred to simply as Usher.

  • Yeah! — “Yeah!” is a 2004 Usher single from Confessions featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, with Lil Jon repeatedly shouting the title affirmation. The song is remembered for its club setting and call-and-response ad-libs, including commands like “Let’s go” and “Watch out.”

Rock and Its Descendants

Connect rock’s changing styles to bands, recordings, and influences.

Rock and Roll

Origins and Early Rock

• Rock and roll origins — late 1940s–early 1950s; fused rhythm and blues, gospel, and country; electric guitar at center; appeal crossed racial lines.

• Chuck Berry — guitarist and songwriter; defined rock and roll’s guitar vocabulary; “Johnny B. Goode,” “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven”; influenced virtually every rock guitarist. He recorded “Rock and Roll Music” and “You Never Can Tell”; the latter appears on the soundtrack of Pulp Fiction. He later became notorious for legal troubles, and his only number-one hit was the novelty song “My Ding-a-Ling”.

  • Johnny B. Goode — “Johnny B. Goode” is the Chuck Berry rock-and-roll song about a guitar-playing country boy from Louisiana. It appears famously in Back to the Future, where Marty McFly performs it at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance.

  • Roll Over Beethoven — “Roll Over Beethoven” is a Chuck Berry song first released in 1956, with “Drifting Heart” on the original Chess single’s reverse side. Its lyrics call on Beethoven and Tchaikovsky as symbols of older classical music, and especially famous covers were recorded by the Beatles and by Electric Light Orchestra.

• Little Richard (Richard Penniman) — flamboyant pianist and vocalist; “Tutti Frutti,” “Good Golly, Miss Molly”; influenced Elvis and the Beatles.

• Fats Domino — New Orleans pianist; “Blueberry Hill”; enormous early sales.

• Elvis Presley — first recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis 1954; combined country and R&B into a sound marketed to white audiences; became a cultural phenomenon; “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog”; later commercially diluted by Hollywood films. Elvis Presley was the Tupelo-born singer and film star who died at Graceland in Memphis in 1977. He was widely known as the King of Rock and Roll; his later career included the 1968 Comeback Special, and his screen and television portrayals inspired books such as Careless Love and dramatizations such as the 2005 miniseries Elvis, with Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the title role. His hits also included “Jailhouse Rock.”

  • A Little Less Conversation — “A Little Less Conversation” is the Elvis Presley song that became a much bigger hit after the Junkie XL remix. Its revival came through a Nike World Cup ad campaign and later chart success in the UK.

  • Can’t Help Falling in Love — “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is Elvis Presley’s signature ballad, first heard in Blue Hawaii and later used in many covers and film soundtracks. The song adapts the melody of “Plaisir d’Amour” and closes with the familiar line about fools rushing in.

  • Colonel Tom Parker — “Colonel” Tom Parker was Elvis Presley’s longtime manager, born Andreas Cornelius van Kuijk and famous for controlling Presley’s career. He was a self-invented promoter whose honorary military title came from Louisiana political patronage.

  • Don’t Be Cruel — “Don’t Be Cruel” is an Elvis Presley hit written by Otis Blackwell and made famous as the flip side of “Hound Dog.” It later became a well-known title in pop music and appeared again in a 1988 Cheap Trick version.
    • My Prerogative — “My Prerogative” is Bobby Brown’s signature solo hit from his album Don’t Be Cruel. The song was co-written by Teddy Riley and later remade by Britney Spears, who updated its defiant chorus.

  • Graceland — Graceland was Elvis Presley’s Memphis home, whose Jungle Room and bathroom death in 1977 made it one of the most famous sites in American popular music history. The name also appears in Paul Simon’s album Graceland, including songs such as “The Boy in the Bubble” and collaborations with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

  • Heartbreak Hotel — “Heartbreak Hotel” is Elvis Presley’s first number-one pop hit, released in 1956. The song’s lonely imagery inspired the name of a real Memphis establishment, and quiz clues often cite its opening line about a baby leaving him.

  • In the Ghetto — “In the Ghetto” is Elvis Presley’s 1968 song about poverty and urban violence in Chicago. It follows a child born into hardship who later steals a car and dies young, and it was originally titled “The Vicious Cycle.”

  • It’s Now or Never — “It’s Now or Never” is Elvis Presley’s best-selling single and is based on the Italian standard “O Sole Mio.” Its romantic lyrics urge immediate commitment to a lover.

  • Jailhouse Rock — “Jailhouse Rock” is Elvis Presley’s famous prison-themed rock-and-roll hit, and also the title of his 1957 film. The song’s opening cell-block dance number made it one of the best-known early rock songs. Clues often mention the inmates, the title track, and its place in Elvis’s movie career.

  • Love Me Tender — “Love Me Tender” is an Elvis Presley hit adapted from the Civil War ballad “Aura Lee.” It also gave its title to the 1956 film in which Presley played Clint Reno in a postwar love triangle.
• Buddy Holly — singer-songwriter from Lubbock, Texas; the Crickets; “That’ll Be the Day,” “Peggy Sue”; died in a plane crash February 3, 1959 (“The Day the Music Died”); influenced the Beatles’ name (Crickets → Beatles). He also recorded ‘Everyday’ and helped pioneer overdubbing. He died in the same 1959 plane crash that also killed Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper.
  • The Crickets — The Crickets were Buddy Holly’s band, later remembered for backing songs such as “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue.” Their name often comes up in questions about the backup group behind Holly’s early rock and roll recordings.

• Eddie Cochran — “Summertime Blues”; early rock and roll guitar style; died in a car crash 1960.

• Sun Records — Memphis label founded by Sam Phillips; early releases by Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins.

• The Beach Boys / Pet Sounds — California; Brian Wilson’s studio-as-instrument approach; Pet Sounds (1966) was the direct catalyst for the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper; “God Only Knows,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”; the unfinished Smile project became a legend of pop perfectionism.

• Eric Burdon and the Animals — Eric Burdon and the Animals were a British blues-rock band fronted by Eric Burdon. They are especially remembered for House of the Rising Sun and later psychedelic-era songs such as We Gotta Get Out of This Place and Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.

• Jackie Brenston and the Delta Cats
  • Rocket 88 — “Rocket 88” is the 1951 Jackie Brenston and the Delta Cats recording often cited as an early rock and roll record. It was based on an Oldsmobile model and is notable for an accidentally distorted guitar sound.
• The Surfaris — The Surfaris were the surf-rock group best known for the instrumental hit “Wipe Out,” first released in 1963. Their name is often encountered in questions about one-hit wonders and classic surf music. They are sometimes credited in older clue sets simply by the song title and year.
  • Wipe Out — “Wipe Out” is the 1963 surf rock instrumental by the Surfaris, famous for its opening laugh and drum break. The song is often associated with surfing imagery and has been widely covered, including versions aimed at younger audiences.
• The Troggs

  • Love Is All Around — “Love Is All Around” is the Troggs song written by Reg Presley and remembered for its opening line, “I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes.” It was also adapted as a Christmas novelty and is associated with the Mary Tyler Moore theme sung by Sonny Curtis.

  • Wild Thing — “Wild Thing” is the Troggs’ 1966 hit single, later covered by Jimi Hendrix and Sam Kinison. It was originally recorded by the Wild Ones and is memorable for its raw, simple rock riff.

• Berry — Berry is the surname of Chuck Berry, the rock and roll pioneer who recorded “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” and “Johnny B. Goode.” It is also the surname of humorists Dave Barry and Wendell Berry, and of Richard Berry, who wrote “Louie Louie.”

• Sweet Little Sixteen — “Sweet Little Sixteen” is a Chuck Berry song about a teen idol and the cities that want to dance with her. The song’s melody was adapted for the Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA.”

• The Trashmen
  • Surfin’ Bird — “Surfin’ Bird” is a 1963 novelty hit by the Trashmen built from the choruses of two Rivingtons songs. Its repetitive “bird bird bird, bird is the word” refrain made it a long-running pop-culture staple in films, commercials, and television.
• The Winstons
  • Amen, Brother
    • Amen break — The Amen break is the famous four-bar drum break played by Gregory Coleman on The Winstons’ “Amen, Brother.” It became one of the most sampled loops in music, especially in jungle and drum-and-bass, and even turns up in N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton.”

• Return to Sender — “Return to Sender” is an Elvis Presley hit from 1962, written by Winfield Scott. It centers on a rejected love letter that comes back stamped with the titular message, and the song’s title later became familiar from an Elvis postage stamp promotion.

• Suspicious Minds — “Suspicious Minds” is an Elvis Presley hit recorded in 1969 and released as part of his comeback. Its chorus famously says the lovers can’t go on together with suspicious minds, and the single became his last number one hit.

• Dance crazes
  • The Twist — The Twist is the dance craze popularized by Chubby Checker in 1960 and later used in pop culture moments from American Bandstand to Pulp Fiction. It is associated with twisting the feet and hips while dancing to the song “The Twist” and related covers like “Twist and Shout.”
• J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers
  • Last Kiss — “Last Kiss” is a sentimental 1964 ballad by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers about a fatal car crash that takes a lover’s life. Pearl Jam later covered it, turning the song into an unlikely 1990s hit.
• rock and roll singers

  • Chubby Checker — Chubby Checker, born Ernest Evans, was the singer who popularized “The Twist.” He also had hits with songs such as “Pony Time,” “The Fly,” and “Limbo Rock.”

  • J. P. Richardson — He was a radio DJ and rock-and-roll novelty singer best known for “Chantilly Lace.” His stage name was The Big Bopper, and he was killed in the 1959 plane crash that also took the lives of Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.

    • Chantilly Lace — “Chantilly Lace” is the Big Bopper’s best-known hit, famous for its flirtatious lyrics and its playful opening greeting, “Hello, baby!” The song’s title points to the French town of Chantilly, whose name also appears in the dessert and in the decorative fabric called chantilly lace.

    • The Big Bopper or Jiles Perry Richardson — Jiles Perry Richardson, better known as the Big Bopper, was the Beaumont DJ who set a marathon-broadcast record and later recorded “Chantilly Lace.” He also wrote songs such as “White Lightning” and “Running Bear” before dying in the 1959 plane crash with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.

  • Ritchie Valens — Ritchie Valens was the Chicano rock-and-roll singer who turned “La Bamba” into a hit. He died in the 1959 plane crash with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, the event remembered in “American Pie” as “the day the music died.”

    • Donna — “Donna” is a song by Ritchie Valens about his high school sweetheart, Donna Ludwig. It was the flip side of his hit recording of “La Bamba.”

    • La Bamba — La Bamba is a Mexican folk song adapted into rock and roll and made famous by Ritchie Valens. Quiz clues point to its Spanish refrain about being no sailor, its wedding-dance origins, and its association with the Veracruz region.

  • Roy Orbison — Roy Orbison was the rockabilly-era singer known for his dramatic voice, dark glasses, and hits like “Only the Lonely,” “Running Scared,” “Crying,” and “Oh, Pretty Woman.” He sang “In Dreams,” which was used in Blue Velvet, and he was part of the first Traveling Wilburys album.

    • In Dreams — “In Dreams” is a Roy Orbison song later used memorably in Blue Velvet, where it underscores Frank Booth’s unsettling lip-sync performance.

    • Oh, Pretty Woman — “Oh, Pretty Woman” is Roy Orbison’s signature song, famous for its opening guitar riff and the title refrain after the woman turns back toward the singer. It was later covered by Van Halen and revived through film use and a Grammy-winning live version.

  • Del Shannon — Del Shannon was an American rock and roll singer best known for “Runaway,” which features the distinctive musitron solo. He also recorded “Little Town Flirt,” “Keep Searchin’,” and a cover of the Beatles’ “From Me to You.”
• Rock music
  • Australian rock bands
    • Midnight Oil — Midnight Oil is the Australian rock band led by Peter Garrett. Their best-known songs include “Beds Are Burning” and “Blue Sky Mine.” Quiz clues often mention albums such as Diesel and Dust, Blue Sky Mining, and 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
      • Beds Are Burning — “Beds Are Burning” is Midnight Oil’s pro-Aboriginal rock song about returning land to the Pintupi people. It became especially famous for its references to the Gibson Desert and for performances tied to criticism of John Howard’s refusal to apologize.
  • Bassists
    • Bill Wyman — Bill Wyman is the longtime bassist who played with the Rolling Stones before leaving the band in 1993. His real name is William George Perks, and he adopted his stage name early in his career.

  • Blessid Union of Souls — Blessid Union of Souls is a Cincinnati rock band fronted by Eliot Sloan, best known for the hit single “I Believe.” The group also released “Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me for Me)” and songs such as “I Wanna Be There” from its 1995 debut Home.

  • Guitarists
    • Lindsey Buckingham — Guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with Fleetwood Mac. His solo material includes Holiday Road and Gift of Screws, and his writing credits include Go Your Own Way and Go Insane. He is also the musician referenced in the recurring What Up with That? gag about the third guest who keeps getting bumped.
      • Lindsay Buckingham — Lindsay Buckingham is the guitarist and singer best known for his work with Fleetwood Mac. His solo output included songs such as “Holiday Road,” “Trouble,” and the albums Go Insane and Law and Order.

  • Heavy Metal — Heavy metal is a loud genre of rock marked by distorted electric guitars and powerful, aggressive style. It developed major subgenres such as black metal, death metal, and power metal, and bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest helped define it.

  • Irish rock bands
    • Thin Lizzy — Thin Lizzy was the Irish rock band behind “The Boys Are Back in Town” and the well-known version of “Whiskey in the Jar” later covered by Metallica. Their 1976 album Jailbreak is another clue often tied to the group.
      • The Boys Are Back In Town — Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town” is the band’s signature 1976 rock hit from Jailbreak. Its lyrics recall nightlife at Dino’s Bar and Grill and Johnny’s place, and the song has become a staple of sports and soundtrack usage.

  • Math rock — Math rock is a mostly instrumental rock genre marked by angular melodies, dissonant chords, complex rhythms, and odd time signatures. It is associated with bands such as Don Caballero, This Town Needs Guns, Battles, and Giraffes? Giraffes!, and it overlaps with post-rock and Midwest emo.

  • Pianists
    • Jerry Lee Lewis — Jerry Lee Lewis was the rock and roll pianist famous for “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire.” His career was deeply damaged when it was revealed that he had married his teenage cousin. Quiz clues often add his wild stage persona, marriages, and scandals, including the uproar over his child bride in Britain. He remains a classic early rockabilly answer.
      • Great Balls of Fire — “Great Balls of Fire” is a 1957 Jerry Lee Lewis hit that opens with “You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain.” It later titled a 1989 biopic about Lewis, and the song is often identified by its exuberant gospel-influenced hook.
  • Singers
    • Gary Glitter — British glam-rock singer best known for “Rock and Roll, Part 2,” also called “The Hey Song.” He was also known for “Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah!),” which was widely covered, including by Joan Jett. His later reputation was shadowed by repeated criminal accusations and arrests related to sexual misconduct and child pornography, and by a conviction.
      • Rock and Roll Part 2 — “Rock and Roll Part 2” is a Gary Glitter song often played at sporting events. It is also known as “The Hey Song,” and its simple chant-like refrain made it a stadium staple.
  • Songs

    • A Whiter Shade of Pale — “A Whiter Shade of Pale” is Procol Harum’s 1967 hit, famous for its organ line and Keith Reid’s famously enigmatic lyrics. The song opens with the line about skipping the light fandango and later became even more widely known through film use and revival airplay.

    • Somewhere Only We Know — “Somewhere Only We Know” is a 2004 single by the English rock band Keane. The song’s narrator recalls a familiar path and asks to go to a private, meaningful place together.

  • Steve Marriott — Steve Marriott was the singer and guitarist who fronted the Small Faces before forming Humble Pie with Peter Frampton. He died in 1991 after an apartment fire that began when he fell asleep while smoking in bed.

  • Surf rock — Surf rock is a 1960s California guitar style associated with heavy reverb, staccato riffs, and instrumental themes inspired by surfing. Dick Dale helped define the genre with songs like “Let’s Go Trippin’” and “Misirlou,” while the Beach Boys and the Chantays helped make it famous.
    • Duos
      • Jan & Dean — Jan & Dean were a 1960s surf-rock duo known for Surf City, Dead Man’s Curve, and Little Old Lady from Pasadena. Their early doo-wop material included Baby Talk and Jennie Lee, and they also recorded the novelty song Batman!. One member was badly injured in a car accident, which shaped the group’s later career.
  • The Eagles — The Eagles are the American rock band behind songs such as “Take It Easy,” “Desperado,” and “Hotel California.” Their best-known album is Hotel California, which includes the title track and other staples of classic rock radio.
• teen idol singers
  • Adam Faith — Adam Faith was a British teen idol singer who scored early UK number-one hits such as “What Do You Want?” and “Poor Me.” He later acted in Budgie and in Foxes, and was also known as Terence Nelhams Wright.
• Teen idols
  • Fabian — Fabian is the stage name of the teen idol singer-actor known for hits like “Tiger” and “Turn Me Loose.” He also played a small role in Twelfth Night and appeared in films such as Fireball 500 and Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation.

• Hang On Sloopy — “Hang On Sloopy” is the McCoys’ 1965 hit and the official state rock song of Ohio. It is especially associated with Ohio State football and its repeated game-day play.

• Amboy Dukes
  • Journey to the Center of the Mind — This psychedelic hit was recorded by the Amboy Dukes and became one of their biggest successes. Ted Nugent was associated with the song, whose cover art has been read as drug imagery.
• Bill Haley and the Comets
  • Rock Around the Clock — “Rock Around the Clock” is Bill Haley and the Comets’ biggest hit and one of early rock and roll’s signature songs. It later became famous as the theme to Blackboard Jungle and was also associated with Happy Days.
• Billy Roberts
  • Hey Joe — “Hey Joe” is the rock song first written by Billy Roberts and later popularized by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Its familiar lyric asks where Joe is going with a gun in his hand, and the song has been widely covered by other artists.
• Bobby “Boris” Pickett
  • Monster Mash — Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s 1962 novelty Halloween song about a graveyard smash. It is famous for its spoken introduction from Boris, the line “when you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you,” and its laboratory monster party setting with the Crypt-Kickers backing group.
• Bobby Fuller Four
  • The Bobby Fuller Four — The Bobby Fuller Four were a Texas rock-and-roll group best known for a successful 1966 version of “I Fought the Law.” They also recorded songs like “Let Her Dance” and “Never to Be Forgotten,” and their namesake leader later died under mysterious circumstances.
• Disc jockeys
  • Alan Freed — Alan Freed was a Cleveland DJ who helped popularize the phrase rock and roll and organized the Moondog Coronation Ball. His career ended in the payola scandal, which also drew scrutiny to other radio personalities tied to record promotion.

• Fender — Fender is the guitar company famous for the Telecaster, Stratocaster, and Precision Bass. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, it spent decades shaping the sound and design of mass-produced electric instruments.

• Garage rock bands

  • The Hives — The Hives are a Swedish garage rock band from Fagersta, best known for songs like “Hate to Say I Told You So” and “Main Offender.” Quizbowl clues often mention their early albums Barely Legal and Veni Vidi Vicious, plus the fictional songwriter Randy Fitzsimmons.

  • The Sonics — The Sonics were a 1960s Tacoma garage rock band known for songs like “The Witch” and “Have Love Will Travel.” Their raw sound helped inspire later punk and garage acts, and they returned decades later with a 2015 album after a long recording gap.

  • The Kingsmen — The Kingsmen are the 1960s rock band best known for the garage-rock standard “Louie Louie.” Quizbowl clues usually focus on that song’s enduring popularity and its association with the band’s raw, iconic recording.

• Les Paul — Les Paul was a guitarist and inventor whose name is attached to a famous Gibson electric guitar. He also pioneered overdubbing and helped popularize the solid-body electric guitar through his prototype called The Log.

• Phil Phillips
  • Sea of Love — Sea of Love is the Phil Phillips song that later became a hit cover by the Honeydrippers. It also titles a film about a New York serial killer investigation starring Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino.

• Phil Spector — Phil Spector was the record producer behind the Wall of Sound and major girl-group hits such as the Ronettes. His career later became notorious for the 2003 murder of Lana Clarkson and for the infamous Christmas album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector.

• Richard Berry
  • Louie Louie — “Louie Louie” is the Richard Berry song that became the signature hit of the Kingsmen and one of the most famously covered rock songs. Its garbled lyrics led to FBI scrutiny over obscenity rumors, and the song has also been associated with efforts to make it a state song.
• Rock and roll musicians
  • Bo Diddley — Bo Diddley was the rock-and-roll singer and guitarist whose namesake beat popularized a driving 3-2 clave rhythm. He is associated with a rectangular guitar and songs such as “Bo Diddley” and “I’m a Man.”
• rockabilly — Rockabilly is a 1950s genre that fuses rock and roll with country, blues, and related roots styles. Artists associated with it include Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Bill Haley, and Wanda Jackson.
  • Carl Perkins — Carl Perkins was a Sun Records rockabilly songwriter best known for writing and recording “Blue Suede Shoes.” His other clues include touring with Johnny Cash, his association with the Million Dollar Quartet, and the hit “Matchbox.”
    • Blue Suede Shoes — “Blue Suede Shoes” is the Carl Perkins rock and roll standard about not damaging a prized pair of shoes. Elvis Presley also recorded the song, helping make it one of the best-known early rockabilly hits.
• Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
  • I Put a Spell on You — “I Put a Spell on You” is a song first associated with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and known for his theatrical, growling performance. It was later covered by Nina Simone and Bette Midler, the latter in Hocus Pocus.
• Sonny Curtis
  • Songs
    • I Fought the Law — “I Fought the Law” is a song written by Sonny Curtis and popularized by Bobby Fuller, later covered by the Clash and others. Its chorus about breaking rocks in the hot sun made it a common target for political cover versions.
• The Standells
  • Dirty Water — “Dirty Water” is a 1966 garage-rock song by The Standells and a Boston sports anthem. It was written by Ed Cobb and later became associated with the Red Sox after home wins at Fenway Park.
• Popular music genres
  • doo-wop — Doo-wop is a 1950s vocal style built around a lead singer and background harmony syllables rather than full instrumentation. Groups such as the Platters, the Five Satins, and the Teenagers helped define the genre.
    • Earth Angel — “Earth Angel” is a doo-wop hit recorded by the Penguins and later covered by the Crew-Cuts. Its title figure is asked, “Will you be mine?,” and the song is famous for appearing in the Enchantment Under the Sea dance scene in Back to the Future.

  • Go-go — Go-go is both a style of dance and a Washington, D.C., funk subgenre built around congas, cowbell, and call-and-response. The same words also appear in pop culture names such as The Go-Go’s and venues like Whiskey a Go Go.

  • rock and roll — Rock and roll is the driving popular genre associated with Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, the Beatles-era rebellion, and songs such as “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.” It also names a Cleveland Hall of Fame and a criticism movement that pushed back against anti-pop “rockism.”

    • Ike Turner — Ike Turner was a rock and roll pioneer who led the Kings of Rhythm and helped record “Rocket 88,” often cited as the first rock and roll record. He later led a revue and is also widely remembered for his turbulent marriage to Tina Turner.

    • Little Richard — Flamboyant early rock and roll singer and pianist known for his high-energy, piano-driven style and theatrical performances. His signature songs include “Tutti Frutti,” “Good Golly, Miss Molly,” and “Long Tall Sally”; he also recorded “Lucille” and other influential hits.

      • Tutti Frutti — “Tutti Frutti” is the Little Richard hit that helped launch rock and roll in the 1950s. Its signature opening exclamation and repeated title phrase make it one of the most recognizable early rock recordings.
• Stealers Wheel
  • Songs
    • Stuck in the Middle with You — “Stuck in the Middle with You” is a Stealers Wheel song best known for its use in Reservoir Dogs. In the film, it plays during Mr. Blonde’s torture scene, where he slices off a hostage’s ear.
• surf rock instrumentals
  • Wipeout — Wipeout is the famous 1960s surf instrumental by the Surfaris. It is also the name of a racing video-game series that includes WipEout 2097 and WipEout XL.
• The Beach Boys

  • Beach Boys — The Beach Boys are the California surf rock group behind Pet Sounds, California Girls, and Help Me Rhonda. Their early identity as the Pendletones and later albums like Holland and Sunflower are recurring identifiers, along with Brian Wilson’s central role in the band’s acclaimed songwriting.

  • _Surfer Girl_ — _Surfer Girl_ is a Beach Boys album from the California sound era. It includes songs such as “Little Deuce Coupe” and “Catch a Wave,” and the title track is one of the group’s best-known early hits.

  • Be True to Your School — “Be True to Your School” is a 1963 Beach Boys hit that praises school spirit and letterman pride. It was also the title of Bob Greene’s 1964 diary memoir.

  • California Girls — “California Girls” is the Beach Boys song celebrating women from the title state, with the famous lyric about girls in bikinis and sun-kissed skin. The title has also been used by songs from Katy Perry, The Magnetic Fields, and others, but the Beach Boys hit is the canonical answer.

  • God Only Knows — “God Only Knows” is a Beach Boys song from Pet Sounds, sung by Carl Wilson. It is famous for its opening line, “I may not always love you,” and for its lush vocal harmonies and horn-driven arrangement.

  • Good Vibrations — “Good Vibrations” is the Beach Boys’ 1966 single famously described as a pocket symphony. Brian Wilson’s production uses Van Dyke Parks’s cello parts and an electro-theremin-like ribbon synthesizer sound. Its lyrics follow the singer’s attraction to a woman and repeatedly mention the “excitations” he gets from her.

  • Kokomo — “Kokomo” is a 1988 Beach Boys song from Still Cruisin’ that became their last number-one hit. Its chorus strings together tropical place names such as Aruba and Jamaica, and the video famously features John Stamos on congas.

  • Shut Down Volume 2
    • Fun, Fun, Fun — “Fun, Fun, Fun” is a Beach Boys song about a girl driving her father’s Thunderbird instead of doing what she was told. It appeared on Shut Down Volume 2 and was covered by acts including the Carpenters and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.
  • Songs

    • Sloop John B — “Sloop John B” is the folk song made famous by the Beach Boys on Pet Sounds, where it closes the album’s A-side. Its lyrics tell of a miserable voyage on the title ship and a repeated desire to go home, with the famous Beach Boys version softening the word “break” to “broke.”

    • Surfin’ U.S.A. — “Surfin’ U.S.A.” is a 1963 Beach Boys song set to the tune of Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen.” Its lyrics list California surf spots and describe the beach style associated with the early surf-rock craze.

  • Little Deuce Coupe — “Little Deuce Coupe” is a Beach Boys song about a souped-up hot rod with a flathead engine and lake pipes. The car is described as able to outrun a Thunderbird and reach 140 miles per hour.

• The Shirelles — The Shirelles were a 1960s girl group from Passaic known for hits such as “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”, “Soldier Boy,” and “Dedicated to the One I Love.” Their lineup included Shirley Alston, Addie Harris, Doris Kenner, and Beverly Lee, and they were one of the defining female vocal groups of early rock and roll.

• The Shangri-Las — The Shangri-Las were a 1960s girl group best known for ‘Leader of the Pack’ and ‘Remember (Walking in the Sand).’ Their records helped define dramatic teenage-pop harmonies with a tough, streetwise edge.
  • Leader of the Pack — “Leader of the Pack” is a Shangri-Las hit about a biker-gang romance that ends in the title character’s death. It is famous for its spoken-word pop style, motorcycle effects, and the shouted opening warning, “Look out, look out, look out!”

The British Invasion

• The Beatles — Liverpool; formed ca. 1960; Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Starr; debuted in the US on The Ed Sullivan Show February 9, 1964; evolved from Merseybeat through Sgt. Pepper experimentalism to Abbey Road; broke up 1970; most commercially successful band in history; Rubber Soul (1965) marked a turn toward folk influences and introspection; Revolver (1966) introduced studio experimentation and backward tape effects; Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) is the archetypal concept album and is frequently cited as the greatest rock album ever recorded.

  • Fifth Beatle — The phrase ‘Fifth Beatle’ is an unofficial title sometimes applied to key non-members associated with the Beatles. George Martin, Brian Epstein, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Pete Best are among the figures commonly linked to the label.

  • “Octopus’s Garden” — “Octopus’s Garden” is the Ringo Starr song on Abbey Road about a safe place beneath the sea where one would be happy and warm. The lyric imagines an underwater hideaway where octopuses gather shiny objects and stones.

  • A Day in the Life — “A Day in the Life” is the closing track on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, built around John Lennon’s newspaper-inspired opening verse and Paul McCartney’s middle section. Its famous orchestral crescendos and final piano chord make it one of the Beatles’ most iconic album tracks.

  • Abbey Road — Abbey Road is the 1969 Beatles album whose cover shows the band crossing the title street. Its clues usually include “Come Together,” “Here Comes the Sun,” the 16-minute medley on side two, “Her Majesty,” and the opening line borrowed from Chuck Berry.
    • Maxwell’s Silver Hammer — “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is a Beatles song from Abbey Road about a serial killer named Maxwell Edison. Its victims include a teacher, a judge, and a student named Joan, all struck down with the title weapon.
      • Maxwell Edison — Maxwell Edison is the Beatle song character who murders women with his titular silver hammer. He appears in “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” a darkly comic Abbey Road song built around his killings.
    • Mean Mr. Mustard — Mean Mr. Mustard is the Beatles character-song from Abbey Road about a miserly old man. He sleeps in the park, keeps money hidden on him, and is linked to the album’s medley with Sun King.

  • Across the Universe — Across the Universe is a Beatles song from Let It Be, famous for its Sanskrit chorus and the line that nothing’s going to change the singer’s world. The title also gives its name to the 2007 jukebox musical film built from Beatles songs.

  • All You Need Is Love — “All You Need Is Love” is a Beatles song first released on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack album. It is famous for its global singalong chorus and for quoting La Marseillaise and other musical works.

  • Apple Records — Apple Records was the Beatles’ record label, founded in 1968. Its name was inspired in part by a Magritte painting, and its parent company was involved in trademark disputes with Apple Computer.

  • Baby, You’re a Rich Man — “Baby, You’re a Rich Man” is a Beatles song released as the B-side to “All You Need Is Love.” It was assembled from two half-finished Lennon and McCartney fragments and includes the line about keeping money in a big brown bag inside a zoo.

  • Come Together — “Come Together” is the opening track on Abbey Road and a Lennon song whose lyrics begin with the famous “here come old flat-top” line. It was tied to a plagiarism dispute with Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me” and later appeared in a different solo arrangement by John Lennon.

  • Do You Want to Know a Secret — “Do You Want to Know a Secret” is a Beatles song sung on the album Please Please Me and later recorded as a hit by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Its lyric asks the listener to promise not to tell before the singer confesses love.

  • Don’t Pass Me By — “Don’t Pass Me By” is a Beatles song sung by Ringo Starr. Its most memorable line comes from Ringo’s reference to a car crash and losing hair.

  • Eight Days a Week — “Eight Days a Week” is a Beatles song from Beatles for Sale, built around the repeated boast of needing love “eight days a week.” It is one of the group’s better-known early hits and was later awkwardly adapted in a country performance context.

  • Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey — “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey” is a White Album track by the Beatles with a famously frantic, stop-start feel. Its chorus centers on Lennon repeating the title line, with the song often noted for its handbells and its link to the later album closer “Helter Skelter.”

  • Free as a Bird — “Free as a Bird” is the Beatles song built from an old John Lennon demo and released in 1995 as part of the Anthology project. Paul McCartney added new verses to complete it, making it one of the best-known posthumous Beatles releases.

  • George Harrison — George Harrison was the lead guitarist of the Beatles and a major solo songwriter behind “Something,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Here Comes the Sun.” He later organized the Concert for Bangladesh and recorded All Things Must Pass.

    • All Things Must Pass — All Things Must Pass is George Harrison’s 1970 triple album, including “My Sweet Lord,” “Isn’t It a Pity,” and the title track. It also features the Apple Jam disc and contributions from musicians like Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr.

    • Brainwashed — Brainwashed is George Harrison’s 2002 posthumous album, released after his death and featuring songs such as “Marwa Blues” and “Any Road.” It won a posthumous Grammy for “Marwa Blues.”

    • Got My Mind Set on You — “Got My Mind Set on You” is a song title from George Harrison’s solo career. It is notably a six-word title, a detail sometimes used as a clue in word-count music questions.

    • My Sweet Lord — “My Sweet Lord” is George Harrison’s 1970 solo hit, his first transatlantic number one and a spiritual song built around Hindu devotional chant. The song later became famous for a plagiarism lawsuit alleging similarity to the Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine.”

    • Something — “Something” is George Harrison’s ballad from Abbey Road and one of the Beatles’ best-known love songs. Released as a single with “Come Together,” it became Harrison’s only U.S. number-one hit with the Beatles.

    • The Inner Light — “The Inner Light” is a George Harrison song first released as the B-side to “Lady Madonna.” It is also the title of a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode in which Picard lives a full lifetime as Kamin on a dying planet and ends by playing a flute.

    • While My Guitar Gently Weeps — While My Guitar Gently Weeps is a George Harrison song from the Beatles’ White Album. It features Eric Clapton on lead guitar and is famous for its descending bass line and mournful meditation on disunity.

  • Get Back — “Get Back” is a Beatles song released in 1969 with “Don’t Let Me Down” on the B-side and later gave its name to Peter Jackson’s documentary about the Let It Be sessions. Its lyrics introduce Jojo, a man from Tucson, Arizona, and end with the band’s joking line about having passed the audition.

  • Glass Onion — “Glass Onion” is a Beatles song from the White Album written by John Lennon in response to fans who searched for hidden meanings in the band’s lyrics. Its lyrics quote or reference several other Beatles songs, including “I Am the Walrus,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” and “The Fool on the Hill.”

  • Hello, Goodbye — This Beatles song contrasts greetings and farewells in its repeated lyrics and became a major single in 1967. It was released after Brian Epstein’s death and was famously paired on the single with “I Am the Walrus.”

  • Help! — Help! is a Beatles album and the soundtrack to their second film of the same name. It includes songs such as “Help!,” “The Night Before,” “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away,” and the British release of “Yesterday.”

  • Helter Skelter — ‘Helter Skelter’ is the Beatles song from the White Album that Charles Manson misread as a prophecy of racial apocalypse. Vincent Bugliosi used the phrase as the title of his book on the Manson murders. In music questions, the song is identified by its frantic hard-rock style and Ringo Starr’s shouted closing line. It originated as a response to claims that The Who had made the loudest song.

  • Hey Jude — “Hey Jude” is the Beatles song credited to Lennon and McCartney and dedicated to Julian Lennon. Its chorus urges Jude to “take a sad song and make it better.”

  • I Am the Walrus — “I Am the Walrus” is a Beatles song from Magical Mystery Tour, famous for its surreal imagery and shouted refrain about the eggman. It also includes spoken excerpts from King Lear and the nonsense lyric about yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog’s eye.

  • I Wanna Hold Your Hand — “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” was the Beatles’ first number one in the United States and was rushed out after being played on American radio. It was released with “I Saw Her Standing There” on the B-side after Brian Epstein pushed the group to write for the American market.

  • I Want to Hold Your Hand — “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was the Beatles’ first number-one hit in the United States. Its opening and chorus made it one of the band’s signature early singles, with the line about feeling happy inside when touching the beloved.

  • In My Life — “In My Life” is a Beatles song about remembering the people and places of the past. The title also appears in a Les Misérables duet between Cosette and Marius that asks whether he knows she is alive.

  • Jimmy Nicol — Jimmy Nicol is the drummer who briefly filled in for Ringo Starr when the Beatles toured in 1964. He played the band’s June 1964 dates while Starr was hospitalized with tonsillitis or throat trouble.

  • John Lennon — A former Beatle and member of the Beatles, he was the husband of Yoko Ono and later recorded songs such as “Give Peace a Chance” with the Plastic Ono Band. His solo songs include “Imagine,” “Mother,” and “Instant Karma!” He appeared in iconic images including the Rolling Stone nude portrait with Ono and the cover of Imagine, and was photographed naked with her shortly before his 1980 assassination by Mark David Chapman; his death was reported during a Monday Night Football broadcast.

    • Give Peace a Chance — “Give Peace a Chance” is John Lennon’s antiwar anthem first recorded in the Plastic Ono Band era. It became closely associated with the bed-in era and with a crowd of countercultural figures chanting its refrain.

    • How Do You Sleep? — “How Do You Sleep?” is John Lennon’s caustic 1971 attack on Paul McCartney. Its lyrics dismiss McCartney’s work and insult him over the Beatles breakup and post-Beatles rivalry.

    • Imagine — “Imagine” is John Lennon’s famous solo song urging listeners to picture a world without nations or religion. It became closely associated with New Year’s celebrations and has been repeatedly performed and reinterpreted in modern pop culture.

    • Instant Karma! — “Instant Karma!” is a 1970 John Lennon song produced by Phil Spector. It is the song with the refrain “we all shine on” and the warning that “pretty soon you’re gonna be dead.”

  • Lady Madonna — “Lady Madonna” is a Beatles song about an overworked mother facing a week of domestic mishaps. Its lyrics mention a missing suitcase, missing newspapers, and torn stockings, and it was later used as the theme for Grace Under Fire.

  • Let It Be — Let It Be is a Beatles album and title song associated with the line “Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom.” It was the band’s final recorded album before their breakup and includes “Across the Universe.”

  • Let It Be… Naked — Let It Be… Naked is a stripped-down 2003 Beatles release that removes Phil Spector’s orchestration from the original Let It Be album. It replaces tracks like ‘Dig It’ and ‘Maggie Mae’ with ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ and also removes the original between-song dialogue.

  • Love Me Do — This was the Beatles’ debut single, with a prominent harmonica opening and multiple recorded versions featuring different drummers. A version with Andy White on drums was long used in place of the first release, making the song a famous case of alternate Beatles sessions.

  • Magical Mystery Tour — Magical Mystery Tour is the Beatles release that includes “I Am the Walrus,” “All You Need Is Love,” and the title track “Magical Mystery Tour.” It was first issued as two EPs and is often identified by the psychedelic cover art and the surreal film sequence that shares its name.

  • Meet the Beatles — Meet the Beatles! was the Beatles’ first U.S. album, released in 1964 and built around early hits such as “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “All My Loving,” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” Its title signaled the band’s arrival for American audiences after the British breakthrough.

  • Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) — “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” is a Beatles song written by John Lennon and released on Rubber Soul. It is known for its sitar part and for its first-person lyrics about a brief encounter that end in the narrator burning the apartment furniture.

  • Paperback Writer — “Paperback Writer” is the 1966 Beatles single in which a would-be author begs to have his manuscript read. The song was released with “Rain” and is remembered as one of the band’s non-love-song singles.

  • Paul is dead — Paul is dead is the conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney died and was replaced by a lookalike. The rumor drew support from supposed clues on Abbey Road, in backward lyrics, and in other Beatles imagery.

  • Paul McCartney — The English singer-songwriter and former Beatle wrote many Lennon-McCartney songs, including “Yesterday,” “Hey Jude,” and “Let It Be.” After the Beatles he led Wings and also released solo works such as Ecce Cor Meum and High in the Clouds. His other associated works include “Band on the Run,” “Silly Love Songs,” and the lyrics and poetry collection Blackbird Singing; he is also recognized for the Liverpool-themed crest mentioned in the records.

    • Give My Regards to Broad Street — Give My Regards to Broad Street is Paul McCartney’s 1984 soundtrack album tied to the film of the same name. It mostly revisits earlier hits and is associated with his collaboration with George Martin after the Beatles era.

    • Paul McCartney and Wings — Wings was Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles rock band, fronted by him in the 1970s. The band recorded songs such as “Jet” and “Mull of Kintyre,” the latter notable for its bagpipe arrangement.

      • Band on the Run — Band on the Run is the 1973 Wings album and title song associated with the lyric about escaping from prison and the names Jailer Man and Sailor Sam. The album also includes the song ‘Jet’ and is one of Paul McCartney’s best-known post-Beatles releases.

      • Mull of Kintyre — Mull of Kintyre is a Paul McCartney and Wings song named for a peninsula in Scotland. It was a 1977 Christmas number one in Britain and later inspired football chants, including one associated with Charlton Athletic.

    • Say Say Say — “Say Say Say” is a 1983 number-one duet by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson from the album Pipes of Peace. Its video casts the pair as carnival swindlers, making the song a frequent answer in questions about Jackson collaborations.

    • Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey — “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” is Paul and Linda McCartney’s 1971 medley from the album Ram. It was a U.S. number one hit and includes the memorable line about having a hand across the water and heads across the sky.

  • Penny Lane — “Penny Lane” is the Beatles song about a Liverpool street, released as a double A-side with “Strawberry Fields Forever.” It is famous for David Mason’s piccolo trumpet solo, its surreal local-character portraits, and its references to a barber, a fireman, and a nurse selling poppies.

  • Pete Best — Pete Best was the Beatles’ original drummer before being replaced by Ringo Starr in 1962. He is remembered for joining the band before the Hamburg period and for being dismissed after the early peak of their career.

  • Piggies — “Piggies” is a Beatles song from the White Album, marked by satirical lyrics about class and animals eating bacon with forks and knives. Its harpsichord-and-strings arrangement helps give the song its pointedly whimsical tone.

  • Please Please Me — “Please Please Me” is the Beatles song and album title track associated with their early 1963 debut. The single version was paired with “Ask Me Why,” and the album also included “Love Me Do,” “Twist and Shout,” and other early covers. It was the Beatles’ first studio album in Britain, and the American version was retitled Introducing… The Beatles.

  • Revolver
    • Taxman — “Taxman” is the George Harrison song that opens Revolver and criticizes high taxes with the famous “one for you, nineteen for me” line. Its lyrics also target British politicians like Harold Wilson and Edward Heath.
  • Ringo Starr — Ringo Starr, born Richard Starkey, was the Beatles’ drummer. He is known for his shout at the end of “Helter Skelter” and for a long acting and voice-acting career, including parts in cult films and Thomas the Tank Engine-related projects. Before the Beatles, later musicians sometimes replaced him in earlier bands.

    • It Don’t Come Easy — This 1971 Ringo Starr song reached number four and appeared in The Simpsons episode “Brush with Greatness.” It was also Ringo’s contribution to The Concert for Bangladesh and followed his album Beaucoups of Blues.

    • No No Song — “No No Song” is Ringo Starr’s novelty hit from Goodnight Vienna. Written by Hoyt Axton, it humorously warns against smoking, sniffing, and drinking.

  • Rocky Raccoon — “Rocky Raccoon” is a Beatles song sung from the perspective of a wounded cowboy in South Dakota. The song’s story involves Nancy, Dan, a shooting, and a Gideon Bible that leads the title character to salvation.

  • Rubber Soul — Rubber Soul is the 1965 Beatles album that follows Revolver and includes “Norwegian Wood,” “Nowhere Man,” “The Word,” and “In My Life.” It is often credited with pushing the Beatles toward greater musical sophistication, including wider use of sitar and harmonium, and it influenced later work such as Pet Sounds.

  • Run For Your Life — “Run For Your Life” is the closing track on Rubber Soul and one of John Lennon’s most notorious Beatles songs. Its lyric threatens a lover with death if she is with another man, which is the song’s most cited identifying line.

  • Sexy Sadie — “Sexy Sadie” is a Beatles song from the White Album written by John Lennon about the Maharishi. He originally called it “Maharishi,” but changed the title after worrying about legal problems.

  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band — Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the Beatles’ fictional alter ego band from the 1967 concept album of the same name. The album’s frame includes the title band’s concert and ends with “A Day in the Life.”
    • Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! — “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” is a Beatles song from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Its lyrics were inspired by a nineteenth-century circus poster and include the line about Henry the Horse.
      • Mr. Kite — Mr. Kite is the title figure of the Beatles song “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”, inspired by a real nineteenth-century circus performer. The song evokes a bustling fair scene with Henry the Horse and the Hendersons, and was based on a poster for Pablo Fanque’s circus.

    • Billy Shears — Billy Shears is Ringo Starr’s alter ego in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, introduced as the lead singer of the fictional group. He is credited with singing “With a Little Help from My Friends,” which is the second song on the album and one of its most familiar tracks.

    • Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band — Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the Beatles’ 1967 album that ends with “A Day in the Life.” It is one of the defining psychedelic rock albums, famous for its ornate cover and cohesive studio concept.

  • She Loves You — “She Loves You” is a Beatles single that became one of the group’s earliest huge international hits. Written by Lennon and McCartney, it was Britain’s best-selling single until the late 1970s and is famous for its repeated “yeah, yeah, yeah.”

  • She’s Leaving Home — “She’s Leaving Home” is a Beatles song from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, sung as a narrative about a girl who runs away. It opens with the line about Wednesday morning at five o’clock and centers on the parents’ reaction that their baby is gone.

  • Songs

    • Back in the U.S.S.R. — A Beatles song on the White Album and its opening track, built around the line about flying in from Miami Beach on BOAC and not getting to bed last night. It humorously frames a return to the Soviet Union through rock-and-roll parody, with lyrics that invoke Ukraine and Soviet imagery in a travel-song and beach-party style.

    • Eleanor Rigby — “Eleanor Rigby” is the Beatles song about lonely people, featuring the image of a face kept in a jar by the door and a woman who dies in a church and is buried with her name. The title character’s identity has been the subject of debate, but the song remains one of the band’s most famous Revolver tracks.

    • Lovely Rita — “Lovely Rita” is the Beatles song about a meter maid who catches the singer’s attention. The lyric sketch includes a date and a comic refusal of romance because of her sisters’ presence.

    • Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds — “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is a Beatles song from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. John Lennon denied drug references, though the title’s initials fueled the LSD association.

  • Strawberry Fields Forever — “Strawberry Fields Forever” is the Beatles song named for a Liverpool location and released as a double A-side with “Penny Lane.” It is famous for merging two takes in different keys, with John Lennon’s voice audibly shifting, and for its surreal lyrics about a place where ‘nothing is real.’ Clues also mention Lennon’s spoken “Cranberry Sauce” ending and the proto-music-video imagery of the band pouring paint onto a piano.

  • Stuart Sutcliffe — Stuart Sutcliffe was the Beatles’ original bassist and one of the group’s early artistic figures. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1962 and is often remembered for his relationship with Astrid Kirchherr and his association with Backbeat.

  • The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill — “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” is a Beatles song written by John Lennon about a man who goes tiger hunting while staying at an ashram. The title is a playful reference to a Wild West figure and the Jungle Jim comic-strip character.

  • The Long and Winding Road — “The Long and Winding Road” is a Beatles song associated with a heavily orchestrated Phil Spector arrangement on the original release. Its lyrics dwell on loneliness and longing, and it later received a new arrangement by George Martin.

  • Tomorrow Never Knows — “Tomorrow Never Knows” is the closing track on Revolver and one of the Beatles’ most experimental songs. Its hypnotic sound comes from tape loops, droning vocals, and a heavily processed arrangement, and it is often linked to psychedelic and LSD-era imagery.

  • Twist and Shout — This Beatles song became famous again after Ferris Bueller’s Day Off used it in its parade scene. It was originally a 1964 hit, and its opening line begins, “Well, shake it up, baby now!”

  • When I’m 64 — When I’m 64 is the Beatles song about growing old, with lyrics about postcards, grandchildren, and being handy with a fuse.

  • When I’m Sixty-Four — “When I’m Sixty-Four” is a Beatles song from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band about aging and domestic life. Its narrator asks whether a partner will still need and feed him at the titular age, while imagining cottage rentals and grandchildren named Vera, Chuck, and Dave. It opens with a line about getting older and losing one’s hair and is one of the group’s lighter, music-hall-influenced tracks.

  • White Album — The Beatles’ self-titled 1968 double album, officially titled The Beatles, is commonly called the White Album because of its stark white cover designed by Richard Hamilton. It opens with “Back in the U.S.S.R.” and includes “Dear Prudence,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Glass Onion,” “Mother Nature’s Son,” “Revolution 1,” “Happiness Is a Warm Gun,” “Helter Skelter,” “Rocky Raccoon,” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

    • Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey — “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey” is a Beatles song from the White Album. Its lyrics play with paradoxical, surreal imagery and were written by John Lennon.

    • Revolution 9 — “Revolution 9” is the Beatles’ famous White Album sound collage, built from studio manipulation, tape loops, and experimental effects. Its eerie fragments and repeated “number nine” loop make it one of the band’s most notorious avant-garde tracks.

  • Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? — “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” is a brief Beatles track from the White Album built around the title line and the lyric “No one will be watching us.” Its blunt, repetitive wording makes it one of the album’s most stripped-down songs.

  • With the Beatles — With the Beatles is the second studio album by the Beatles, following Please Please Me. It includes songs such as “It Won’t Be Long,” “Money,” and “Please Mr. Postman.”

  • Yellow Submarine — “Yellow Submarine” is a Beatles song sung by Ringo Starr about everyone living in the title vessel. It also gave its name to the 1968 album and animated film featuring the Blue Meanies.

  • Yesterday — “Yesterday” is the Beatles ballad originally known by the working title “Scrambled Eggs.” It opens with a plaintive memory of when troubles seemed far away and is one of Paul McCartney’s most famous songs.

  • Yesterday…and Today — Yesterday…and Today is the Beatles’ controversial 1966 U.S.-only album best remembered for the “butcher cover” of dolls and raw meat. Its tracks were assembled from several British releases and the “Day Tripper” single.

  • “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” — “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” is a Beatles song from the White Album. Its lyrics jump between surreal images and culminate in the title phrase spoken over a tense, fragmented arrangement.

  • Michelle — “Michelle” is a Beatles song from Rubber Soul, with Paul McCartney singing to his French-speaking beloved. Its most memorable clue is the repeated line “these are words that go together well.” The song also includes French lyrics such as “ma belle” and “très bien ensemble.”

  • Savoy Truffle — “Savoy Truffle” is a Beatles song from The White Album written by George Harrison. Its lyrics were inspired by the names of chocolates in Eric Clapton’s box of sweets and mention the need to have bad teeth pulled out after eating them.
• The Rolling Stones — London; Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards founding core; rooted in Chicago blues; harder, more sexually provocative image than the Beatles; Exile on Main St. (1972) often cited as peak achievement; Richards’s open-G tuning and riff vocabulary. Their classic songs include “Satisfaction,” “Paint It, Black,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and “Sympathy for the Devil,” and their 1972 American tour was filmed in Cocksucker Blues.

  • (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction — “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” is the Rolling Stones hit driven by Keith Richards’s riff and a narrator’s frustrated search for the title feeling. It was later covered by artists including Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, and Devo, and Britney Spears also recorded a version.

  • A Bigger Bang — A Bigger Bang is a Rolling Stones album released in 2005, featuring songs like “Rough Justice,” “Sweet Neo-Con,” and “Laugh, I Nearly Died.” Its release was promoted with a surprise performance and it was linked to the band’s later world tour and a Martin Scorsese-filmed concert.

  • Beast of Burden — “Beast of Burden” is a Rolling Stones song from Some Girls, known for its repeated questions about whether the singer is “hard enough” or “rich enough.” It was later covered by artists such as Bette Midler and Lifehouse, and its title refers to a work animal that carries labor for humans.

  • Beggars Banquet — Beggars Banquet is the Rolling Stones album that marked a return to their blues roots after Their Satanic Majesties Request. It includes “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Street Fighting Man,” two of the band’s most famous late-1960s songs.
    • Sympathy for the Devil — The title song of Beggars Banquet, “Sympathy for the Devil” is the Rolling Stones’ Lucifer monologue, with Mick Jagger’s narrator boasting of events from St. Petersburg to the Kennedy assassination. It is often recognized by its references to European religious wars, the Romanovs, and the refrain asking who killed the Kennedys.

  • Brian Jones — Brian Jones was one of the founding Rolling Stones and the band’s original guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He died in 1969 after drowning in his swimming pool, and his death later inspired a Hyde Park tribute and the film Stoned.

  • Bridges to Babylon — Bridges to Babylon is a Rolling Stones studio album released in 1997. It includes songs such as “Anybody Seen My Baby,” “Saint of Me,” and “Might As Well Get Juiced.”

  • Exile on Main St. — The Rolling Stones’ 1972 double album, recorded largely at Villa Nellcôte in France. It includes “Tumbling Dice,” “Happy,” “Shine a Light,” “Sweet Virginia,” “Rocks Off,” and “Rip This Joint.”

  • Get Off of My Cloud — Get Off of My Cloud is a Rolling Stones song built around a complaint about being left alone in a high-rise apartment.

  • Gimme Shelter — “Gimme Shelter” is the Rolling Stones’ opening track on Let It Bleed, featuring Merry Clayton’s famous cracked vocal on the line about “rape, murder”. It also names the Maysles Brothers documentary about Altamont, the 1969 concert where Meredith Hunter was killed.

  • Jumpin’ Jack Flash — Jumpin’ Jack Flash is both a Rolling Stones song and the title of a 1986 Whoopi Goldberg comedy-thriller directed by Penny Marshall. The song’s opening lines about being born in a cross-fire hurricane are among its best-known clues.

  • Jumping Jack Flash — “Jumping Jack Flash” is a Rolling Stones song that opens with the famous image of being “born in a cross-fire hurricane.” It is one of the band’s signature hard-rock tracks and has been widely covered, including on Frampton Comes Alive!.

  • Keith Richards — Keith Richards is the longtime lead guitarist of the Rolling Stones and one half of the band’s “Glimmer Twins” partnership with Mick Jagger. He co-wrote “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” wrote the bestselling autobiography Life, and helped inspire the character of Jack Sparrow.

  • Let It Bleed — Let It Bleed is the 1969 Rolling Stones album with the famous cover cluttered with objects like a cake, tire, and stacked turntable. Its best-known songs include “Gimme Shelter,” “Midnight Rambler,” “Love in Vain,” “Monkey Man,” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

  • Mick Jagger — Mick Jagger is the lead singer of the Rolling Stones and is famous for his stage presence and dance moves. His name is often used as a shorthand for swagger in pop songs.

  • Mick Taylor — Mick Taylor is the guitarist who joined the Rolling Stones after Brian Jones’s death and briefly became part of the band’s classic-era lineup. Before that, he played with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and later appeared on Stones material such as Let It Bleed.

  • Miss You — “Miss You” is a Rolling Stones song from Some Girls, famous for its disco-influenced groove and Mick Jagger’s falsetto chorus. The lyrics describe wandering through Central Park at night and waiting for a friend’s late-night visit.

  • Mother’s Little Helper — “Mother’s Little Helper” is a Rolling Stones song about a little yellow pill that helps with the pressures of getting old. It is often identified by the line about how “kids are different today.”

  • Out of Our Heads — Out of Our Heads is a Rolling Stones album that includes “Satisfaction” and “The Last Time.” It is one of the band’s classic mid-1960s releases.

  • Paint It Black — “Paint It Black” is the Rolling Stones song from Aftermath in which the singer wants a red door to have no color anymore. The song became a staple of film and cover versions, including its use in The Untouchables and numerous later recordings.

  • Play with Fire — “Play with Fire” is a Rolling Stones song with lyrics about wealth, nightlife, and social danger.

  • Songs

    • Honky Tonk Woman — “Honky Tonk Woman” is a Rolling Stones song about a New York divorcee and the rough-edged country nightlife around her. Its memorable lines include the narrator being covered in roses and the refrain about having one’s nose blown and mind blown.

    • You Can’t Always Get What You Want — “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is a Rolling Stones song from Let It Bleed, famous for the London Bach Choir and its refrain that if you try sometimes, you get what you need. It is often identified by its funeral-scene use in The Big Chill and by the Mr. Jimmy lyric.

  • Sticky Fingers — Sticky Fingers is the Rolling Stones’ 1971 album famous for its Andy Warhol cover with a working zipper. The album includes songs such as “Brown Sugar,” “Bitch,” “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” and “Sway.”

  • Street Fighting Man — “Street Fighting Man” is a Rolling Stones song from the 1960s with lyrics about a palace revolution and compromise. It belongs to the band’s politically charged late-1960s output.

  • Tattoo You — Tattoo You is a Rolling Stones album that follows Emotional Rescue and opens with ‘Start Me Up.’ Its track list includes rockers like ‘Slave’ and ‘Little T&A’ alongside ballads such as ‘Waiting on a Friend’ and ‘Worried About You.’

  • Their Satanic Majesties Request — Their Satanic Majesties Request is the Rolling Stones’ 1968 psychedelic album, issued as a response to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It is remembered for songs like “She’s a Rainbow” and for its elaborate 3-D cover art.

  • Voodoo Lounge
    • Out of Tears — “Out of Tears” is a Rolling Stones song with a slow, reflective sound and lyrics about emotional pain and heartbreak. It appears on the album Voodoo Lounge.

  • Wild Horses — Wild Horses is a Rolling Stones song about a love so strong that the singer says the title animals could not drag him away. The same title was later used by a Garth Brooks song, whose title creatures are said to do what they cannot in the more famous version.

  • “Angie” — “Angie” is the Rolling Stones ballad from 1973, famous for its melancholy farewell to the title woman. The song also appears as the source of Hans-Joachim Klein’s nom de guerre and has been used in questions about a 1970s sitcom character named Angie.

  • “Tumbling Dice” — “Tumbling Dice” is a Rolling Stones song with the refrain about being a “partner in crime” and being rolled like the title objects. Its lyrics describe the singer as a “lone crap shooter” and use gambling imagery throughout.

  • Rolling Stones

    • Altamont Speedway Free Festival — The Altamont Speedway Free Festival was the 1969 Rolling Stones concert in California remembered for violence and the killing of Meredith Hunter. It is often contrasted with Woodstock and documented in Gimme Shelter, with the Hell’s Angels hired as security.

    • Ron Wood — Ron Wood is a guitarist best known for joining the Rolling Stones in 1976 after earlier work with groups like the Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. He also had a career as a musician in the British rock scene beyond his later fame with the Stones.

  • Satisfaction — “Satisfaction” is the Rolling Stones song that became their first U.S. number one hit. The title also names Benny Benassi’s electro-house hit built from text-to-speech vocals repeating “push me, and then just touch me.”
• The Who — Pete Townshend (windmill-strum guitar), Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Keith Moon; power pop and mod; Tommy (1969), the first rock opera; Quadrophenia (1973); “My Generation.” Known for instrument-smashing performances and songs such as “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and for the live album Live at Leeds.
  • A Quick One
    • Happy Jack — “Happy Jack” is a Who song and title track from The Who’s second British album, A Quick One. The title character is a cheerful figure associated with the Isle of Man and sung about in the group’s early catalog.

  • I Can See for Miles — “I Can See for Miles” is a Who single from The Who Sell Out, their only U.S. top-10 hit from that album. Pete Townshend wrote the song, which became one of the band’s best-known late-1960s singles.

  • Keith Moon — Keith Moon was the explosive, eccentric drummer for the Who, famous for smashing equipment and for his chaotic stage presence. He sang on a few Who tracks and died in 1978 from an overdose shortly after the release of Who Are You?

  • Pete Townshend — Pete Townshend is the guitarist and principal songwriter for The Who, associated with Tommy, Quadrophenia, and Who’s Next. His acoustic performance at the Secret Policeman’s Ball helped inspire the later unplugged style.
    • White City — White City is a 1985 concept album by Pete Townshend, issued with the subtitle “A Novel.” The name also refers to the Tel Aviv district of Bauhaus buildings and to Daniel Burnham’s planning project in Jackson Park.

  • Quadrophenia — Quadrophenia is The Who’s 1973 double album and rock opera about a young mod in 1964. It includes songs such as “The Real Me” and “Love, Reign O’er Me,” and was later adapted into a 1979 film starring Phil Daniels.

  • Songs
    • Won’t Get Fooled Again — “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is a song by The Who that closes with the line “Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss.” It appears on Who’s Next and is known for Roger Daltrey’s scream and its disillusioned take on revolution.

  • the kids are alright — “The Kids Are Alright” is a Who song whose opening line says the singer does not mind other guys dancing with his girl. The title also belongs to a 1979 documentary about The Who, and its phrase was reused for later songs and albums.

  • The Who Sell Out — The Who Sell Out is The Who’s 1967 album built around mock commercials and radio jingles. It includes “I Can See for Miles,” “Tattoo,” and “Odorono,” and the title plays on the band’s apparent embrace of corporate style.

  • Tommy — Tommy is the 1969 rock opera by The Who about a “deaf, dumb, and blind” boy who becomes a kind of messianic pinball prodigy. The title also turns up as a generic nickname for British soldiers and as the name of a character in Never Let Me Go.

    • Baba O’Riley — “Baba O’Riley” is a song by The Who, often misidentified as “Teenage Wasteland” because of its memorable chorus line and the fact that the title is never stated in the lyrics. It is known for its repeating opening synth/keyboard figure and for closing the 2012 London Olympics. The title refers to Pete Townshend’s friend and spiritual guru Meher Baba and to violinist Terry Riley.

    • Pinball Wizard — “Pinball Wizard” is a Who song from Tommy about a deaf, dumb, and blind pinball prodigy. Its lyrics describe a player who seems to read the machine by instinct rather than sight.

    • The Acid Queen — The Acid Queen is a song from The Who’s Tommy about a prostitute and drug dealer who promises to mend a child’s mind in one night. The phrase also titles Tina Turner’s second solo album, which was named for her role in the film version of Tommy.

    • Tommy Walker — Tommy Walker is the deaf, dumb, and blind title character of The Who’s rock opera Tommy. He appears in songs such as “Pinball Wizard,” “Acid Queen,” “I’m Free,” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”

    • The Who’s Tommy — The Who’s Tommy is Pete Townshend’s rock opera about Tommy Walker, a deaf, dumb, and blind pinball prodigy. Its cast includes Uncle Ernie, Cousin Kevin, the Acid Queen, and Captain Walker, and it inspired both a film and a Broadway musical.

    • Uncle Ernie — Uncle Ernie is the abusive relative in Tommy, notorious for molting the title character and being portrayed in stage and film versions by several performers. He is an alcoholic, predatory figure who appears in the rock opera’s family story.

  • Who Are You — “Who Are You” is a song by The Who that became the opening theme for CSI. It appears on the band’s 1978 album of the same name and is remembered for its self-questioning chorus and Pete Townshend’s lyric about waking up after a drunken night.
• The Kinks — Ray Davies; British Invasion but more satirical and English-pastoral in later work; “You Really Got Me” (1964) with Dave Davies’s distorted guitar foreshadowed hard rock. Later songs such as “Waterloo Sunset” and “Lola,” and albums The Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur, further defined their satirical, English-pastoral style.

  • David Watts — “David Watts” is a Kinks song about a model schoolboy admired for his academic and athletic perfection. The song was later covered by The Jam and became a bitterly envious portrait of the title character’s success.

  • The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society — This 1968 Kinks album is a nostalgic tribute to an idealized England and was a commercial failure on release. Its tracks include “Do You Remember Walter?” and the title song, and it is often treated as one of Ray Davies’s signature concept albums.

  • Waterloo Sunset — “Waterloo Sunset” is a 1967 song by the Kinks from Something Else. Ray Davies’s lyric follows Terry and Julie at Waterloo station and contrasts their meeting with the singer’s own quiet contentment at home.

• The Yardbirds — British blues-rock group; succession of guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page.

• Music duos
  • John Lennon and Yoko Ono — John Lennon and Yoko Ono were an experimental and political art pair known for collaborative albums such as Unfinished Music and Wedding Album. They also staged performance pieces and public protests, including the Bed-In and the John Sinclair rally song.
    • Double Fantasy — Double Fantasy is the 1980 John Lennon and Yoko Ono album that was in Mark David Chapman’s possession when Lennon was shot. Singles from the album include “Watching the Wheels,” and copies signed by Chapman have become notorious collectibles.
• British Invasion bands

  • Dave Clark Five — The Dave Clark Five were a British Invasion rock band associated with songs like “Glad All Over,” “Bits and Pieces,” and “Over and Over.” They were one of the British bands whose name recognition was boosted in American pop culture sketches and music trivia alike.

  • Gerry and the Pacemakers — Gerry and the Pacemakers were a Liverpool band managed by Brian Epstein and part of the British Invasion. They scored hits with How Do You Do It?, Ferry Cross the Mersey, and Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying.

  • Herman’s Hermits — Herman’s Hermits were a British Invasion pop band fronted by Peter Noone. They scored hits with songs like “I’m Into Something Good,” “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” and “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am.”

    • Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter — “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” is a 1965 Herman’s Hermits hit about a speaker lamenting a romance that has ended. It was one of the band’s biggest songs and is commonly identified by its title refrain.
• Musical duos
  • Paul and Linda McCartney — Paul and Linda McCartney were a married musical duo best known together from Wings. They also appear in pop culture as the vegetarian advisers to Lisa Simpson in The Simpsons.

• Rory Storm and the Hurricanes — Rory Storm and the Hurricanes was a Liverpool rock band associated with the early careers of Ringo Starr. Ringo Starr played drums for the group before joining the Beatles, and they were among the acts that often opened for the Beatles.

• Manfred Mann — Manfred Mann was a South African-born musician whose namesake band scored hits such as “Doo Wah Diddy Diddy” and “The Mighty Quinn.” He later led Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, which had a major hit with “Blinded by the Light.”

• The Hollies — The Hollies are the British Invasion band from Manchester associated with Graham Nash before he left to form Crosby, Stills, and Nash. They are especially known for ‘Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress’ and for their later work after Nash’s departure.
  • Distant Light
    • Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress — “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” is a 1972 single by the Hollies from the album Distant Light. The song is built around a noir-style scene with an FBI man in a bar, and its title character is described as a tall, striking woman who “had it all.”

• Dave Berry — Dave Berry is an English singer best known for his 1964 version of “The Crying Game.” He was also known for obscuring his face in television appearances with props or masks.

• Music movements
  • British Invasion — The British Invasion was the wave of British rock and pop acts that dominated American charts and youth culture in the 1960s. Groups like the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Zombies helped define it, and MTV later inspired a related revival in the 1980s.

• Procol Harum — Procol Harum was a British rock band best known for “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Their catalog also includes songs such as “Conquistador” and albums like A Salty Dog and Broken Barricades.

• The Partridge Family
  • I Think I Love You — This Partridge Family song is the source of the opening quoted lyric about waking from a good dream. It is the group’s best-known hit, with the title phrase expressing uncertain affection.
• 10cc — 10cc was a British rock band known for hits like “I’m Not in Love,” “Dreadlock Holiday,” and “Rubber Bullets.” Their name is often explained as a reference to an ejaculation joke, though the band has denied that origin.
  • I’m Not in Love — “I’m Not in Love” is a 1975 song by 10cc built from layered, multitracked vocals rather than a standard pop arrangement. Its best-known line is the one about keeping a picture on the wall that hides a nasty stain.

• Joe Cocker — Joe Cocker was a British rock singer known for his gritty, raspy voice and dramatic stage movements. He became especially famous for his cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends,” performed with Mad Dogs and Englishmen, and later won a Grammy for “Up Where We Belong.” His cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends” later saw renewed attention when it was used for The Wonder Years. Mad Dogs and Englishmen was tied to Leon Russell’s tour arrangements.

• Steve Winwood — Steve Winwood is a singer and multi-instrumentalist known for work with the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith. His solo hits include “Higher Love,” “The Finer Things,” and “Roll With It,” and he previously sang “Gimme Some Lovin’.”

Folk-Rock and Singer-Songwriters

• Bob Dylan goes electric — Newport Folk Festival 1965; backlash from folk purists; Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited (1965), Blonde on Blonde (1966). At the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, he performed with electric backing instead of his earlier acoustic setup, prompting the folk-purist backlash that made the moment a defining one in his career and in rock history.

• The Byrds — Los Angeles; twelve-string Rickenbacker jangle; bridged folk and rock; “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Turn! Turn! Turn!”; Roger McGuinn. They were a Los Angeles band known for Roger McGuinn’s jangly twelve-string guitar and harmony-heavy folk rock. They are identified with “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” and later country-rock material associated with Gram Parsons. Their sound helped define folk rock, and David Crosby was one of the group’s key members.

• Simon and Garfunkel — Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel; folk-pop; “The Sound of Silence,” Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970). They were the Queens-born folk duo first known as Tom and Jerry. They are associated with “Scarborough Fair,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “The Boxer,” and “Cecilia,” and their music appears in The Graduate.

  • Canticle — “Canticle” is the anti-war counterpart to Simon and Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair.” Its lyrics condemn war and militarism while echoing the older folk song’s structure.

  • Hazy Shade of Winter — “Hazy Shade of Winter” is a Simon & Garfunkel song later covered by the Bangles for the film Less Than Zero. Its opening image of brown leaves and a darkened sky is one of the song’s most recognizable lines.

  • I Am a Rock — “I Am a Rock” is a Simon and Garfunkel song from Sounds of Silence about emotional isolation. The singer compares himself to a rock and an island that feel no pain and never cry.

  • Kathy’s Song — “Kathy’s Song” is a Simon & Garfunkel song built around reflective imagery and the line about drizzle falling like memory. It is often recognized by its gentle lyric opening and intimate, nostalgic tone.

  • Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, “The Times They Are a-Changin’” — Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are named as the performers of a cover of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’.”

  • Songs
    • Bridge Over Troubled Water — ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ is the title song of Simon and Garfunkel’s 1970 album and one of their signature recordings. Its lyrics include the promise to be a ‘bridge over troubled water’ and the line ‘sail on, silver girl.’
      • The Boxer — “The Boxer” is the Simon and Garfunkel song that begins with the poor boy in New York and ends by shifting to the title fighter’s struggle. It is known for its spare “lie-la-lie” refrain, the story of a boxer who keeps going, and its association with Bridge over Troubled Water.
    • Homeward Bound — A Simon and Garfunkel song about a traveler waiting in a railway station with a ticket to a destination. Its opening lyric, “I’m sittin’ in the railway station,” is often used to identify it, and the song is one of their best-known traveling-and-homecoming tracks.
  • The Sound of Silence — A Simon and Garfunkel song, known for the opening line “Hello darkness, my old friend.” It appears on the duo’s 1966 album The Sounds of Silence, became one of their signature recordings, and is also associated with The Graduate. Its imagery includes “neon gods,” prophets, and messages written on subway walls; it is also sometimes used ironically in videos when something suddenly goes wrong.
• Joni Mitchell — Canadian singer-songwriter; complex open tunings; Blue (1971) considered among the greatest albums; later jazz-influenced work (Court and Spark, Hejira). She wrote songs including “Big Yellow Taxi,” “A Case of You,” and “Coyote,” and her music has been repeatedly cited for its distinctive songwriting and open tunings.

  • Big Yellow Taxi — “Big Yellow Taxi” is Joni Mitchell’s protest song about paving paradise and putting up a parking lot. The song was released in 1970, charted again through covers and sampling, and is known for its references to DDT and a tree museum.

  • Both Sides Now — “Both Sides Now” is Joni Mitchell’s song about clouds, love, and life being seen from changing perspectives. It is especially associated with Judy Collins, and its opening image is the famous “rows and floes of angel hair.”

• James Taylor — soft rock/singer-songwriter; “Fire and Rain,” “You’ve Got a Friend.”
  • Fire and Rain — “Fire and Rain” is a James Taylor song from his early career, known for its bleak reflections on loss, recovery, and a friend’s suicide. It includes the image of seeing “sunny days” that would never end and became one of his signature hits.
• Folk rock
  • Bands
    • The Lovin’ Spoonful — The Lovin’ Spoonful were a 1960s folk-rock/rock band led by John Sebastian. They had hits including “Do You Believe in Magic?” and “Summer in the City,” recorded the soundtrack for You’re a Big Boy Now, and included guitarist Zal Yanovsky, who was admired for his modal playing.

      • a SPOONFUL — A spoonful is the household measure evoked by the Mary Poppins song and by the band the Lovin’ Spoonful. The clue set also points to songs like “Summer in the City” and to the Flaming Lips track “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton.”

      • Do You Believe in Magic — “Do You Believe in Magic” was the Lovin’ Spoonful’s first top ten single. Written by John Sebastian, it links the song’s title idea to the power of music and a girl’s heart.

• folk-rock bands
  • Buffalo Springfield — Buffalo Springfield was the 1960s folk-rock band that included Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Jim Messina, Bruce Palmer, and Richie Furay. They are best known for “For What It’s Worth” and the album Last Time Around.
    • For What It’s Worth — “For What It’s Worth” is the Buffalo Springfield song written by Stephen Stills and famous for the line “Stop, children, what’s that sound?” It became a widely used protest-era and Vietnam War soundtrack, especially after the Sunset Strip riots.

  • The Avett Brothers — The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band known for songs such as “I and Love and You” and “The Once and Future Carpenter.” Their album The Carpenter helped identify the group in questions tied to the 2010 Grammys performance with Mumford and Sons and Bob Dylan.

  • The Lumineers — The Lumineers are a Denver folk band known for the hit “Ho Hey,” along with songs like “Ophelia,” “Stubborn Love,” and “Angela.” Their albums and tours helped make them a signature act of the modern Americana and folk-rock revival.
    • Ho Hey — “Ho Hey” is the breakthrough single by the Lumineers from their self-titled debut album. Its chorus repeats “I belong with you, you belong with me,” and the song became widely known through radio play and advertising use.
  • Toad The Wet Sprocket — Toad the Wet Sprocket is the Santa Barbara folk-rock band fronted by Glen Phillips, known for albums like Fear, Dulcinea, and Coil. Their best-known songs include “Walk on the Ocean,” “All I Want,” “Fall Down,” and “Something’s Always Wrong.”
• Indigo Girls — The Indigo Girls are the folk-rock duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers from Georgia. Their albums include Swamp Ophelia, 1200 Curfews, and Poseidon and the Bitter Bug, and songs like “Galileo” and “Kid Fears” are among their most cited clues.

  • Closer to Fine — “Closer to Fine” is a 1989 folk rock song by the Indigo Girls from their self-titled album. Its lyrics include the refrain about going to the doctor and the mountains, and it became their highest-charting Hot 100 single.

  • Indigo Girls on Film — Indigo Girls on Film is a mashup-style answer combining the folk duo Indigo Girls with Duran Duran’s debut single ‘Girls on Film’. The clue points to the duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers.

• Iron & Wine — Iron & Wine is the stage name of songwriter Sam Beam. He became widely known for the acoustic cover of “Such Great Heights” on the Garden State soundtrack and later recorded songs used in Twilight.

• Australian singer-songwriters
  • Rick Springfield — Rick Springfield is an Australian singer-songwriter and actor best known for the 1981 hit “Jessie’s Girl.” He also sang “I’ve Done Everything for You,” appeared as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital, and had acting roles in Battlestar Galactica and other television work.
    • Jessie’s Girl — “Jessie’s Girl” is Rick Springfield’s biggest hit, built around wanting the girlfriend of a friend named Jessie. It is also famous for appearing in pop-culture scenes such as the ending of Boogie Nights and a Psych musical reference.

• Badly Drawn Boy — Badly Drawn Boy is the recording name of Damon Gough, an English indie musician best known for The Hour of Bewilderbeast and the soundtrack to About a Boy. Clues often mention “Once Around the Block” and “Silent Sigh.”

• Canadian singer-songwriters

  • Alanis Nadine Morissette — Alanis Morissette is the Canadian singer-songwriter behind Jagged Little Pill and the breakup anthem “You Oughta Know.” She also made a memorable cameo as God in Dogma.

  • Jann Arden — Jann Arden is a Canadian singer-songwriter known for adult contemporary pop songs such as “Insensitive.” Her album Living Under June included the song “Insensitive,” which became one of her best-known tracks.

  • Paul Anka — Canadian singer-songwriter known for early hits like “Diana” and later standards such as “My Way.” He also wrote “She’s a Lady,” the English lyrics to “My Way,” and the theme to The Tonight Show. He appears in The Simpsons episode featuring “Just Don’t Look” with Lisa.
    • (You’re) Having My Baby — “You’re Having My Baby” is Paul Anka’s 1974 duet with Odia Coates and his last number-one single as a performer. The song’s provocative praise of pregnancy drew criticism even as Anka framed it as a celebration of motherhood.
  • Tal Bachman — Tal Bachman is a Canadian singer-songwriter and the son of Randy Bachman. His self-titled 1999 album included the hit “She’s So High” and the song “Darker Side of Blue,” which was featured on NYPD Blue.
    • She’s So High — “She’s So High” is a 1999 song by Tal Bachman. Its lyrics compare the subject to Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, and Aphrodite.
• Carole King

  • (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman — “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” is the Carole King song most famously associated with Aretha Franklin. It is remembered for the opening line about life being “so unkind” before the singer’s love makes her feel like the title woman.

  • Smackwater Jack — “Smackwater Jack” is a Carole King song about an outlaw who shoots up a congregation and is later hanged. The lyrics frame him as a notorious gunman whose capture is treated with grim irony.

  • Tapestry
    • I Feel the Earth Move — “I Feel the Earth Move” is a Carole King song released as the flip side of “It’s Too Late.” Its title also appears as a section in Einstein on the Beach. The song’s lyric about a “titular shaky, lovesick emotion” and its 1971 chart success are common identifying clues.
  • You’ve Got a Friend — “You’ve Got a Friend” is a widely covered 1971 ballad associated with Carole King and James Taylor. Its reassuring chorus promises help in every season, and Taylor’s recording became his only number-one hit.
• Carole King and Gerry Goffin
  • Some Kind of Wonderful — “Some Kind of Wonderful” is a song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin that was also recorded by Grand Funk Railroad. The title also names a 1987 film, making it a recurring pop-culture clue.
• David Gray
  • Babylon — “Babylon” is the folk-pop song by David Gray built around a reflective, acoustic sound. It is one of his best-known singles.
• English rock singer-songwriters
  • Sam Fender — Sam Fender is an English rock singer-songwriter and guitarist from the Geordie region. He released the album Hypersonic Missiles and later the song and album Seventeen Going Under, which draws on family and working-class experience.
• Eric Carmen

  • All by Myself — “All by Myself” is Eric Carmen’s 1976 power ballad, first released as a solo hit after he left the Raspberries. It is famous for its orchestral borrowings and for lyrics about loneliness and lost innocence.

  • Hungry Eyes — “Hungry Eyes” is Eric Carmen’s ballad from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. The song accompanies a montage of Johnny teaching Baby the steps to their dance performance.

• Jason Mraz — Jason Mraz is the singer-songwriter associated with “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry),” “You and I Both,” and the long-running hit “I’m Yours.” Early in his career he played regular sets in San Diego with Toca Rivera and Ian Sheridan. Clues about him may mention his eco-friendly image, avocado farm, or the album Waiting for My Rocket to Come. He is also sometimes called Mr. A-to-Z.
  • The Remedy (I Won’t Worry) — “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)” is a Jason Mraz song released in 2002 and later identified as a 2003 hit. Its lyrics refer to fear, the phrase “I won’t worry my life away,” and a politically tinged opening about hearing two men on the radio discussing a crossfire-style news show.

• Jeff Buckley — Jeff Buckley was the singer-songwriter best known for Grace and his acclaimed version of “Hallelujah.” His posthumous legacy is closely tied to his unfinished work and his accidental drowning in 1997. Questions about him often mention Wolf River, Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk, and his sparse but influential recorded output.

• Neil Young — Neil Young is a Canadian singer-songwriter associated with Harvest, Crazy Horse, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Songs such as “Heart of Gold,” “Old Man,” “Ohio,” and “Rockin’ in the Free World” made him one of rock’s defining figures.

  • Harvest — Harvest is Neil Young’s 1972 solo album that became one of the year’s biggest sellers. It includes “Heart of Gold,” “Old Man,” and “The Needle and the Damage Done,” and is often described as the album where he went country.

  • Heart of Gold — Heart of Gold is the name shared by Neil Young’s song and the spaceship in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The title also appears in other media, including a Firefly episode and a game item.

  • Let’s Impeach the President — ‘Let’s Impeach the President’ is a Neil Young song from Living with War that attacks the Bush administration. Its lyrics directly call for impeachment and invoke issues such as war, New Orleans, and steroids.

  • Mirror Ball — Mirror Ball is a 1995 Neil Young album backed by Pearl Jam, though the band was not credited on the cover because of contractual issues. Its songs include “I’m the Ocean,” “Downtown,” and “Act of Love.”

  • Rockin’ in the Free World — “Rockin’ in the Free World” is a Neil Young song from 1989 that criticizes the George H. W. Bush era. Its lyrics juxtapose patriotic imagery with poverty, homelessness, and violence, and the title phrase was inspired by a canceled Soviet tour.

  • Southern Man — “Southern Man” is Neil Young’s song condemning Southern racism and slavery’s legacy on the album After the Gold Rush. It later prompted a response from Lynyrd Skynyrd in “Sweet Home Alabama.”

• rock singer-songwriters
  • Bob Seger — Bob Seger is a rock singer-songwriter from Michigan known for heartland rock songs like “Turn the Page” and “Against the Wind.” He is closely associated with the Silver Bullet Band and albums such as Beautiful Loser and The Fire Inside.

    • Night Moves — “Night Moves” is a Bob Seger song about adolescent memory and desire. Its lyrics and later references to a 1994 video make it the title track from Seger’s classic catalog.

    • Stranger in Town
      • Old Time Rock ’n’ Roll — Bob Seger song from Stranger in Town that celebrates older styles of music. It became especially famous through Tom Cruise’s dance and lip-sync scene in Risky Business, later turning into an enduring pop-culture reference and appearing in commercials such as Guitar Hero ads.

    • Turn the Page — This Bob Seger song opens with the line about being “on a long and lonesome highway,” and the Live Bullet version became the familiar radio staple. Seger never released it as a single, but it remains one of his best-known songs.

    • “Like a Rock” — “Like a Rock” is a Bob Seger song about steadfastness and age that Chevrolet used in truck commercials for years. Its lyric about being “lean and solid everywhere” became especially associated with the Chevy Truck campaign.
  • Bryan Adams — Bryan Guy Adams is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter known for arena ballads such as “Summer of ’69,” “Heaven,” and “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” He first found success writing songs with Jim Vallance before launching a solo career that broke through with “Straight From the Heart.” He is a multiple Juno Award winner and co-hosted the 2017 Juno Awards with Russell Peters.

    • (Everything I Do) I Do It for You — This Bryan Adams power ballad was written for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and became a major hit in 1991. It is especially associated with the film’s soundtrack and later pop-culture references, including television parody and awards-show performances.

    • Summer of ‘69 — “Summer of ‘69” is a Bryan Adams hit from the album Reckless, built around nostalgia for a teenage band and a first guitar. The song’s lyrics remember meeting a girlfriend at the drive-in and celebrating “the best days” of the narrator’s life.

  • Warren Zevon — Warren Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter known for sharply comic, darkly literate lyrics. His 1978 album Excitable Boy produced “Werewolves of London,” “Lawyers, Guns and Money,” and “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.” Other songs associated with him include “Carmelita” and “Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead,” and he also wrote several TV theme songs and soundtrack pieces.

    • Excitable Boy — “Excitable Boy” is a Warren Zevon song about a disturbingly violent title character. The song appears on the 1978 album of the same name, alongside “Werewolves of London.”

    • Lawyers, Guns and Money — “Lawyers, Guns and Money” is a Warren Zevon song from Excitable Boy. Its narrator gets into a string of disasters and keeps needing the title items to get out of trouble. The song later served as the theme for the television series Justice.

    • Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner — Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner is the title character of a Warren Zevon song about a Norwegian mercenary fighting in the Congo. After being killed by Van Owen, his spirit later hunts him across places such as Ireland, Lebanon, Palestine, and Mombasa.

    • Werewolves of London — “Werewolves of London” is Warren Zevon’s biggest hit, a novelty-tinged rock song about lycanthropes prowling the British capital. Its best-known lines mention Lee Ho Fook, a piña colada at Trader Vic’s, and the warning that the beasts may rip your lungs out.

• The Way It Is — “The Way It Is” is Bruce Hornsby and the Range’s best-known hit, from the album of the same name. The song addresses civil-rights inequality in its lyrics and was later sampled in Tupac’s “Changes.”

• The Youngbloods
  • Get Together — Get Together is the Youngbloods song whose chorus urges listeners to smile on their brother and love one another. It was later used in a National Conference of Christians and Jews advertisement and became widely associated with a call for peace.
• Chip Davis
  • Mannheim Steamroller — Mannheim Steamroller is Chip Davis’s Omaha-based New Age group, famous for Christmas albums and Fresh Aire releases. Their best-known music includes arrangements of “Carol of the Bells,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

• Melanie Safka — Melanie Safka was the American singer-songwriter who broke out at Woodstock and scored hits with Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) and Brand New Key. Her soft voice and playful double-entendre lyrics made her a distinctive early-1970s pop act.

• Melissa Etheridge — Melissa Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter known for confessional lyrics and a raspy voice. Her songs include “Come to My Window” and “Scarecrow,” and she became widely known for openly discussing her sexuality and later her battle with breast cancer.

• Michael Penn — Michael Penn is a singer-songwriter whose albums include March, Free-for-All, Resigned, and MP4: Days Since a Lost Time Accident. He is also known for songs like ‘No Myth’ and for scoring films for Paul Thomas Anderson such as Hard Eight and Boogie Nights.
  • No Myth — ‘No Myth’ is a 1989 song by Michael Penn. Its lyrics begin with the famous questions ‘what if I were Romeo in black jeans’ and ‘what if I were Heathcliff.’
• Tim Buckley — Tim Buckley was an American singer-songwriter and the father of Jeff Buckley. He died young, before age thirty, and is remembered for influential folk-rock recordings.

Psychedelia and the Late 1960s

• Psychedelic rock — 1966–1969; studio experimentation, modal improvisation, lysergic imagery; linked to the counterculture.
  • Strawberry Alarm Clock — Strawberry Alarm Clock was a 1960s psychedelic rock/pop group best known for the 1967 hit “Incense and Peppermints.” The band originally performed as Thee Sixpence and also had minor hits such as “Tomorrow” and “Sit with the Guru.”
    • Incense and Peppermints — “Incense and Peppermints” is a 1967 psychedelic pop hit by Strawberry Alarm Clock. Its lyrics include the line “Who cares what games we choose, little to win, but nothing to lose.”
  • Vanilla Fudge — Vanilla Fudge was a late-1960s rock band known for heavy psychedelic covers. Their biggest hit was a 1967 cover of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” and members Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice later played with Jeff Beck.
• The Grateful Dead — San Francisco; improvisation-centered live performance; Jerry Garcia; developed the “Deadhead” touring fan culture. They were a jam band and also used the huge Wall of Sound. The group inspired the dancing bear imagery associated with them.
  • Grateful Dead — The Grateful Dead were a psychedelic rock band known for their changing set lists and devoted touring audience. Their imagery includes the skull-and-lightning-bolt icon associated with Steal Your Face, and members included Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann.

    • Friend of the Devil — “Friend of the Devil” is a Grateful Dead song remembered for its opening story of a fugitive leaving Reno and being trailed by hounds. Its closing lines about getting home before daylight and finally sleeping later are among its best-known lyrics.

    • Jerry Garcia — Jerry Garcia was the lead guitarist and de facto leader of the Grateful Dead, whose fame also led to the punning Ben & Jerry’s flavor Cherry Garcia. He also played with Old & In the Way and became an icon of the 1960s and 1970s jam-band scene.

    • Sugar Magnolia — “Sugar Magnolia” is a Grateful Dead song known for its opening line about a willow and high times. It is one of the band’s signature tunes and appears in live and studio contexts.

    • Touch of Grey — “Touch of Grey” is a Grateful Dead song whose chorus repeats “I will get by.” It opens with a vivid description of a boy at seventeen and a cow giving kerosene, and its lyric about surviving despite hardship made it a recognizable late-period Dead song.

    • Truckin’ — “Truckin’” is a Grateful Dead song from American Beauty that became one of the band’s signature numbers. It includes the famous line “What a long strange trip it’s been” and alludes to drug culture and touring across American cities.

    • Uncle John’s Band — “Uncle John’s Band” is a Grateful Dead song whose lyrics praise a group with a rebellious motto and cannonball-built walls. It is one of the band’s best-known tunes from their early 1970s repertoire.

• Jefferson Airplane — San Francisco; “Somebody to Love,” “White Rabbit”; Grace Slick.
  • Starship — Starship is the later name of the band that followed Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. They scored major hits in the 1980s with songs such as “We Built This City” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”
    • Sara
      • Sara by Starship — “Sara” by Starship is a power ballad about a romantic relationship and the hope for a happy ending. The song is one of Starship’s best-known later hits, with lyrics built around the title name and a duet-like emotional appeal.
  • Surrealistic Pillow — Jefferson Airplane’s 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow was the band’s breakthrough record, following Jefferson Airplane Takes Off and featuring Grace Slick’s first appearances with the group. It includes the hits “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love,” along with “Embryonic Journey,” “Today,” and “Comin’ Back to Me.” Jerry Garcia was credited as a spiritual advisor on the album.
• Cream — British power trio: Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker; heavy blues-rock improvisation; “Sunshine of Your Love.” The band is also associated with blues-rock staples such as “White Room” and “Crossroads,” and with psychedelic material from Disraeli Gears.
  • Disraeli Gears — Disraeli Gears is Cream’s 1967 album, best known for songs like “Sunshine of Your Love” and “Tales of Brave Ulysses.” Its title alludes to Benjamin Disraeli, and the record marked the band’s move toward a more psychedelic sound.
    • Sunshine of Your Love — “Sunshine of Your Love” is a Cream song from Disraeli Gears, released as a single and often cited as a landmark blues-rock track. Its memorable riff and lyric about waiting so long to be where one is going make it a common music clue.

  • Jack Bruce — Jack Bruce was the bassist and singer for Cream and later worked as a jazz bassist. He was also a major collaborator on Escalator over the Hill.

  • Songs
    • White Room — White Room is a Cream song from Wheels of Fire that imagines an enclosed, starkly lit space with black curtains. Its lyrics center on waiting in that room until a lover returns.
• Jimi Hendrix — guitarist from Seattle; Experience formed in London 1966; transformed electric guitar technique with feedback, whammy bar, and tonal invention; Are You Experienced (1967); “Purple Haze,” “Voodoo Child”; died 1970 age 27. He fronted the Jimi Hendrix Experience and is also associated with the Monterey Pop Festival guitar-destruction performance and his Woodstock rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
  • James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix — Jimi Hendrix was the influential guitarist and singer behind songs such as Purple Haze, The Wind Cries Mary, and Foxy Lady. His version of All Along the Watchtower became so famous that Bob Dylan later treated his own performances of the song as tributes to Hendrix.
• The Doors — Los Angeles; Jim Morrison as poetic frontman; Ray Manzarek’s Vox Continental organ lines; “Light My Fire,” “Riders on the Storm.” They were a Los Angeles rock band fronted by Jim Morrison and featuring Ray Manzarek on keyboards. They are known for songs such as “Light My Fire,” “Break on Through (To the Other Side),” “People Are Strange,” and “The End,” and they famously had no bass player.

  • An American Prayer — An American Prayer is the posthumous Doors album built around Jim Morrison’s poetry recordings with new backing music by the surviving band. It includes the track “Ghost Song” and is a recurring clue for late Doors projects after Morrison’s death.

  • Break On Through (To the Other Side) — “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” is an early Doors single that opens with the line “You know the day destroys the night.” Though not a major chart hit, it became one of the band’s signature songs and appears on their debut album.

  • Doors studio albums — The Doors’ studio output after their debut album includes Strange Days, Waiting for the Sun, and Morrison Hotel. The question set is asking for the band’s remaining non-live studio albums.

  • John Densmore — John Densmore was the original drummer for the Doors. He later wrote a memoir about the band’s rise and sued his former bandmates over unauthorized touring.

  • Light My Fire — “Light My Fire” is a hit song by The Doors, built around Ray Manzarek’s organ line. It drew controversy after Jim Morrison sang the censored lyric on The Ed Sullivan Show.

  • Morrison Hotel — Morrison Hotel is The Doors’ 1970 album that marked a return to a harder rock sound. Its sides are titled Hard Rock Cafe and Morrison Hotel, and the cover was photographed at the real Morrison Hotel in Los Angeles.

  • Peace Frog — “Peace Frog” is a Doors song from Morrison Hotel, and its lyrics draw on images of blood and violence. The song leads into “Blue Sunday” and references Morrison’s arrest after a contentious New Haven performance.

  • The End — “The End” is a song by The Doors that appears in Apocalypse Now and closes with one of the band’s most famous extended climaxes. The title also recurs in several other pop-culture contexts, but the quizbowl clue usually points to the Doors track.

  • Waiting for the Sun — Waiting for the Sun is a Doors album that includes “Hello, I Love You.”

• The Velvet Underground — New York; Lou Reed and John Cale; managed by Andy Warhol; The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967); commercially marginal but enormously influential on punk, new wave, and indie rock. Their debut with Nico, the banana album, included songs such as “Heroin” and “Sister Ray,” and became foundational for punk and alternative rock despite modest sales.
  • Albums

    • The Velvet Underground & Nico — The Velvet Underground & Nico is the debut album by the Velvet Underground, produced with Andy Warhol’s famous banana cover art. Its key songs include “I’ll Be Your Mirror” and “Femme Fatale,” and the album is often cited as one of rock’s most influential releases.

    • The Velvet Underground and Nico — The Velvet Underground and Nico is the 1967 debut album by the Velvet Underground, famous for Andy Warhol’s banana cover and its place in rock history. Its songs and imagery have made it a recurring clue source, especially the banana artwork and the album’s association with Nico.

  • Loaded — Loaded is the Velvet Underground album that includes “Sweet Jane” and “Rock and Roll.” The title also appears in songs by Primal Scream and other artists, but the album clue is the central identifying feature here.

  • The Banana Album — The Banana Album is the informal name for The Velvet Underground & Nico, the group’s best-known album. It was recorded at Andy Warhol’s studio and is famous for Warhol’s banana cover design.
• Iron Butterfly — Iron Butterfly was a San Diego acid-rock band that is best remembered for “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” the long title track from its second album. The band’s early records included Heavy and Ball, while its lineup centered on Doug Ingle and drummer Ron Bushy.
  • In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida — “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” is the long title track by Iron Butterfly and also the name of the band’s 1968 album. The song is known for Doug Ingle’s slurred title phrase and Ron Bushy’s extended drum solo.

• Sweetwater — Sweetwater was the rock band scheduled to open the Woodstock festival in 1969, but traffic kept it from arriving on time, so Richie Havens played first instead. The band’s story was later dramatized in a VH1 movie with Amy Jo Johnson portraying singer Nansi Nevins.

• Little Wing — “Little Wing” is a Jimi Hendrix song known for its glockenspiel texture and dreamy, drifting arrangement. Its lyrics describe a woman walking through the clouds with a “circus mind” and make it one of Hendrix’s most frequently covered songs.

• The Jimi Hendrix Experience — The Jimi Hendrix Experience was Jimi Hendrix’s power trio with Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell. It recorded Are You Experienced?, which includes songs such as “Purple Haze,” “Foxey Lady,” “Red House,” and “Fire.”
  • Are You Experienced — Are You Experienced is the 1967 debut album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, originally produced by Chas Chandler. Its title track features backwards guitar and sits alongside songs such as “Purple Haze” and “Hey Joe.”
    • Purple Haze — Purple Haze is a Jimi Hendrix song from Are You Experienced? that became famous for its psychedelic imagery and the line ‘Excuse me while I kiss the sky.’ Its lyrics describe confusion and enchantment, and the title is often linked to Hendrix’s synesthetic imagery or to psychedelic slang.
  • Jimi Hendrix Experience — The Jimi Hendrix Experience was Jimi Hendrix’s best-known band, featuring Mitch Mitchell on drums. Hendrix’s music remained a frequent touchstone for later rock acts, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
• Blues Image
  • Ride, Captain, Ride! — “Ride, Captain, Ride!” is a 1970 song by Blues Image, best known for its repeated invitation to sail away to another shore. Its lyrics describe seventy-three sailors leaving San Francisco Bay and calling out through a storm as no one answers.
• Kevin Parker
  • Tame Impala — Tame Impala is the Australian psychedelic project fronted entirely by Kevin Parker. Its best-known albums include Innerspeaker, Lonerism, Currents, and The Slow Rush, with songs like “Let It Happen,” “Borderline,” and “The Less I Know the Better.”

• Nights in White Satin — A 1967 Moody Blues song from Days of Future Passed, it became one of the band’s best-known singles after later reissues. It is noted for its lush orchestration, the spoken-word ending “Late Lament,” and the lyric about “letters I’ve written / never meaning to send.”

• Psychedelic rock bands
  • Super Furry Animals — Super Furry Animals are a Welsh psych rock band known for albums such as Fuzzy Logic, Love Kraft, and Hey Venus!. They were also associated with the song “The Man Don’t Give a Fuck.”
• Alexander “Skip” Spence — Alexander “Skip” Spence was a psychedelic rock musician best known for playing guitar in Moby Grape. He was also an early member of Quicksilver Messenger Service and the first recorded drummer for Jefferson Airplane, and he recorded the solo album Oar.

Hard Rock and Heavy Metal

• Led Zeppelin — London; Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham; formed 1968 from the Yardbirds; fused blues, folk, and hard rock with studio craft; Led Zeppelin IV (1971) contains “Stairway to Heaven”; Physical Graffiti (1975) double album; broke up after Bonham’s death 1980. It was an English hard rock band led by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. They are also especially associated with “Immigrant Song” and the blues-heavy production style that shaped their classic sound.

  • Fool in the Rain — “Fool in the Rain” is a Led Zeppelin song from In Through the Out Door. It is noted for John Bonham’s samba-influenced drum break and a last major hit for the band.

  • Four Sticks — “Four Sticks” is a Led Zeppelin song from the band’s fourth album. It is notable for its unusual 5/8 meter and for its drumming pattern played with two sticks in each hand.

  • Heartbreaker — “Heartbreaker” is a title shared by songs by Led Zeppelin and Pat Benatar, making it a common multi-artist clue answer. The Led Zeppelin version opens with Annie being “back in town,” while the Benatar song uses the phrase “dream maker” and “love taker.”

  • Houses of the Holy — Houses of the Holy is the 1973 Led Zeppelin album best known for songs such as “The Song Remains the Same,” “The Rain Song,” “Over the Hills and Far Away,” and “The Ocean.” It was the first Led Zeppelin album not to use the band’s name in the title, and its cover shows a surreal scene of naked children on a rocky landscape.
    • D’yer Mak’er — “D’yer Mak’er” is a Led Zeppelin song from Houses of the Holy, released in 1973. Its title is a phonetic joke on the way “Jamaica” sounds in an English accent, and the song was criticized as an attempted reggae pastiche.

  • Immigrant Song — “Immigrant Song” is a Led Zeppelin track from Led Zeppelin III, built around Robert Plant’s high-pitched opening cry and a driving riff. The song’s lyrics invoke a Viking voyage from the land of ice and snow to Valhalla.

  • In Through the Out Door — In Through the Out Door is Led Zeppelin’s eighth and final studio album before John Bonham’s death. It includes “Fool in the Rain,” “All My Love,” and other late-period tracks such as “Hot Dog” and “South Bound Suarez.”

  • John Bonham — John Bonham was the drummer for Led Zeppelin after the band evolved from the New Yardbirds. His death in 1980 led to the breakup of Led Zeppelin and is commonly tied to alcohol overdose.

  • John Paul Jones — John Paul Jones is best known as the bassist of Led Zeppelin. He also worked as a multi-instrumentalist and arranger, and was involved in Beck’s Bolero before joining the New Yardbirds. His credits include the keyboards and bass lines on songs associated with Led Zeppelin’s early career, and he was once linked to a possible move into church music.

  • Led Zeppelin I — Led Zeppelin I is the band’s 1969 debut album, identifiable by the Hindenburg cover and songs like “Good Times Bad Times,” “Communication Breakdown,” and “Dazed and Confused.” Its tracks also include acoustic or blues-leaning pieces such as “Black Mountain Side” and “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” alongside the early hard rock sound that defined the record.

  • Led Zeppelin II — Led Zeppelin II is the band’s 1969 album containing songs such as “Whole Lotta Love” and “What Is and What Should Never Be.”

  • Led Zeppelin III — Led Zeppelin III is the 1970 album with the acoustic side of songs like “Tangerine,” “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp,” and “Gallows Pole,” but it opens with “Immigrant Song.” Its cover features a surreal wheel of images on a white background, reflecting the band’s shift toward a more acoustic sound.

  • Led Zeppelin IV — Led Zeppelin IV is the untitled 1971 Led Zeppelin album usually identified by the four symbols on its cover. It includes “Black Dog,” “Rock and Roll,” “The Battle of Evermore,” “Four Sticks,” and “Stairway to Heaven.”
    • When the Levee Breaks — When the Levee Breaks is the Led Zeppelin IV closer and blues cover famous for John Bonham’s huge drum sound.

  • Misty Mountain Hop — “Misty Mountain Hop” is a Led Zeppelin song from Led Zeppelin IV, better known by the nickname Zoso. Its lyrics describe a park encounter with hippies, a police confrontation, and a final turn toward the title place.

  • Physical Graffiti — Physical Graffiti is Led Zeppelin’s 1975 double album, known for sprawling hard rock tracks such as “Kashmir,” “Custard Pie,” “Trampled Under Foot,” “The Rover,” and “Down by the Seaside.” It drew on material from earlier sessions, including tracks recorded during the Houses of the Holy era.

  • Presence — Presence is the 1976 Led Zeppelin album whose cover shows a family staring at a black monolith at a dinner table. It opens with the long track “Achilles’ Last Stand” and is one of the band’s most technically demanding Hipgnosis sleeves.

  • Songs

    • Stairway to Heaven — “Stairway to Heaven” is Led Zeppelin’s best-known song, built around a gradual build from acoustic opening to a climactic electric finish. Its lyrics mention a lady who buys the title object, a piper, and the famous line about being a rock that is “not to roll.” The song is also remembered for a widely discussed backward-message controversy and for inspiring later copyright litigation over possible borrowing.

    • Whole Lotta Love — “Whole Lotta Love” is Led Zeppelin’s biggest U.S. hit and the opening track on Led Zeppelin II. Its lyrics and arrangement drew on Willie Dixon’s “You Need Love,” leading to litigation and later co-writing credit for Dixon.

  • Tangerine — “Tangerine” is a Led Zeppelin song from Led Zeppelin III, known for its wistful acoustic sound. The title also appears in pop-culture clues about an episode title and a movie, but the song clue points to the Led Zeppelin track.

  • The Battle of Evermore — “The Battle of Evermore” is a Led Zeppelin song from Led Zeppelin IV, noted for its folk instrumentation and its rare guest vocal by Sandy Denny. Its lyrics invoke Tolkien-like imagery and references to a clash between light and darkness, including allusions to the Pelennor Fields and Avalon.
• Deep Purple — British; classical-influenced; “Smoke on the Water”; Ritchie Blackmore.

  • Highway Star — “Highway Star” is the opening track on Deep Purple’s Machine Head. The song features extended guitar and organ solos and celebrates speed and a glamorous car culture.

  • Machine Head

    • Smoke on the Water — Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” is built around the 1971 Montreux casino fire and the efforts of Claude Nobs to help people escape the blaze. It is also remembered for its opening riff, often associated with Beethoven’s Fifth.
• AC/DC — Australian; Angus and Malcolm Young; stripped-down blues-hard rock; Back in Black (1980) one of the best-selling albums ever. It also recorded “Highway to Hell” and remains one of rock’s most recognizable acts.

  • Angus Young — This AC/DC lead guitarist and band co-founder is famous for performing in a schoolboy uniform. He is Angus Young, the short-statured guitarist often identified by his energetic stage persona.

  • Back in Black — Back in Black is the AC/DC album released after Bon Scott’s death, with Brian Johnson on vocals. Its best-known tracks include “Hells Bells,” “Back in Black,” and “You Shook Me All Night Long,” and the title track was written as a tribute to Scott.
    • “Hell’s Bells” — “Hell’s Bells” is an AC/DC song associated with a dramatic bell intro and with Trevor Hoffman, who used it as his walk-up music. The title refers to the song’s ominous opening bells and hard-rock style.

  • Big Balls — “Big Balls” is an AC/DC song built around double entendre about testicles disguised as a song about social events. It appeared on the 1976 album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and became a long-running live and wrestling-theme favorite.

  • Brian Johnson — Brian Johnson is the singer who joined AC/DC in 1980 after Bon Scott’s death. He became the band’s new lead vocalist and is closely identified with that transition.

  • Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap — “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” is an AC/DC song and album title associated with hard-rock swagger and comic menace. The title track is famous for its phone-number hook and its references to absurdly violent services, and the phrase also inspired a JoJo Stand name localized as Filthy Acts Done at a Reasonable Price.

  • For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) — “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” is an AC/DC song that also gave its name to a 1981 album. The title track is associated with the band’s hard-rock style and the album that followed Back in Black.

  • Hells Bells — “Hells Bells” is an AC/DC song from Back in Black that opens with a tolling bell. It is closely associated with Trevor Hoffman, who used it as his entrance music for many seasons.

  • Highway to Hell — This AC/DC song and album title track opens with a devilish road motif and appears on the last Bon Scott album. The title became a signature rock anthem and was later used in film and television references.

  • You Shook Me All Night Long — “You Shook Me All Night Long” is an AC/DC song from Back in Black. Its lyrics and videos highlight a flashy, sexualized encounter, and later performances made it one of the band’s most famous songs.

• Carry On Wayward Son — “Carry On Wayward Son” is a hit song by Kansas from the album Leftoverture. Its lyrics include the line about masquerading as a man with a reason and end with the promise that there’ll be peace when you are done.

• Def Leppard — Def Leppard is a British hard rock band associated with early MTV rotation and hit singles such as “Photograph,” “Love Bites,” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me.” The band is also known for drummer Rick Allen, who continued performing after losing an arm.

  • Pour Some Sugar On Me — “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is a Def Leppard song from Hysteria and one of the band’s best-known hits. Its lyric about the title action made it a frequent pop-culture reference in later clues.

  • Pyromania

    • Bringin’ on the Heartbreak — “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” is a Def Leppard power ballad from Pyromania that was later covered by Mariah Carey. Its lyrics describe a relationship that is slipping away and ask whether the listener is taking the best of the singer’s love.

• Derek and the Dominos — Short-lived rock/blues-rock band led by Eric Clapton, best known for the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Their best-known songs include “Layla” and “Bell Bottom Blues.” Members included Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, and Jim Gordon; Duane Allman contributed to the group. The band dissolved after a brief run.

• Edgar Winter Group
  • Free Ride — “Free Ride” is a song by the Edgar Winter Group. It is best known for its upbeat chorus and for being used in film and television soundtracks.
• Europe

  • Rock the Night — “Rock the Night” is a Europe song from The Final Countdown. Its lyrics are full of hard-rock bravado, with a singer who insists he has been through changes and pain and is now in a rage from head to toe.

  • The Final Countdown — “The Final Countdown” is a hit song by the Swedish band Europe, from the album of the same name. Its keyboard riff and fanfare opening make it one of the band’s most recognizable songs, and it later became associated with GOB Bluth’s magic shows.

• Foghat — Foghat is the English blues-rock band best known for “Slow Ride.” Their albums include Fool for the City and a live record that sold more than two million copies.
  • Slow Ride — “Slow Ride” is a hard-rock song by Foghat, released on the album Fool for the City. Its lyrics repeatedly urge a lover to “take it easy” while promising that the singer can “roll all night.”
• George Thorogood
  • Bad to the Bone — “Bad to the Bone” is a George Thorogood song that opens with a boastful birth scene and a chorus built around the repeated stuttered title phrase. The song became a classic hard-rock anthem associated with swagger and toughness.

• Good Times, Bad Times — “Good Times, Bad Times” is the opening track on Led Zeppelin’s debut album. It opens with a fast riff and lyrics about the days of youth, and Jimmy Page’s solo is famously run through a Leslie speaker.

• Greta Van Fleet — Greta Van Fleet is an American hard rock band featuring the three Kiszka brothers, known for songs such as “Highway Tune” and “Safari Song.” They are frequently compared to Led Zeppelin, especially for the sound of their Grammy-winning EP From the Fires.

• Hard rock
  • Bachman-Turner Overdrive — Bachman-Turner Overdrive is a Canadian rock band best known for songs such as “Takin’ Care of Business,” “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” and “Let It Ride.” Other clue songs include “Hey You,” “Blue Collar,” and “Looking Out for No. 1.”

    • Takin’ Care of Business — “Takin’ Care of Business” is a Bachman-Turner Overdrive song originally titled “White Collar Worker.” Its chorus repeats the title phrase alongside “working overtime,” and it became associated with radio catchphrases, sports usage, and parody versions.

    • You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet — “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” is a 1974 Bachman-Turner Overdrive hit from the album Not Fragile. Its stuttering vocal hook was written as a joke about singer Randy Bachman’s brother Gary and helped make it the band’s best-known song.

  • Great White — Great White is the hard rock band best known for “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” and for covering Led Zeppelin on a 1999 album. They are also remembered for the Rhode Island nightclub fire at the Station, where guitarist Ty Longley died and the band later faced legal fallout.

  • The Scorpions — The Scorpions are a German hard rock band founded in 1965 by Rudolf Schenker. They are known for songs such as “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “Wind of Change,” and “Still Loving You.”
• Hard rock bands
  • Aerosmith — Aerosmith is the Boston hard-rock band fronted by Steven Tyler and led on guitar by Joe Perry. The band recorded hits such as “Dream On,” “Walk This Way,” and “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,” with the latter later tied to Armageddon.

    • Dude (Looks Like a Lady) — “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” is an Aerosmith song associated with Steven Tyler’s story about mistaking a man in drag for a woman. Its chorus repeats the phrase “dude looks like a lady,” making it one of the band’s best-known singles.

    • I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing — “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” is Aerosmith’s power ballad from the Armageddon soundtrack, written by Diane Warren. It became Aerosmith’s first U.S. number one hit and was famously nominated for both an Oscar and a Razzie.

    • Joe Perry — Joe Perry is the guitarist for Aerosmith and a key co-writer behind many of the band’s biggest songs. He and Steven Tyler wrote much of the material on Pump, including “Love in an Elevator” and “Monkey on My Back.”

    • Livin’ on the Edge — “Livin’ on the Edge” is an Aerosmith song from Get a Grip. It was the only major video from the album that did not feature Alicia Silverstone and later became associated with Ice Road Truckers.

    • Love in an Elevator — “Love in an Elevator” is an Aerosmith song about a lustful fantasy involving a workplace elevator and a woman named Jacki from the second floor. It was released as a 1989 single and has been described by Steven Tyler as based on a real experience.

    • Nine Lives — Nine Lives is Aerosmith’s 1997 Columbia album that reached number one and produced songs like “Pink” and “Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees).” The title is also shared by Rodrigo García’s episodic film featuring Holly Hunter, Sissy Spacek, and Glenn Close.

    • Pump
      • “Janie’s Got a Gun” — “Janie’s Got a Gun” is an Aerosmith song from Pump about a girl retaliating after sexual abuse. The title phrase became widely known through the single’s video and later parody appearances in film and comedy.

    • Sweet Emotion — “Sweet Emotion” is an Aerosmith song from Toys in the Attic. It became a hit in 1975 and is recognizable for Steven Tyler’s sly vocal delivery and Joe Perry’s riff.

    • Toys in the Attic — Toys in the Attic is an Aerosmith album. It is associated with the band’s classic hard-rock singles “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion.”

    • Toys in the Attic — Toys in the Attic is Aerosmith’s 1975 breakthrough album, the band’s third, featuring nine tracks and hits like “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.” The title also matches Lillian Hellman’s play, whose Julian Berniers and spinster sisters appear in the clues.

    • Walk This Way — “Walk This Way” is an Aerosmith song from Toys in the Attic that became a major crossover hit when Run-D.M.C. remade it with the band. The song’s story of a high school romance helped make it one of Aerosmith’s signature tracks.

  • Alter Bridge — Alter Bridge is a hard rock band formed from former Creed members and fronted by Myles Kennedy, with Mark Tremonti on guitar. The group released The Last Hero in 2016 and is also known for the song “Metalingus.”

  • Bad Company — Bad Company is a British hard rock band fronted by Paul Rodgers, known for songs like “Can’t Get Enough” and “Ready for Love.” Its 1974 self-titled debut and later albums like Straight Shooter and Run with the Pack made it a major 1970s rock act.

  • Extreme — Extreme is the Boston hard rock band fronted by guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. They are best known for the hits “More Than Words” and “Hole Hearted,” from the album Pornograffiti.

  • Finger Eleven — Finger Eleven is a Canadian hard rock band that was once called Rainbow Butt Monkey and later scored a mainstream hit with “One Thing.” Their albums and soundtrack work include early material like Letters from Chutney and songs used in films such as Scream 3 and Daredevil.
    • Paralyzer — “Paralyzer” is a Finger Eleven single from Them vs. You vs. Me, remembered for its dance-rock groove and club setting. The song later resurfaced in internet memes, helping make it one of the band’s best-known tracks.

  • Firehouse — Firehouse is an American hard rock band known for power-ballads like “Love of a Lifetime” and “When I Look Into Your Eyes.” Their lineup included C. J. Snare on vocals, Bill Leverty on guitar, Perry Richardson on bass, and Michael Foster on drums.

  • Godsmack — Godsmack is a hard rock band from Massachusetts fronted by Sully Erna. Their albums Awake, Faceless, and The Oracle produced hits like “Voodoo,” “I Stand Alone,” and “Cryin’ Like a Bitch,” and the group has had Shannon Larkin on drums after Tommy Stewart.

  • Guns N’ Roses — Guns N’ Roses is the hard rock band fronted by Axl Rose and featuring Slash and Duff McKagan. It is associated with Appetite for Destruction, “Welcome to the Jungle,” and the long gap between Use Your Illusion and Chinese Democracy.
    • Appetite for Destruction — Appetite for Destruction is the 1987 debut album by Guns N’ Roses. It includes “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City,” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” and is often identified as the best-selling debut album of all time.
      • My Michelle — “My Michelle” is a Guns N’ Roses song from Appetite for Destruction about a troubled girl whose father works in pornography and whose chorus repeats “well, well, well, you just can’t tell.” The song’s lyrics address Michelle as a doomed, drug-shadowed figure and anchor it among the album’s sleazier character studies.

    • Chinese Democracy — Chinese Democracy is the long-delayed Guns N’ Roses album that was discussed for years before its eventual release. Its clues often mention songs like “Shackler’s Revenge” and collaborators such as Brian May, Dave Navarro, and Sebastian Bach.

    • Don’t Cry — “Don’t Cry” is a Guns N’ Roses song that appears in different versions on the Use Your Illusion albums. Its music video features Slash playing on a cliff after a car plunges over the edge.

    • One in a Million — “One in a Million” is a song title shared by several pop, rock, and R&B tracks from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The best-known clue here is the controversial 1988 Guns N’ Roses ballad that includes offensive lyrics about immigrants and gays.

    • Paradise City — “Paradise City” is a Guns N’ Roses song from Appetite for Destruction. Its famous refrain asks to be taken to a place where the grass is green and the girls are pretty, a phrase that has also been reused for games and other media.

    • Songs
      • November Rain — “November Rain” is the long Guns N’ Roses power ballad from Use Your Illusion I. Its famous video, inspired by Del James’s story “Without You,” features a wedding, a funeral, and the band performing by a church.

    • Sweet Child O’ Mine — “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is the only Billboard number one single from Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction. Its lyrics address Erin Everly, and the song has been covered by Sheryl Crow and other artists.

    • The Spaghetti Incident — The Spaghetti Incident? is Guns N’ Roses’ 1993 cover album, made up largely of punk and old rock songs. It is remembered for its hidden cover of Charles Manson’s ‘Look at Your Game Girl’ and for its notoriety as the band’s last album with the original lineup.

    • Use Your Illusion — Use Your Illusion is the common title shared by Guns N’ Roses’s two 1991 double albums, released separately on the same day. The set includes songs such as “November Rain,” “You Could Be Mine,” and covers of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and “Live and Let Die.”

    • Use Your Illusion I — Use Your Illusion I is one of Guns N’ Roses’ 1991 double albums, containing songs such as “November Rain,” “Live and Let Die,” and “Coma.” It is usually distinguished from Use Your Illusion II, which was released alongside it.

  • Kix — Kix is the name of both a Star Wars clone medic and an 1980s hard rock band from Maryland. The clone Kix was a 501st Legion medic who survived the Clone Wars for decades, while the band Kix is known for ‘Don’t Close Your Eyes’.

  • White Lion — White Lion was an American hard rock band known for albums such as Pride, Mane Attraction, Return of the Pride, and the hit “When the Children Cry.”

  • Whitesnake — Whitesnake is the hard rock band fronted by David Coverdale, former singer for Deep Purple. It is especially known for songs like “Here I Go Again” and “Still of the Night,” along with later lineups featuring Adrian Vandenberg and Steve Vai.
    • Songs
      • “Here I Go Again” — “Here I Go Again” is a Whitesnake power ballad that became a major hit on the band’s 1987 self-titled album. The song is known for its re-recorded lyrics, Adrian Vandenberg’s guitar work, and the video featuring Tawny Kitaen. It is one of the band’s signature arena-rock anthems.
  • Wolfmother — Wolfmother is an Australian hard rock power trio known for its 2006 self-titled album. Its best-known song, “Joker & the Thief,” nods to Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and helped define the band’s retro riff-heavy sound.
• Hard rock singers

  • Sammy Hagar — Sammy Hagar is the hard rock singer who fronted Van Halen after David Lee Roth and earlier led Montrose. He is known for “I Can’t Drive 55” and for the Cabo Wabo brand and tequila ventures. He is also identified with Lynyrd Skynyrd-related bonus clues in the archive.

  • W. Axl Rose — W. Axl Rose is the lead singer of Guns N’ Roses and the voice behind songs such as “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” His name is also tied to the group’s cover of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and his duet with Elton John on “November Rain.”

• hard rock supergroups
  • Chickenfoot — Chickenfoot is the hard rock supergroup featuring Sammy Hagar, Chad Smith, Michael Anthony, and Joe Satriani. The band’s name refers to a slang image for the peace sign, and its debut included songs like “Soap on a Rope” and “Avenida Revolution.”
• Heart — Heart is the Seattle rock band fronted by Ann Wilson and closely associated with her sister Nancy Wilson. The group had major hits with songs like “Magic Man,” “Dreamboat Annie,” “Alone,” and “These Dreams.”
  • Dreamboat Annie — Dreamboat Annie is the 1975 debut album by Heart, best known for pairing hard rock songs like “Magic Man” and “Crazy on You” with its title track. The album’s opening acoustic passage from “Silver Wheels” leads into the famous title song, “Dreamboat Annie.” Its release helped establish Heart’s blend of folk rock and hard rock, and it became associated with the band’s early commercial breakthrough. Mushroom Records even faced legal trouble over its promotional use of the album’s slogan.
    • Crazy On You — “Crazy on You” is a Heart hit from Dreamboat Annie, known for its acoustic-electric introduction and Ann Wilson’s vocals. The song’s lyrics emphasize restless longing and the urge to go “crazy” or break free, making it a standard clue for Heart’s early hard rock sound.

  • Magic Man — This Heart song appears on Dreamboat Annie and opens with a plea to a mysterious man with blue eyes. The title character is a seductive, possibly supernatural figure who lures the singer away.

  • These Dreams — “These Dreams” is a Heart song co-written by Bernie Taupin and Martin Page. It became the band’s first Billboard number one single and is known for its dreamy lyrics about lights, trees, and sleep.

• Hinder — Hinder is an Oklahoma rock band known for mainstream hard-rock singles and the album Take It to the Limit.

• Jailbreak — Jailbreak is a Thin Lizzy song that describes an escape and gives its name to the album title track. It is also the name of the princess hacker emoji in The Emoji Movie.

• Jimmy Page — Jimmy Page was the guitarist who formed Led Zeppelin after leaving the Yardbirds and who became famous for his Les Paul sound. Other clues include his early session work, his reputation as a rock virtuoso, and his later film scoring.

• Montrose — Montrose was a California hard rock band named after guitarist Ronnie Montrose. Its best-known songs include ‘Bad Motor Scooter’ and ‘Rock Candy,’ and Sammy Hagar was an early lead singer.

• Mountain
  • Mississippi Queen — “Mississippi Queen” is Mountain’s best-known hit, a hard-rock song built around its iconic cowbell intro. The lyric centers on a woman who taught the singer how to love.
• Rock singers
  • Alice Cooper — Alice Cooper is the glam-rock performer associated with songs such as “Welcome to My Nightmare,” “I’m Eighteen,” and “School’s Out.” The archive also points to his stage persona and the use of Vincent Furnier as his real name. He is further identified by the theatrical fake beheading used in 1970s concerts and by the albums that made him famous. The clues consistently indicate the same singer rather than the band alone.
    • Billion Dollar Babies
      • No More Mister Nice Guy — ‘No More Mister Nice Guy’ is an Alice Cooper song about deciding to stop being gentle after being treated badly. Its lyrics describe social rejection, family embarrassment, and a church scene in which the narrator is recognized and punched.

    • No More Mr. Nice Guy — “No More Mr. Nice Guy” is an Alice Cooper song about being pushed from sweetness into a harsher self-image. It is known for lines about having no friends because people read the papers and cannot be seen with him.

    • School’s Out — “School’s Out” is Alice Cooper’s 1972 anthem about the end of the school year, built around the refrain that there is no more class, books, or teacherly discipline. The song gives its name to an album and has been widely covered, including versions by Soul Asylum and GWAR.

  • Billy Squier — Billy Squier is the rock singer who moved from Boston to New York City, played in Piper, and then launched a solo career. His breakthrough solo album Don’t Say No included “The Stroke,” “My Kinda Lover,” and “In the Dark,” and “Everybody Wants You” later got heavy MTV airplay.

  • Bob Geldof — Bob Geldof is the Boomtown Rats frontman best known for organizing Band Aid and Live Aid. He is also identified with the song “I Don’t Like Mondays” and occasional cameo work in film.

  • Bon Scott — Bon Scott was the original lead singer of AC/DC and sang on Highway to Hell. He died in 1980 from acute alcohol poisoning after a night of heavy drinking.

  • Chris Daughtry — Chris Daughtry is an American rock singer and frontman of the band Daughtry, who first came to prominence on American Idol. His solo work and band hits include It’s Not Over, Home, and No Surprise.

  • Dave Gahan — Dave Gahan is the lead singer of Depeche Mode. He also released solo work, including Paper Monsters, and survived a severe drug overdose before recording Ultra.

  • Deryck Whibley — Deryck Whibley is the lead singer and frontman of Sum 41. He is also known for his marriage to Avril Lavigne and for later collaborating with Tommy Lee on Tommyland: The Ride.

  • Eddie Money — Eddie Money was a rock singer-songwriter whose hits included “Take Me Home Tonight,” “Two Tickets to Paradise,” and “Baby Hold On.” He had earlier worked as a police officer before becoming a musician.
    • Take Me Home Tonight — “Take Me Home Tonight” is Eddie Money’s 1986 hit that quotes the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.” The chorus features Ronnie Spector and helped send Money back into the Top 10 after earlier hits like “Two Tickets to Paradise.”

  • Eddie Vedder — Eddie Vedder is the frontman of Pearl Jam and a vocalist on Temple of the Dog’s “Hunger Strike.” He also released solo work tied to Into the Wild and is associated with songs like “Jeremy,” “Alive,” and “Hard Sun.”

  • Freddie Mercury — Lead singer of Queen and a flamboyant rock frontman known for his four-octave range; he was often described as a natural baritone who frequently sang in the tenor range. Associated songs include “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions,” “We Will Rock You,” and “Don’t Stop Me Now.” He performed at Live Aid and recorded the collaborative album Barcelona with Montserrat Caballé.

  • Gary Cherone — Gary Cherone is a rock singer who fronted Extreme and later joined Van Halen. He is associated with songs such as “Fire in the Hole,” “One I Want,” and “Within You.”}],

  • Gavin Rossdale — Gavin Rossdale is the lead singer of Bush, whose hits include “Glycerine” and songs from Sixteen Stone. He is also widely known for his marriage to Gwen Stefani.

  • Julian Fernando Casablancas — Julian Casablancas is the lead singer of the Strokes and a solo artist known for Phrazes for the Young. He also featured on Daft Punk’s “Instant Crush” and on the Lonely Island’s “Boombox.”

  • Layne Staley — Layne Staley was the vocalist for Alice in Chains and also sang with Mad Season and on the MTV Unplugged performance. He died in 2002 from a drug overdose after years of heavy substance abuse and long disappearance from public life.

  • Lenny Kravitz — Lenny Kravitz is a rock singer known for songs such as “Fly Away,” “American Woman,” and “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” He has won multiple Grammys, and his daughter Zoë Kravitz is also a notable actress.

  • Mark McGrath — Mark McGrath is the lead singer of Sugar Ray, the band behind songs like ‘Fly.’ He also became a television personality, including work as a host on Extra.

  • Maynard James Keenan — Maynard James Keenan is the vocalist associated with Tool and A Perfect Circle, and he also fronts Puscifer. He was first involved with Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty and later became known outside music through projects such as his Arizona winery, Caduceus Cellars.

  • Mike Patton — Mike Patton is the singer best known for fronting Faith No More and later driving projects like Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk, Lovage, and Fantomas. He also runs Ipecac Recordings and was once considered as a possible vocalist for INXS.

  • Peter Gabriel — Peter Gabriel is the former Genesis singer and frontman whose solo career produced “Solsbury Hill,” “Biko,” “Sledgehammer,” and “In Your Eyes,” as well as the album So. His videos are noted for elaborate imagery and stop-motion effects, and “Sledgehammer” became one of the most celebrated music videos of all time. He also did film work including Birdy and The Last Temptation of Christ, and released the world-music hit “Passion.”

    • Big Time — “Big Time” is a Peter Gabriel song about success and ambition. It features the lines about making it, coming from a small town, and wanting to “make it show.”

    • Games Without Frontiers — “Games Without Frontiers” is a Peter Gabriel song from his self-titled album. Its lyrics list names such as Hans, Lottie, Jane, Willi, Suki, Leo, Adolph, Enrico, and others, and the title is the French for “games without frontiers.”

    • Salisbury Hill — “Salisbury Hill” is a Peter Gabriel song noted for its unusual seven-beat meter. Its lyrics describe being called home by a voice that tells the singer to grab his things and return.

    • Shock the Monkey — “Shock the Monkey” is a Peter Gabriel song from the early 1980s, noted for its aping, sleep, and primal-urge imagery. It has appeared in covers and comedic uses, including South Park and a Don Ho rendition.

    • So — So is the two-letter word used in Morse code for dot-dot-dot followed by dash-dash-dash. It is also the title of Peter Gabriel’s 1986 album, the one that includes ‘Sledgehammer,’ ‘Red Rain,’ and ‘In Your Eyes.’

      • In Your Eyes — “In Your Eyes” is a Peter Gabriel song that prominently features Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour. Its lyrics evoke a distant lover who can “see the light and the heat,” and the song later became closely associated with Say Anything.

      • Sledgehammer — “Sledgehammer” is a Peter Gabriel hit from the album So, famous for its playful video and emphatic lyrics. The title also refers to a heavy striking tool, which appears in other contexts such as Mahler’s Sixth Symphony.

    • Solsbury Hill — “Solsbury Hill” is Peter Gabriel’s 1977 solo debut single, written after his departure from Genesis. Its lyrics describe the singer’s sense of release and uncertainty, and the song is known for its unusual 7/4 meter.
  • Robert Palmer — Robert Palmer was a British singer whose solo hits included “Addicted to Love” and “Simply Irresistible.” He also performed “Every Kinda People” and “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley,” and was once part of the Power Station.

    • Addicted to Love — “Addicted to Love” is Robert Palmer’s 1986 rock hit whose video features him performing with mannequin-like model musicians in black dresses and red lipstick. The song is also used as a reference point for the 1997 romantic comedy Addicted to Love starring Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick.

    • Simply Irresistible — “Simply Irresistible” is a song by Robert Palmer associated with a major advertising campaign. It was also the title of a 1999 film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.

  • Robert Plant — Robert Plant is the English singer and lyricist best known as the voice of Led Zeppelin. His solo work includes the Honeydrippers project and the collaborative album Raising Sand.

  • Serj Tankian — Serj Tankian is the Armenian-American front man of System of a Down. He later pursued a solo career, wrote the poetry collection Cool Gardens, and became known for activism centered on recognition of the Armenian genocide.

  • Steve Perry — Steve Perry was the lead singer of Journey during its classic era and again in the 1990s, and he helped write “Don’t Stop Believin’.” His solo work included Street Talk and the hit “Oh Sherrie,” and he left Journey after a hip injury made touring difficult.

  • Steven Tyler — Steven Tyler is the lead singer of Aerosmith, famous for his high-voiced rock style and flamboyant stage presence. He is also known for his scarves, his partnership with Joe Perry as one of the Toxic Twins, and later judging on American Idol.
• Rock singers and guitarists
  • Peter Frampton — Peter Frampton is a rock singer and guitarist known for his talk-box style and the live album Frampton Comes Alive!. He was in The Herd and Humble Pie before going solo, and later appeared in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
• song types
  • power ballads — Power ballads are slow, emotional hard rock songs that build to a strong finish. Examples include “Love Hurts” by Nazareth and Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.”
• Van Halen — Van Halen was the hard-rock band fronted by David Lee Roth and featuring Eddie Van Halen’s guitar work. Songs like “Hot for Teacher,” “Panama,” and “Beat It” made the group famous, even as a later self-titled album was poorly received.

  • David Lee Roth — David Lee Roth was the original lead singer of Van Halen and later a solo performer. He is closely identified with songs and projects like “Jump,” Crazy from the Heat, and the band’s classic early albums.

  • Eddie Van Halen — Eddie Van Halen was the guitarist who formed Van Halen with David Lee Roth. He is also known for the guitar solo in Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and died in 2020.

  • For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
    • Right Now — “Right Now” is the Van Halen song from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge whose video became especially famous in the early 1990s. Its quirky on-screen captions and Pepsi tie-in are among the clues used to identify the song in trivia.
  • Van Halen songs “Panama,” “Dreams,” and “Jump” — Van Halen recorded the eighties hits “Panama,” “Dreams,” and “Jump.” The set groups together one-word song titles by their performer.

• Welcome to the Jungle — “Welcome to the Jungle” is the opening track on Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction and one of the band’s best-known hard-rock singles. Its clues often point to the song’s Los Angeles setting, the line about having everything you want but needing to be careful, and its frequent use in sports and film contexts.

• David Coverdale — David Coverdale is an English rock singer best known as the lead vocalist and founder of Whitesnake. He replaced Ian Gillan in Deep Purple and sang on Burn, Stormbringer, and Come Taste the Band before later collaborating with Jimmy Page and Steve Vai.

• Guitarists
  • Jeff Beck — Jeff Beck was a British guitarist who rose to fame with the Yardbirds and later led the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. He became known for virtuosic instrumental rock guitar and albums such as Blow by Blow.

• Hair of the Dog — “Hair of the Dog” is a hard rock song by Nazareth with the memorable cowbell intro and the line about messing with a son of a bitch. It was later covered by Guns N’ Roses on their Spaghetti Incident album.

• Keep Yourself Alive — “Keep Yourself Alive” is an early Queen song from the band’s debut era. It is known for flamboyant self-mythologizing lyrics and appears among the group’s most frequently cited classic tracks.

• Canadian rock bands
  • Nickelback — Nickelback is a Canadian rock band best known for the hit ‘How You Remind Me’ from Silver Side Up. The group is also frequently invoked as a target of ridicule in pop culture.
    • All the Right Reasons — All the Right Reasons is a 2005 Nickelback album that includes “Photograph,” “Far Away,” and “Savin’ Me.” Its songs and videos helped make it the band’s biggest commercial success.
      • Look at This Photograph — “Look at this Photograph” is a Nickelback song from 2005 that centers on the title picture and nostalgia for adolescence. Its video and many parodies feature Chad Kroeger, Joey Moi, and the repeated refrain “Every time I do it makes me laugh.”
    • How You Remind Me — How You Remind Me is a 2002 Nickelback hit built around the singer’s frustration, drinking, and strained relationship. Its clues include the repeated refrain about being reminded and the line about living with him nearly killing her.

• Los Lonely Boys — Los Lonely Boys are a Texas rock band made up of the Garza brothers Henry, Jojo, and Ringo. Their self-titled debut was recorded in Willie Nelson’s studio and included the hit song “Heaven.”

• Alan Parsons — Alan Parsons is the engineer-turned-musician behind The Alan Parsons Project, the British act associated with concept albums like I Robot, Eye in the Sky, and Tales of Mystery and Imagination. He also helped engineer landmark recordings including Abbey Road and The Dark Side of the Moon.

• Come Sail Away — “Come Sail Away” is a Styx song from The Grand Illusion that became especially famous through Eric Cartman’s gleefully off-key performance on South Park. Its lyrics imagine a voyage that shifts into spiritual and cosmic imagery, including angels, hope, and a reference to Ezekiel.

• Electric Light Orchestra — Electric Light Orchestra was a British rock band usually led by Jeff Lynne, known for Beatles-influenced, lush orchestration. Songs associated with the group include “10538 Overture,” “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Telephone Line,” “Livin’ Thing,” “Evil Woman,” “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” and “Sweet Talkin’ Woman.” Albums include A New World Record, Out of the Blue, Secret Messages, and Xanadu.

  • Do Ya — “Do Ya” is a song associated with Electric Light Orchestra and originally recorded by The Move. It appears on A New World Record and repeats the title phrase while asking whether the listener wants the singer’s love, face, or mind.

  • Don’t Bring Me Down — “Don’t Bring Me Down” is a well-known Electric Light Orchestra song, famous for the misheard lyric “Groos,” often rendered as “Bruce.” The phrase also appears as the title of other songs, including a blues standard referenced by later clues.

  • Jeff Lynne — Jeff Lynne is the frontman and chief songwriter of Electric Light Orchestra. He was also one of the Traveling Wilburys and worked with The Move.

  • Out of the Blue

    • “Mr. Blue Sky” — “Mr. Blue Sky” is the 1977 Electric Light Orchestra song from Out of the Blue with a bright, orchestral sound and a famously wistful lyric asking the title figure why he had to hide away. It later resurged through Volkswagen ads and other media exposure.
• Genesis
  • Invisible Touch — Invisible Touch is a 1986 Genesis album led by Phil Collins’s title hit about a woman whose touch is impossible to escape. It also includes the singles “Land of Confusion,” “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight,” “In Too Deep,” and “Throwing It All Away.”
    • Land of Confusion — “Land of Confusion” is a Genesis song famous for its surreal music video, which turns political leaders into puppets and draws on Ronald Reagan’s nightmare imagery. The 1987 hit was later covered by Disturbed, whose version also received attention for using the same visual concept.
  • Tonight Tonight Tonight — “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight” is a Genesis song from Invisible Touch. It began as a Phil Collins Michelob jingle that the band stretched into a long, brooding album track.
• Jethro Tull
  • Thick as a Brick — This Jethro Tull release is a parody of the concept album, framed as a long fake poem by the fictional schoolboy Gerald Bostock. Its title song runs for nearly the whole album and is the band’s best-known extended work.
• Keyboard instruments
  • Mellotron — The Mellotron is the tape-based electro-mechanical keyboard instrument associated with the opening of “Strawberry Fields Forever” and other progressive rock textures. Its sounds are produced by playing lengths of magnetic tape when keys are pressed, which makes it a frequent clue in Beatles and Radiohead questions.
• King Crimson — King Crimson is an English progressive rock band led by guitarist Robert Fripp. Its classic albums include In the Wake of Poseidon, Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, and Red, and its early songs include “21st Century Schizoid Man” and “I Talk to the Wind.” The group is also associated with unusual instrumentation, the Discipline era, and the iconic screaming face on the cover of its debut album; its early albums helped define art rock and prog and influenced later prog and experimental rock.
  • In the Court of the Crimson King — In the Court of the Crimson King is King Crimson’s 1969 debut album and a landmark of progressive rock. It includes “21st Century Schizoid Man” and the title track, among other pieces with surreal, apocalyptic imagery.
    • 21st Century Schizoid Man — “21st Century Schizoid Man” is the opening track of King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and is famous for its abrasive riff and the middle section titled “Mirrors.” Its lyrics describe a violent, paranoid figure, and the song’s opening line has been widely sampled in later hip-hop and rock.
• Mike Oldfield
  • Tubular Bells — Tubular Bells is Mike Oldfield’s debut album, famous for its long instrumental passages and spoken instrument list. It later gained new fame through its use in The Exorcist and in live performance settings such as the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.
• Rush — Rush is the Canadian progressive rock band associated with Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, and songs like “Tom Sawyer,” “YYZ,” and “The Spirit of Radio.” Their albums include 2112 and Moving Pictures, and they are famous for elaborate drumming and high-register vocals. The name also appears in unrelated clues about Benjamin Rush and a Megaman character, but the band is the intended answer when those clues are present alongside prog-rock references.

  • Fly by Night — Fly by Night is Rush’s 1975 album, the first to feature Neil Peart on drums and the band’s second studio release. It includes “Anthem,” “Making Memories,” and the title track, along with “By-Tor and the Snow Dog.”

  • Geddy Lee — Geddy Lee is the bassist and lead singer of Rush, also known by his birth name Gary Lee Weinrib. He is one of the band’s three core members, alongside Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart.

  • Moving Pictures — Moving Pictures is the 1981 Rush album that includes “Tom Sawyer,” “YYZ,” “Limelight,” “Red Barchetta,” and “The Camera Eye.” Its cover shows people carrying artwork, matching the album’s title.
    • YYZ — “YYZ” is the instrumental by Rush whose title comes from Toronto Pearson International Airport’s IATA code. The piece appears on Moving Pictures and is famous for its driving 10/8 opening riff based on the morse code for YYZ.

  • Neil Peart — Neil Peart was the drummer and primary lyricist for Rush, and his elaborate drum kits became part of his reputation. He wrote lyrics for songs such as “The Spirit of Radio,” “Tom Sawyer,” and “Time Stand Still.”

  • Permanent Waves — Permanent Waves is a 1980 Rush album that includes “The Spirit of Radio” and “Freewill.” It is one of the band’s best-known records from the period when they balanced shorter singles with their signature progressive rock sound.
• The Alan Parsons Project — A British progressive rock project built around producer-engineer Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson. It is known for concept albums such as Tales of Mystery and Imagination, I Robot, and Eye in the Sky, and for the instrumental “Sirius”; the title track of Eye in the Sky became its best-known hit.
  • Eye in the Sky — Eye in the Sky is the 1982 Alan Parsons Project album built around surveillance and the idea of a Big Brother-style future. Its best-known track is the title song, and the opening instrumental “Sirius” became famous as a sports introduction cue.
• The Moody Blues — The Moody Blues were a British rock band best known for progressive, orchestral-leaning albums such as Days of Future Passed and In Search of the Lost Chord. Their clues often point to songs like “Nights in White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” and “I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band).”

  • Days of Future Passed — Days of Future Passed is the 1967 Moody Blues concept album that includes “Tuesday Afternoon” and ends with “Nights in White Satin.” It is one of the band’s signature psychedelic records and was originally planned as a symphonic rock project.

  • Moody Blues — The Moody Blues are an English rock band that moved from early R&B toward progressive rock. They are especially known for Days of Future Passed and songs such as “Nights in White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” and “Your Wildest Dreams.”

• Yes

  • 90125 — 90125 is a 1983 album by Yes, the British progressive rock band. It includes songs such as “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “Leave It,” and “It Can Happen.”

  • Fragile — Fragile is the 1971 Yes album best known for “Roundabout” and “Heart of the Sunrise.” Its Roger Dean cover shows a small planet with a spaceship-like ark, and the album also includes the track “The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus).”
    • Roundabout — ‘Roundabout’ is a Yes song from Fragile, known for its acoustic opening, elaborate harmonies, and famously long runtime. It later became especially recognizable through its use in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure meme culture and the show’s ‘To Be Continued’ endings.
  • Owner of a Lonely Heart — “Owner of a Lonely Heart” is Yes’s 1983 comeback hit from 90125, written largely by Trevor Rabin. Its lyrics urge the listener to act freely and self-reliantly, and the song is especially associated with the band’s pop-oriented 1980s sound.

• The Great Gig in the Sky — “The Great Gig in the Sky” is a Pink Floyd track from The Dark Side of the Moon, built around Clare Torry’s wordless vocals. The song’s opening and closing spoken passages center on mortality and death.

• David Essex
  • Rock On — “Rock On” is David Essex’s signature song, originally associated with his film That’ll Be the Day. It became a bigger hit in cover form for Michael Damian, and its lyrics invoke James Dean and a search for a blue-jean baby queen.
• David Johansen
  • Buster Poindexter — Buster Poindexter is the lounge-singer persona created by David Johansen, best known for the hit “Hot Hot Hot.” He later appeared as a stylized nightclub act with a namesake album and follow-up records.

• Electric Six — Electric Six is a Detroit rock band associated with disco, arena rock, and songs like “Danger! High Voltage” and “Gay Bar”. Its vocalist is Tyler Spencer, better known as Dick Valentine, and the band also covered Queen’s “Radio Ga Ga.”

• Every Rose Has Its Thorn — “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” is Poison’s best-known power ballad and their only number-one hit. The song’s breakup lyrics about love turning painful are the core of its identity, and it is often recognized by the line about every cowboy singing the same sad song.

• Faster Pussycat — Faster Pussycat is a glam metal band led by Taime Downe. Their best-known album is Wake Me When It’s Over, and one of their signature songs is “Bathroom Wall.”

• KISS

  • Beth — “Beth” is the big power ballad by KISS, sung by Peter Criss and originally issued as the B-side of “Detroit Rock City.” It was reportedly renamed from “Rebecca,” and its lyrics center on leaving home to answer a woman’s call. The title also shows up as a common first name, which made it easy for later pop songs and internet ads to play with the word.

  • Destroyer — Destroyer can refer to the Kiss album best known for ‘Detroit Rock City,’ ‘Beth,’ and ‘Shout It Out Loud,’ as well as to naval destroyers, a class of fast warship originally built to hunt torpedo boats and submarines. The same title also appears in other artistic and religious contexts, so the answer depends on the clue set.

  • Detroit Rock City — “Detroit Rock City” is a KISS song about a fast, reckless drive toward a midnight concert in the title city. The title also refers to the 1999 film about teenagers trying to reach a KISS show.

  • Dressed to Kill
    • Rock and Roll All Nite — “Rock and Roll All Nite” is a KISS song from Dressed to Kill that closes the album and became one of the band’s signature concert numbers. A live version later became a bigger hit than the original, and the song is associated with the line “And party every day.”
  • Gene Simmons — Gene Simmons is the KISS bassist and “Demon” persona, born Chaim Witz in Israel and later known for elaborate makeup and stage theatrics. He also became a media personality and author, including the memoir Sex Money Kiss.

• Lita Ford — Lita Ford is a rock singer and guitarist known for hits like “Kiss Me Deadly” and “Close My Eyes Forever.” She was formerly a member of the Runaways.

• Night Ranger — Night Ranger is an American arena rock band formed by former members of Rubicon. They are best known for songs like “Sister Christian,” “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” and “When You Close Your Eyes.”

• Poison — Poison is an 80s glam metal band fronted by Bret Michaels, with C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett in the classic lineup. They are especially known for “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and albums like Open Up and Say…Ahh! and Native Tongue.

  • Bret Michaels — Bret Michaels is the frontman of Poison and a recurring reality-TV and celebrity-media figure. He also appeared in Guitar Hero III and starred in the film A Letter from Death Row.

  • Something to Believe In — “Something to Believe In” is a Poison power ballad about corruption, hypocrisy, and disillusionment. Its lyrics criticize a preacher and evoke a plea for faith amid exploitation and disappointment.

• Scottish rock bands
  • Big Country — Big Country was a Scottish rock band fronted by Stuart Adamson. They are associated with songs like “Fields of Fire” and The Crossing, and Adamson later died after the group broke up.

• T. Rex — T. Rex was the Marc Bolan-fronted glam rock band behind songs like “Ride a White Swan,” “Bang a Gong (Get It On),” and “Children of the Revolution.” The group was also originally called Tyrannosaurus Rex before shortening its name.

• The Outlaws songs
  • “Green Grass and High Tides” — “Green Grass and High Tides” is the best-known song by The Outlaws and closes the first Rock Band game. It is the southern rock epic often cited as a finale song for rhythm games and for the band’s live set lists.

• The Stray Cats — The Stray Cats were a rockabilly revival band led by Brian Setzer. They are best known for songs such as “Rock This Town,” which helped bring the group mainstream attention.

• The Sweet
  • The Ballroom Blitz — “The Ballroom Blitz” is The Sweet’s 1973 glam rock hit, famous for its shouted opening and frantic depiction of a dance hall being attacked. Its lyrics describe a bizarre scene of panic, red-eyed onlookers, and sudden chaos.
• Warrant
  • Cherry Pie — “Cherry Pie” is Warrant’s signature glam-metal hit, the title track from their second album. The song is remembered for its overtly sexual lyrics and its music video, which helped make it the band’s best-known track.
• American hard rock bands
  • Blue Oyster Cult — Blue Öyster Cult is the hard rock band known for songs like “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper,” “Godzilla,” and “Burnin’ for You.” Clues also mention their ties to Stephen King, their earlier names, and their use of lasers in concert.
    • (Don’t Fear) The Reaper — “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” is the Blue Öyster Cult song from Agents of Fortune that turns mortality into a cyclical image of seasons, wind, sun, and rain. It is famous for the line about forty thousand people dying every day and for the “Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity” verse, as well as the SNL “more cowbell” sketch.
• American heartland rock musicians
  • John Mellencamp — The American singer-songwriter and rocker was once billed as John Cougar and later John Cougar Mellencamp. He is associated with heartland rock and songs such as “I Need a Lover,” “Hurts So Good,” “Pink Houses,” and “Jack & Diane” (also given as “Jack and Diane”). He released albums including American Fool, Scarecrow, and Uh-Huh, later issued the compilation Words and Music, and worked on a stage musical with Stephen King. He also directed and starred in Falling from Grace.

    • Eden Is Burning — “Eden Is Burning” is a song from John Mellencamp’s 1998 self-titled album. It is presented as a sequel of sorts to his earlier hit “Jack and Diane.”

    • Jack and Diane — “Jack and Diane” is John Mellencamp’s best-known hit, a nostalgic song about two Midwestern teenagers growing up in America’s heartland. Its refrain about holding on to youth is paired with the famous line that life goes on long after the thrill of living is gone. The song’s opening calls it a little ditty about the title couple and has become one of Mellencamp’s signature tracks.

    • Our Country — “Our Country” is a John Cougar Mellencamp song from Freedom Road. Its lyrics pair patriotic language with calls for compassion, science, and religion to coexist, and it became widely known through a Chevrolet Silverado commercial.

    • Pink Houses — “Pink Houses” is a 1983 song by John Mellencamp that reflects on American life and inequality. Its lyrics include the image of a black man living in a black neighborhood with an interstate in his front yard.

• American rock musicians
  • Josh Homme — Josh Homme is an American rock musician who founded Kyuss and later led Queens of the Stone Age. He has also performed with Eagles of Death Metal and Them Crooked Vultures, and is associated with the stoner rock sound.

• Coal Chamber — Coal Chamber is a metal band associated with albums like Dark Days and Chamber Music. Its former singer is Dez Fafara, and the group is tied to the song “Enemy” by Morgan Rose.

• Helloween — Helloween is the German power metal band that helped define the genre in the 1980s. Their Keeper of the Seven Keys albums, especially Parts I and II, are their best-known records and include songs like “I Want Out” and “Eagle Fly Free.”

• Living Colour — Living Colour is the hard rock band best known for the hit “Cult of Personality.” Their debut Vivid and later albums like Time’s Up and Collide0scope established them as an influential Black rock group with Corey Glover on vocals and Vernon Reid on guitar.
  • Cult of Personality — “Cult of Personality” is the biggest hit by Living Colour and the song that won the first Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. It uses sampled speeches from figures such as Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Malcolm X while referring to the idea of charismatic political domination.
• Marilyn Manson — Marilyn Manson is the stage name of Brian Warner, an alternative rock performer known for shock imagery and songs like “The Beautiful People.” He drew controversy for provocative videos and for a persona that blended glam, industrial rock, and horror aesthetics.
  • Antichrist Superstar — Antichrist Superstar is Marilyn Manson’s 1996 album and his commercial breakthrough. It includes songs such as “The Beautiful People” and “Irresponsible Hate Anthem,” and its imagery leans on shock rock and apocalyptic themes.

• Megadeth — Megadeth is a thrash metal band formed by Dave Mustaine after his time in Metallica. Its early albums include Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!, Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?, and So Far, So Good… So What!.

• Quiet Riot — Quiet Riot was the hard rock band that scored a hit with ‘Cum On Feel the Noize’ after Randy Rhoads left to join Ozzy Osbourne. It is also associated with the album Metal Health and singer Kevin DuBrow.
  • Cum On Feel the Noize — “Cum On Feel the Noize” is a song originally by Slade that became a bigger hit through Quiet Riot’s 1983 cover. The Quiet Riot version appears on Mental Health and is known for its chant-like hook and party-rock energy.
• Rage Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine is the politically charged rap-metal band fronted by Zack de la Rocha and led musically by Tom Morello. They are known for songs like “Killing in the Name,” “Bulls on Parade,” and “Guerrilla Radio,” plus an iconic debut album cover showing Thích Quảng Đức burning himself.
  • Evil Empire
    • “Bulls on Parade” — “Bulls on Parade” is a Rage Against the Machine song from Evil Empire, known for Tom Morello’s scratching-style guitar solo and its repeated chorus about shells. The song also became notorious for a 1996 Saturday Night Live protest performance involving upside-down American flags and Steve Forbes.

  • Guerrilla Radio — “Guerrilla Radio” is a Rage Against the Machine song from The Battle of Los Angeles, and it won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2001. Its lyrics include images of war, censorship, and media spectacle, with a chorus built around the title and the shouted lines “Lights out” and “Turn that shit up.”

  • Zack de la Rocha — Zack de la Rocha is the vocalist and activist best known as the frontman of Rage Against the Machine. He also appeared on tracks such as “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck),” “Kill Your Masters,” and “Mumia 911,” and was formerly in the band Inside Out before playing with Playaz Circle-related artists.
• Rock genres
  • Nintendocore — Nintendocore is a music genre that blends rock or metal with 8-bit video game sounds. It is associated with acts such as Horse the Band, The Advantage, and Minibosses.
• Saliva
  • Always — “Always” is a Saliva song associated with the early-2000s WWE and a breakup-themed pop-metal lyric about inability to let go. The name also appears in unrelated clue chains about a feminine-products brand and Steven Spielberg’s film Always.

• Through the Fire and Flames — “Through the Fire and Flames” is the blisteringly fast DragonForce song that became famous through Guitar Hero III. It is associated with Herman Li’s guitar work and the opening line about a cold winter morning before the light.

• Through the Fire and the Flames — “Through the Fire and the Flames” is a DragonForce power-metal song known for its extreme speed and its use in _Guitar Hero III_. It became one of the band’s signature tracks and is associated with a heroic fantasy narrative about carrying on through fire and flames.

• Tool — Tool is the progressive metal band fronted by Maynard James Keenan, known for songs such as “Sober,” “Schism,” “Lateralus,” and “Aenima.” Their albums and stage design often feature surreal imagery, including the art of Alex Grey and the extended track title “Wings, Part 2” on 10,000 Days.
  • Sober — “Sober” is a Tool music video released in 1993. The title also matches the common adjective meaning not under the influence of alcohol.

• Underoath — Underoath is a Christian metalcore band from Florida that broke through with “Reinventing Your Exit” from They’re Only Chasing Safety. Their earlier albums include Act of Depression, Cries of the Past, and The Changing of Times, after which later lineup changes led to wider mainstream exposure.

• Crazy Train — “Crazy Train” is an Ozzy Osbourne song from Blizzard of Ozz, driven by Randy Rhoads’s guitar work. The lyric about forgetting how to hate and the song’s arena-rock riff made it a long-running sports anthem.

• Ghost — Ghost is the Swedish metal band fronted by Tobias Forge and famous for its Nameless Ghouls and Papa Emeritus characters. Its songs include the hit “Cirice,” and the band temporarily used the U.S. name Ghost B.C.

• Grant MacDonald
  • Ram Ranch — “Ram Ranch” is a 2012 power metal song by Grant MacDonald that became an internet meme. Its notorious opening about “18 naked cowboys” made it especially famous as an intentionally outrageous novelty track.

• Joe Satriani — Joe Satriani is the guitar virtuoso and teacher of Steve Vai whose albums include Surfing with the Alien and Crystal Planet. He is also known for litigation over similarities between his work and songs by Coldplay and Nicki Minaj.

• Mr. Big — Mr. Big is the hard rock band best known in the United States for the ballad “To Be with You.” The band became especially successful in Japan and included Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, and Paul Gilbert among its members.

• Mötley Crüe — American glam/heavy metal band founded by Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, later associated with Vince Neil and Mick Mars. Known for hits such as “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Kickstart My Heart,” and “Dr. Feelgood,” as well as the Decade of Decadence compilation and later reunion tours.

  • Dr. Feelgood — Dr. Feelgood is Mötley Crüe’s 1989 hit album, named for the song about a Hollywood drug dealer who made people feel all right. The title track tells the story of Rat-tailed Jimmy, also called Jigsaw Jim, who becomes the king of the barrio streets.

  • Girls, Girls, Girls — “Girls, Girls, Girls” is a Motley Crue song built around a tour of strip clubs and burlesque venues. Its chorus and verses name-check places like the Tropicana, the Body Shop, and the Dollhouse, making it one of the band’s signature sleazy hard-rock singles.

  • Theatre of Pain

    • Home Sweet Home — Mötley Crüe’s power ballad “Home Sweet Home” is about returning to a beloved place after being away. Its video and later media appearances helped make it one of the band’s best-known songs.
• Nazareth
  • Love Hurts — “Love Hurts” is a song that became widely associated with Nazareth after earlier recordings by other artists. Nazareth turned it into a Top Ten hit in 1976 and the lyrics present love as a painful illusion.
• Rock
  • Guitarists
    • Eric Clapton — English rock guitarist best known for his work with the Yardbirds, Cream, and Derek and the Dominos. His signature songs include “Layla,” “Crossroads,” “Wonderful Tonight,” “Tears in Heaven,” and “Cocaine,” and he also played on George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” He is the only musician inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times.

      • Tears in Heaven — “Tears in Heaven” is Eric Clapton’s Grammy-winning memorial song for his young son Conor. It was written for the Rush soundtrack and is often identified by its reflective chorus asking whether the singer would be recognized in the title setting.

      • Wonderful Tonight — “Wonderful Tonight” is an Eric Clapton song about Patti Boyd, opened by the line about the singer wondering what clothes she should wear. The lyric also includes the familiar question, “Do I look alright?”

  • Velvet Revolver — Velvet Revolver was the rock supergroup formed by former Guns N’ Roses members and Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots. Its best-known album is Contraband, which includes the hit “Slither.”
• rock ballads
  • Power ballad — A power ballad is a typically slow-starting rock song that builds to a big chorus and was especially common on 1980s hair-metal albums. Examples include Journey’s “Open Arms,” Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian,” and Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.”
• Rock bassists
  • Nikki Sixx — Nikki Sixx is the bassist and primary songwriter associated with Mötley Crüe, after earlier playing in bands like London and Sister. Born Franklin Carlton Serafino Feranna, he became notorious for heavy drug use and multiple near-death experiences during the band’s rise.

• Sevendust — Sevendust is an Atlanta metal band fronted by Lajon Witherspoon. They are associated with songs such as “Denial,” “Praise,” “Live Again,” and “Enemy,” and they first rose to wider attention after changing their original name, Crawlspace.

• Shock rock bands
  • GWAR — GWAR is the shock-rock band built around grotesque alien characters such as Oderus Urungus, Beefcake the Mighty, and Balsac the Jaws of Death. Their stage shows are known for extreme gore effects and topical satire, including the Electile Dysfunction tour.
• Spinal Tap

  • Big Bottom — “Big Bottom” is a Spinal Tap song, famous for its exaggeratedly sexual lyrics. It is one of the band’s best-known comic numbers.

  • Bitch School — “Bitch School” is a Spinal Tap song that plays on canine imagery and was associated with a controversial music video concept. The song was released in 1992 and is remembered for its comic, suggestive lyrics about training and discipline.

• Zakk Wylde — Zakk Wylde is a heavy-metal guitarist known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, and Damageplan. He is also associated with a distinctive black-and-white bullseye Les Paul guitar.

• Figured You Out — “Figured You Out” is a Nickelback single from the early 2000s built around an explicitly sexual, degrading narrator’s point of view. The lyrics mention cocaine use, self-respect, and the line about being passed out on the deck.

• Jon Bon Jovi — Jon Bon Jovi is the New Jersey rocker behind Bon Jovi, known for hits like “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Blaze of Glory,” and “You Give Love a Bad Name.” He also acted in films and co-owns the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul.

• Journey

  • Any Way You Want It — “Any Way You Want It” is a 1980 Journey song famous for its sing-along chorus and alternating guitar-vocal riff. It shows up in Caddyshack, The Simpsons, Rock of Ages, and Pitch Perfect 2. The song is also a karaoke favorite for Sheldon and Leonard’s mother, and it first appeared on a Journey album of the same era.

  • Don’t Stop Believin’ — “Don’t Stop Believin’” is a Journey power ballad built around a small-town girl and a city boy. It was later featured in the finale of The Sopranos and became a live favorite for Kanye West.

  • Raised on Radio — Raised on Radio is a 1986 Journey album featuring the hit “Be Good to Yourself.” It was the band’s last studio album for about ten years.

  • Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) — “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” is a 1983 Journey song from Frontiers, known for its line about love finding you and breaking the chains that bind you. Its low-budget video was Journey’s first choreographed clip and is often cited as one of the worst music videos ever.

• Jukebox Hero — “Jukebox Hero” is a Foreigner song about a man inspired by the sound of a guitar outside a concert hall. The narrator becomes a rock star and is described as having stars in his eyes.

• Meat Loaf — Meat Loaf was the stage name of Marvin Lee Aday, a rock singer known for Bat Out of Hell and for theatrical hits like Paradise by the Dashboard Light. The clues also point to his 1994 comeback and later collaborations.

  • Bat Out of Hell — *Bat Out of Hell* is Meat Loaf’s breakout 1977 album, produced by Todd Rundgren and famous for its dramatic rock theatrics. Its best-known songs include “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” and the title track.

  • Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell — Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell is the 1993 middle album in Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell trilogy. It is best known for “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” and songs such as “Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back.”

  • I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) — Meat Loaf’s long 1993 hit from Bat Out of Hell II, written by Jim Steinman. Lorraine Crosby sings the female vocal part. The song’s video is staged as a Beauty-and-the-Beast story, and the meaning of the lyric’s ambiguous promise is clarified near the end.

• Steppenwolf
  • Rock Me — “Rock Me” is a Steppenwolf song and one of the group’s Top 10 hits. Its lyrics describe a woman who tries to save the world alone and ask for a promised land while waiting to hang on until then.
• Steppenwolf songs
  • Born to Be Wild — “Born to Be Wild” is Steppenwolf’s 1968 hard-rock anthem, later tied to Easy Rider and even used in pop-culture parody and tribute contexts. Its lyrics mention “heavy metal thunder” and “fire all your guns at once,” clues that often point to the song’s association with motorcycle imagery and the phrase “heavy metal.”
• Steve Miller — Steve Miller is the frontman of the Steve Miller Band, known for songs like “The Joker,” “Fly Like an Eagle,” and “Abracadabra.” He also drew on blues and R&B sources for much of his work and had early ties to Milwaukee music groups with Boz Scaggs.

  • Space Cowboy — Space Cowboy is a phrase and song title associated with Steve Miller’s 1960s and 1970s work. It also appears as a pop-culture nickname for a profession remembered through a reference to Joey’s childhood friend Maurice.

  • the pompatus of love — The pompatus of love is a puzzling lyric phrase from a Steve Miller song that later became the title of a comedy film. The phrase is central to the 1996 Jon Cryer film The Pompatus of Love, in which characters try to figure out its meaning.

• Steve Miller Band — American rock group behind hits such as “The Joker,” “Fly Like an Eagle,” and “Take the Money and Run.” Their 1970s work also includes the album Book of Dreams and songs like “Jet Airliner,” “Jungle Love,” “Living in the U.S.A.,” and “Swingtown.”

  • Fly Like an Eagle — “Fly Like an Eagle” is a 1976 Steve Miller Band song and title track whose refrain says that “time keeps on slippin’ into the future.” The song appears on the album Fly Like an Eagle, which also contains “Rock’n Me” and “Take the Money and Run,” and it was later covered by Seal for Space Jam.

  • The Joker

    • pompatus of love — “Pompatus of love” is a nonsense phrase made famous by Steve Miller’s “The Joker.” The line was borrowed from an older R&B song, and the word was originally explained as a made-up term for an imagined ideal woman.
• Styx
  • Mr. Roboto — Mr. Roboto is the Styx song about a masked modern man who hides behind an artificial persona and says “domo arigato.” The title character eventually reveals himself as Robert Orin Charles Kilroy, tying the song to the band’s Kilroy Was Here concept.
• Survivor

  • Burning Heart — ‘Burning Heart’ is a Survivor song from the Rocky IV soundtrack. It was a sequel hit after ‘Eye of the Tiger’ and became one of the band’s best-known Rocky-related songs.

  • Eye of the Tiger — “Eye of the Tiger” is Survivor’s best-known hit and a signature training-montage song. It was written for Rocky III and is recognized by its driving chorus about rising to the challenge of a rival. The chorus includes “thrill of the fight.”

  • The Search is Over — This Survivor power ballad from Vital Signs became the band’s highest-charting single. Its chorus turns on the realization that the singer’s true love had been with him all along.

Punk

• punk — Punk is the raw, DIY rock subculture associated with the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, and early scenes centered on CBGB. It also gave rise to post-punk and a wider fashion and cultural movement.

• Punk rock — mid-1970s; reaction against prog-rock excess and stadium rock; fast, loud, short, stripped-down; DIY ethos. It is associated with bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and Black Flag, and later helped inspire post-punk and riot grrrl scenes.
  • Bands
    • The Damned — The Damned were a British punk band whose classic lineup included Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies. They are remembered for early singles such as ‘New Rose’ and ‘Neat Neat Neat,’ with ‘New Rose’ often cited as the first UK punk single.

  • Gogol Bordello — Gogol Bordello is a punk band that blends gypsy musical elements with a raucous alternative-rock sound. Their music appears in Everything Is Illuminated, and lead singer Eugene Hutz also acts in the film as Alex.

  • Social Distortion — Social Distortion is a punk band fronted by Mike Ness, known for songs such as “Story of My Life,” “Ball and Chain,” and “Reach for the Sky.” Their albums include White Light, White Heat, White Trash and Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes.

  • The Sex Pistols — The Sex Pistols were a British punk band fronted by Johnny Rotten and notorious for their unruly behavior and short, explosive career. Their best-known songs include “Anarchy in the U.K.” and “God Save the Queen,” and Sid Vicious was one of their members.

  • Feminist punk
    • riot grrrl — Riot grrrl was an early-1990s feminist punk movement centered in Olympia, Washington, with zines, DIY politics, and bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile. Its name deliberately misspells the second word, and clues often connect it to Kathleen Hanna and third-wave feminism.
• punk rock singers
  • Joey Ramone — Joey Ramone was the stage name of Jeffrey Hyman, the lead singer of the Ramones. He was one of punk rock’s defining figures and released a posthumous solo album, Don’t Worry About Me.
• punk musicians
  • Sid Vicious — Sid Vicious was the Sex Pistols bassist born John Simon Ritchie, later notorious for his punk cover of “My Way” and his relationship with Nancy Spungen. Before joining the Sex Pistols, he also played with an early live lineup connected to Siouxsie and the Banshees.
• Punk rock impresarios
  • Malcolm McLaren — British punk impresario who managed the Sex Pistols and helped launch Bow Wow Wow. His work also included the album Duck Rock and collaborations involving Vivienne Westwood and Alan Moore.
• Punk bands
  • Buzzcocks — The Buzzcocks were an English punk band known for songs like “Boredom,” “What Do I Get,” and “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t Have?).” Their work helped define the early punk sound.
• punk cabaret groups
  • The Dresden Dolls — This Boston duo, led by Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione, performs theatrical “Brechtian punk cabaret.” Their songs include “Girl Anachronism” and “Coin-Operated Boy,” and their self-titled album helped make them a cult indie act.
• Punk rock bands

  • Against Me! — Against Me! is the Gainesville punk band led by Tom Gabel that released Reinventing Axl Rose, Searching for a Former Clarity, and New Wave. The band broke through with songs like “Thrash Unreal” and later “I Was a Teenage Anarchist,” mixing raw punk energy with major-label visibility.

  • Bad Religion — Bad Religion is the Los Angeles punk band fronted by Greg Graffin, known for albums like Suffer, Against the Grain, and Recipe for Hate. Its songs include “American Jesus” and “21st Century Digital Boy,” and the group is closely associated with Epitaph Records.

  • Dead Kennedys — Dead Kennedys are a politically charged punk band associated with Jello Biafra, known for albums like Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Their songs include “Holiday in Cambodia,” “California Über Alles,” and “Nazi Punks Fuck Off,” and they were also tied to obscenity controversy over Frankenchrist.

  • Die Toten Hosen — Die Toten Hosen is a long-running Düsseldorf punk band led by Campino. The group is known for songs and albums such as “Hier Kommt Alex,” Opium fürs Volk, Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau, and “Zehn kleine Jägermeister.”

  • Hüsker Dü — A Minneapolis, Minnesota punk/hardcore trio led by Bob Mould, Grant Hart, and Greg Norton, known for its influential melodic hardcore sound. Early fast records included Land Speed Record, and later albums included Zen Arcade, New Day Rising, and Flip Your Wig. The name comes from a Danish board game phrase meaning roughly “do you remember,” and the band helped launch Bob Mould’s solo career.

  • Me First and the Gimme Gimmes — Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a punk supergroup known for covering pop, Broadway, and classic rock songs instead of writing originals. Their albums include Have a Ball and Are a Drag, with covers ranging from Neil Diamond to show tunes.

  • Rancid — Rancid is a punk band led by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, formed by former members of Operation Ivy. The band is known for ska-tinged songs like “Ruby Soho,” “Time Bomb,” and “Salvation,” and for albums such as Let’s Go and …And Out Come the Wolves.

  • The Offspring — The Offspring are a Southern California punk band fronted by Dexter Holland and associated with hits like “Come Out and Play,” “Self Esteem,” and “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy).” Their songs often mix fast pop-punk energy with humor and bratty social commentary. Their albums include Smash, Ignition, and Americana.

    • Come Out and Play (Keep ’Em Separated) — This Offspring song appears on Smash and became a major modern rock hit despite originating on an independent release. Its chorus repeats “you gotta keep ’em separated,” while its verses condemn school violence and gang guns.

    • It’ll Be a Long Time — “It’ll Be a Long Time” is an Offspring song with apocalyptic, antiwar lyrics about superpowers, violence, and ordinary people suffering. The title song appears in trivia about the band’s catalog rather than as one of its biggest mainstream hits.

    • Ixnay on the Hombre — Ixnay on the Hombre is The Offspring’s 1997 album, released between Smash and Americana. It includes songs such as “Gone Away,” “All I Want,” “Me and My Old Lady,” and “Cool to Hate,” and its title mixes Spanish and Pig Latin.

    • Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) — “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)” is a 1998 Offspring single from Americana. It is known for the Def Leppard sample, the bragging suburban protagonist, and the song’s mockery of white appropriation of hip-hop style.

    • Smash — Smash is the 1994 Offspring album that made mainstream hits of “Come Out and Play,” “Self Esteem,” and “Gotta Get Away.” It should not be confused with the NBC musical drama of the same name.

• Punk subgenres
  • Oi! — Oi! is a British punk subgenre associated with skinhead culture and bands such as Sham 69, The Business, and the Cockney Rejects. It emerged in the UK in the 1970s, drew on pub culture and working-class identity, and took its name from a short shouted exclamation.
• Ramones — New York; considered the first punk band; short, fast songs; leather jackets and jeans uniform; Ramones (1976). The members adopted the shared stage surname Ramone. They recorded songs such as “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “I Wanna Be Sedated” and became associated with the look and sound of early punk rock.

  • Blitzkrieg Bop — “Blitzkrieg Bop” is the Ramones’ opening track from their debut album. Its shouted chorus and brief, fast punk style made it a lasting signature song despite never charting as a single.

  • Dee Dee Ramone — Dee Dee Ramone, born Douglas Colvin, was the bassist for the Ramones from the band’s early years until 1989. He also wrote autobiographical material about the band and died in 2002.

  • I Wanna Be Sedated — “I Wanna Be Sedated” is a Ramones song whose lyrics beg to be rushed to the airport or to the show before the singer goes insane. Its chorus repeats the desire to be sedated, making it one of the band’s best-known punk anthems.

  • Songs

    • Bonzo Goes to Bitburg — “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg” is a Ramones song written by Joey Ramone in 1985. It was a protest against Ronald Reagan’s visit to a German military cemetery.

• Television — New York; CBGB scene; Tom Verlaine; guitar interplay; Marquee Moon (1977).

• Patti Smith — fused Beat-inflected poetry, garage rock, and performance in the early CBGB scene. Her debut Horses (1975), produced by John Cale, became a model for punk’s literary ambitions. She also wrote the memoir Just Kids, which reflects on her friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe and her life in the New York rock scene.

• Sex Pistols — London; Malcolm McLaren as manager; “Anarchy in the U.K.,” “God Save the Queen”; Never Mind the Bollocks (1977); one studio album; broke up 1978; Sid Vicious replaced Glen Matlock on bass.

  • Johnny Rotten — John Lydon, better known as Johnny Rotten, was the singer and frontman of the Sex Pistols and later Public Image Ltd. He became a punk icon through his abrasive style, media appearances, and post-punk work, and his later collaborations included “Time Zone” and “Open Up.” The Sex Pistols were known for songs such as “Anarchy in the U.K.” and “God Save the Queen,” and Rotten’s confrontational persona was linked to a notorious final interview line.

  • Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols — Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols is the Sex Pistols’ only studio album and a landmark 1977 punk release. Its most famous tracks include “Anarchy in the U.K.,” “Pretty Vacant,” “God Save the Queen,” and “Holidays in the Sun.”

• The Clash — London; Joe Strummer and Mick Jones; incorporated reggae and ska; London Calling (1979) is the landmark album; politically engaged. They released London Calling, Sandinista!, and Combat Rock, and songs like “Rock the Casbah” and “Should I Stay or Should I Go.”
  • Albums
    • Sandinista! — Sandinista! is The Clash’s 1980 triple album, a sprawling release that mixes punk with reggae, rap, and other styles. Its track list includes “The Magnificent Seven,” “Hitsville U.K.,” and other politically charged songs, and its title references the Nicaraguan revolutionary movement.

  • Combat Rock — Combat Rock is a 1982 album by the Clash and the last album of their classic lineup. It includes “Rock the Casbah,” “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” “Know Your Rights,” and “Straight to Hell.”}],

  • London Calling — London Calling is The Clash’s 1979 double album, known for its title track and for songs such as “Lost in the Supermarket” and “Clampdown.” The title track pictures a flooded, collapsing London. Its cover deliberately echoes the design of Elvis Presley’s debut album while showing bassist Paul Simonon smashing his guitar.

  • Rock the Casbah — “Rock the Casbah” is a song by the Clash from Combat Rock, released as the album’s second single. Its lyrics describe a muezzin, a banned boogie sound, and a title that refers to a citadel in North Africa.

  • Should I Stay or Should I Go — “Should I Stay or Should I Go” is a 1982 Clash song built around a straightforward plea to a lover to decide whether to leave or remain. It later gained renewed fame through a Levi’s commercial and prominent use in Stranger Things.

• The Buzzcocks — Manchester; pop-punk melodies; influential on alternative rock.

• American punk rock musicians
  • Billie Joe Armstrong — Billie Joe Armstrong is the lead singer and guitarist of Green Day. He co-founded the band with Mike Dirnt and became widely known through songs from American Idiot, including “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”

• Anti-Flag — Anti-Flag is a punk band fronted by Justin Sane that released Underground Network and later The Terror State. Its songs and imagery reference Woody Guthrie, including the track “This Machine Kills Fascists” and a logo built from assault rifles.

• Canadian punk bands
  • Billy Talent — Billy Talent is a Canadian punk band from Mississauga led by Benjamin Kowalewicz. They were previously called Pezz before adopting the name Billy Talent and later found success with songs such as “Try Honesty” and “Devil in a Midnight Mass.”
• Celtic punk
  • Dropkick Murphys — A Quincy, Massachusetts Celtic-punk band from Boston known for working-class Irish-American imagery and Boston sports anthems such as “Tessie” and “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.” “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” was used in The Departed and in sports advertising. Their later work drew on Woody Guthrie lyrics, and albums like The Warrior’s Code and Blackout helped define their pub-rock sound.
    • I’m Shipping Up to Boston — “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” is the Dropkick Murphys’ Celtic punk anthem built from Woody Guthrie lyrics and associated with The Departed. It became a Boston sports and fan-song staple, especially after its use in the film and in stadium entrances.

• Chumbawamba — Chumbawamba was a British anarchist pop group formed in Leeds, known for anti-Thatcher politics and songs like “Enough Is Enough.” They became internationally famous for “Tubthumping,” the singalong hit about getting knocked down and getting back up again.

• Emo — Emo is a style of rock that grew out of post-hardcore and is marked by confessional lyrics, emotional intensity, and anti-commercial self-presentation. Early associated bands include Rites of Spring, Fugazi, Sunny Day Real Estate, Dashboard Confessional, and My Chemical Romance.

• Emo bands

  • Funeral for a Friend — Funeral for a Friend is a Welsh emo band whose songs include “Streetcar” and “Walk Away.” The name is also the title of an instrumental piece on Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

  • Dashboard Confessional — Dashboard Confessional is the emo project led by Chris Carrabba. Its early releases included The Swiss Army Romance and The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most, with songs like “Screaming Infidelities,” “Vindicated,” and “Hands Down.”

    • Hands Down — “Hands Down” is a Dashboard Confessional song associated with the album The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most. It is known for the lyric about breathing in “for luck” and the remembered moment when the gate was locked and the singer jumped it.

    • Vindicated — “Vindicated” is a Dashboard Confessional song that was promoted with the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack. It also titles Pablo Fenjves’s 2008 follow-up to Juiced, a book tied to baseball steroids.

  • Sunny Day Real Estate — Sunny Day Real Estate is a Seattle emo band known for albums such as Diary, How It Feels to Be Something On, LP2, and The Rising Tide. Bassist Nate Mendel later joined Foo Fighters after the band broke up in 1995.

  • Taking Back Sunday — Taking Back Sunday is an emo band fronted by Adam Lazzara, best known for “MakeDamnSure” and “Cute Without the ‘E’.” One of the band’s founders later left to form Brand New.

  • The Promise Ring — The Promise Ring is a Milwaukee-based emo band led by Davey von Bohlen, formerly of Cap’n Jazz. They are known for albums such as 30° Everywhere and Wood/Water, along with songs like “Why Did We Ever Meet.”
• hardcore punk bands

  • Black Flag — Black Flag is the hardcore punk band fronted by Henry Rollins during the classic period associated with Greg Ginn and Raymond Pettibon’s logo design. The same phrase also names a revolutionary and religious symbol of a plain black banner.

  • Minor Threat — Minor Threat was the Washington, D.C. hardcore band led by Ian MacKaye. Their song “Straight Edge” gave a name to the straight edge movement, and Out of Step is one of their key releases. The band is a foundational precursor to Fugazi and a touchstone for early hardcore punk.

  • Minutemen
    • The Minutemen — The Minutemen were the short-song California punk band led by D. Boon and featuring Mike Watt. They are best known for albums such as Double Nickels on the Dime and for their fast, terse hardcore style.
  • The Circle Jerks — The Circle Jerks are a hardcore punk band associated with albums such as Golden Shower of Hits. They also appeared in the film Repo Man and are known for songs like “Beverly Hills” and “Wasted.”

• Iggy Pop — Iggy Pop is the Stooges front man whose solo work includes the album The Idiot and the song “China Girl.” He is also known for his wild stage presence and for appearing in music and film scenes ranging from punk culture to art-rock collaborations.

• Japanese punk rock bands
  • Shonen Knife — This Japanese all-female trio made playful punk-pop songs about Hello Kitty, Barbie, and other kitschy subjects, and Kurt Cobain was among their fans.
• Proto-punk bands
  • The Stooges — The Stooges were a proto-punk rock band fronted by Iggy Pop, later known in a looser incarnation as Iggy and the Stooges. Their third album, Raw Power, is one of the group’s best-known recordings and helped define later punk aesthetics.
• The Mighty Mighty Bosstones — The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are a Boston ska-punk band fronted by Dicky Barrett and known for “The Impression That I Get.” Their lineup often included onstage dancer and tour manager Ben Carr, and the band became associated with plaid-clad ska image and punchy horn-driven vocals.
  • “The Impression That I Get” — “The Impression That I Get” is a hit song by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, known for its trumpet intro and ska-punk sound. It became the band’s biggest mainstream success and includes the refrain about never having had to “knock on wood.”
• The Runaways songs
  • Cherry Bomb — “Cherry Bomb” is the debut single by the Runaways, an all-female punk band. The title has also been used by songs by John Mellencamp and Tyler, the Creator. The Runaways song is known for its shouted chorus and sexually rebellious lyrics.
• Glam punk bands
  • New York Dolls — The New York Dolls were a glam and proto-punk band led by David Johansen. Their signature albums include New York Dolls and Too Much Too Soon, and members such as Johnny Thunders and Sylvain Sylvain became cult figures.

• God Save the Queen — The British national anthem and royal anthem, whose title changes to God Save the King under a male monarch and God Save the Queen under a female monarch. Its melody is also used for “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” (or “America”), was quoted by Beethoven in variation form and in his Battle Symphony, and was adapted by composers such as Clementi and Berlioz. Its origins are uncertain, and its familiar second stanza asks God to make the nations one in peace. It was also parodied by the Sex Pistols in the punk song of the same title.

• G.G. Allin — G.G. Allin was an American punk shock rocker known for viciously chaotic performances and songs with titles like “Bite It You Scum” and “Suck My Ass It Smells.” He performed with groups such as the Jabbers, and his 1993 death ended a long-running promise that he would kill himself on stage.

• Joe Strummer — Joe Strummer, born John Graham Mellor, was the lead singer and guitarist of the Clash. He is associated with politically charged punk rock and later side projects such as the Mescaleros and the 101’ers.

• King Missile — King Missile is a satirical rock band best known for the novelty hit ‘Detachable Penis’ and songs such as ‘Martin Scorsese’ and ‘Jesus Was Way Cool.’ The group’s playful, absurdist lyrics and John Hall’s lead vocals are common identifying clues.
  • Detachable Penis — “Detachable Penis” is a novelty song by King Missile. Its narrator loses the title body part while drunk, then buys it back from a vendor in New York.

• Know Your Rights — “Know Your Rights” is a song by the Clash from Combat Rock. It is the album’s opening track and is presented as a mock public-service announcement with guitars.

• Pop punk
  • Bands
    • Fall Out Boy — a pop-punk band fronted by Pete Wentz and named for Radioactive Man’s sidekick. Their songs include “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” “Dance, Dance,” “Thnks fr the Mmrs,” and “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.” Their albums include Take This to Your Grave, From Under the Cork Tree, Infinity on High, and Save Rock and Roll.
      • “Dance, Dance” — “Dance, Dance” is a Fall Out Boy single from From Under the Cork Tree. Its lyrics about falling apart to halftime helped make it one of the band’s best-known anthems, and the song later appeared in rhythm and karaoke games.

  • Something Corporate — Something Corporate is a piano-driven pop-punk band led by Andrew McMahon, who later fronted Jack’s Mannequin. Their releases include Audioboxer, Leaving Through the Window, and North, with songs such as “I Woke Up in a Car,” “Hurricane,” and “If U See Jordan.”

  • Sum 41 — Sum 41 is the Canadian pop-punk band behind All Killer No Filler and Does This Look Infected?, with songs like ‘Fat Lip,’ ‘In Too Deep,’ and ‘Motivation’ defining their early sound. Their lineup clues include Deryck Whibley, Dave Baksh, Cone McCaslin, and Steve Jocz. A numeric clue chain also resolves to Sum 41, reinforcing the band as the intended answer.
    • Songs
      • Fat Lip — “Fat Lip” is a hit song by the Canadian pop-punk band Sum 41. Its lyrics include the opening El Camino reference and the chorus line about not wasting time and becoming another casualty of society.
• Post-hardcore

  • Big Black — Big Black was an influential post-hardcore band led by Steve Albini. Their abrasive sound on albums like Atomizer and Songs About Fucking helped shape later industrial rock.

  • Bands

    • Fugazi — Fugazi is the Washington, D.C. post-hardcore band formed by Ian MacKaye after Minor Threat. The group is famous for songs like “Waiting Room,” an anti-commercial ethic, and a strict low-price policy for shows and records.
• Post-hardcore bands

  • At the Drive-In — At the Drive-In was an El Paso punk band led by Cedric Bixler-Zavala, known for albums like In/Casino/Out and Relationship of Command. The group’s profile rose through songs such as “One Armed Scissor,” and members later formed the Mars Volta.

  • Story of the Year — Story of the Year is a post-hardcore band known for songs such as ‘Until the Day I Die’ and ‘Anthem of Our Dying Day’. Before adopting that name, the group performed as 67 North and Big Blue Monkey.

• Post-hardcore vocalists
  • The Used — Bert McCracken is the lead singer of The Used, a post-hardcore band often described in older prompts as screamo. The clue set also ties him to the band’s MTV2 Rock Countdown presence.
• Rollins Band
  • Weight
    • Liar — “Liar” is a Rollins Band song from the album Weight. The clue points to its music video, which features Henry Rollins in a series of surreal persona changes and repeated references to the word “real.”
• Ska-punk
  • Operation Ivy — Operation Ivy was the Berkeley ska-punk band associated with songs like “Knowledge,” “Unity,” and “Sound System.” Several of its members later formed Rancid, helping make the group a touchstone for East Bay punk.
• ska-punk bands

  • The Aquabats — The Aquabats are a costume-wearing ska-punk band led by MC Bat Commander and known for pseudonymous members like Jimmy the Robot. Their shows feature superhero antics and songs such as “Super Rad!,” “Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates,” and “Pizza Day.”

  • Mighty Mighty Bosstones — The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are a ska-punk band fronted by Dicky Barrett. They are known for songs like “Someday I Suppose” and “The Impression That I Get,” and they appear in Clueless.

• The Pogues — The Pogues were an Irish-British punk band associated with a Celtic-inflected name and mainstream success with albums like If I Should Fall from Grace with God. They are also known for “Fairytale of New York,” and the clue about Kildare County points to the Netflix series Outer Banks, whose leader is John B.

• “Train in Vain” — “Train in Vain” is a hidden track on the Clash’s London Calling. The song is sometimes identified by the repeated chorus words “Stand by Me,” and its lyrics include the line about getting a job that does not pay.

• Atom and His Package
  • Songs
    • If You Own the Washington Redskins, You’re A Cock — This Atom and His Package song attacks offensive sports team names, especially the Washington Redskins. Its lyrics ridicule political correctness and name-drop Utah and Los Angeles in a sarcastic chant.
• Avril Lavigne — Canadian pop-punk singer known for “Complicated,” “Sk8er Boi,” and “Girlfriend.” Her later work includes “Keep Holding On,” “Head Above Water,” and “Hello Kitty.” She has also appeared in films, was associated early on with neckties and skate culture, and has been married to Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley.

  • Let Go — Let Go is Avril Lavigne’s debut album, released in 2002 and featuring hits like ‘Complicated,’ ‘Sk8er Boi,’ and ‘I’m With You.’ The record helped define her early pop-punk image and includes tracks such as ‘Losing Grip,’ ‘Mobile,’ and ‘Hanging by a Moment’ is not on it despite the title overlap with another album.

  • Sk8er Boi — “Sk8er Boi” is an Avril Lavigne single from Let Go about a punk boy who is rejected by a ballet girl. It became one of her signature hits and was even discussed as the basis for a planned film adaptation.

  • The Best Damn Thing

    • Girlfriend — “Girlfriend” is a 2007 Avril Lavigne single from The Best Damn Thing, famous for its blunt hook and confrontational lyrics about a title girlfriend. The song was widely recognized as a pop-punk hit and drew a plagiarism dispute from the Rubinoos. Its music video and lyrics made it one of Lavigne’s signature singles.
• Blink-182 — Blink-182 is a California pop-punk band whose lineup included Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and Travis Barker. It became a major pop-punk act in the late 1990s and early 2000s and is known for “All the Small Things,” “What’s My Age Again?,” and “I Miss You.” Its history also includes the 2008 plane crash that injured Barker and DJ AM.

  • Enema of the State — Enema of the State is Blink-182’s 1999 album, best known for songs like “All the Small Things,” “What’s My Age Again?,” and “Adam’s Song.” Its title became especially memorable because of the album’s provocative nurse-themed cover art.

  • Take Off Your Pants and Jacket — Take Off Your Pants and Jacket is a 2001 Blink-182 album, remembered for songs like “The Rock Show” and “Stay Together for the Kids.” It was released in multiple colored editions with different bonus tracks, and its title is a crude masturbation joke.

• Dead Milkmen — The Dead Milkmen are a Philadelphia punk band fronted by Rodney Anonymous. They are known for songs such as Bitchin’ Camaro, Leggo My Ego, and Beach Party Vietnam.

• Nerf Herder — Nerf Herder is a geek punk band best known for performing the theme song to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Their early songs and albums include “Van Halen,” How to Meet Girls, and American Cheese, and their name comes from Star Wars dialogue.

• NOFX — NOFX is the punk band fronted by Fat Mike and known for albums like Punk in Drublic, The War on Errorism, and White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean. Their sarcastic, high-speed style and songs like “Brain Constipation” made them one of the best-known Epitaph-era punk acts.

• Pop-punk bands

  • A New Found Glory — This Florida pop-punk band was formed in Coral Springs and features Jordan Pundik and Cyrus Bolooki. They are known for songs like “My Friends Over You” and for the From the Screen to Your Stereo releases.

  • Bowling for Soup — Bowling for Soup is a pop-punk band best known for popularizing “1985,” a song about mid-1980s nostalgia. They also recorded “Girl All the Bad Guys Want” and the opening theme for Phineas and Ferb.

    • Girl All the Bad Guys Want — “Girl All the Bad Guys Want” is a Bowling for Soup song about a woman who likes rap metal, wrestling, and other cartoonishly macho interests. The song was a major early-2000s pop-punk hit and earned the band a Grammy nomination.

    • Songs

      • Debbie — Debbie is the protagonist of Bowling for Soup’s song “1985,” where she is a suburban mother nostalgic for the pop culture of the 1980s. She is depicted as a former teen dreamer who now drives an SUV and watches television with longing for an earlier era.
  • Good Charlotte — Good Charlotte is a pop-punk band led by the Madden brothers, Joel and Benji. Their album The Young and the Hopeless includes “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” “The Anthem,” and “Little Things.” Other songs associated with the band include “Girls & Boys” and “Dance Floor Anthem,” and Good Morning Revival is one of their albums. They are also known for parody-heavy music videos.
    • The Young and the Hopeless
      • Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous — “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” is a Good Charlotte single from The Young and the Hopeless. It satirizes celebrity excess with references to O. J. Simpson, Marion Barry, and the idea that wealth and fame can buy one freedom from consequences.

  • The Academy Is… — The Academy Is… is an American rock band associated with Fueled By Ramen and Pete Wentz. Its 2007 album Santi included songs such as ‘We’ve Got a Big Mess On Our Hands,’ and the group was known for ‘About a Girl.’

  • Yellowcard — Yellowcard is a Florida pop-punk band best known for the violin-led hit “Ocean Avenue.” Their earlier albums include Midget Tossing and One for the Kids, and they also scored singles like “Only One” and “Way Away.”
    • Ocean Avenue — “Ocean Avenue” is a 2002 pop-punk hit by Yellowcard, built around Sean Mackin’s electric fiddle and the refrain “if I could find you now, things would get better.” It is also the song that drew accusations of resemblance to Yellowcard’s earlier track “Holly Wood Died.”
• Riot grrrl bands
  • Bikini Kill — Bikini Kill was the Olympia- and Seattle-area punk band closely tied to the Riot Grrrl movement and fronted by Kathleen Hanna. Setters often mention songs like “Rebel Girl,” releases such as Pussy Whipped and Reject All American, and collaborations with Huggy Bear.

• Rise Against — Rise Against is a Chicago punk band fronted by Tim McIlrath, with albums including The Unraveling, Siren Song of the Counter Culture, Appeal to Reason, and Endgame. Their songs include “Prayer of the Refugee,” “Audience of One,” “Savior,” and “Re-Education (Through Labor).”

• Simple Plan — Simple Plan is the Montreal pop-punk band fronted by Pierre Bouvier, known for songs such as “I’m Just a Kid,” “Perfect,” “Welcome to My Life,” and “Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me?).” Their music has been associated with teen-angst anthems and soundtrack placements, including material tied to Scooby-Doo projects.

• Spoken word performers
  • Henry Rollins — Henry Rollins is the former Black Flag frontman who became known for spoken-word performances, writing, acting, and hard-edged solo music. His later career included film and television appearances, a Grammy-winning audiobook, and projects ranging from hosting to comic monologues.

• The Distillers — The Distillers are an Los Angeles punk band fronted by Brody Dalle. Their best-known album is Coral Fang, which includes the song “Drain the Blood.”

• The Donnas — The Donnas were the all-girl rock band that began in middle school under earlier names like Screen and the Electrocutes before signing to Lookout! Records. They are best known for energetic songs such as “Take It Off” and “Fall Behind Me,” and for their Ramones-like image.

• The Germs — The Germs were a short-lived Los Angeles punk band fronted by Darby Crash. They were an early hardcore act associated with Pat Smear and the song “What We Do Is Secret.”}], They were an early hardcore act associated with Pat Smear and the song “What We Do Is Secret.”

• Travis Barker — Travis Barker is the drummer best known for blink-182, and he has also played with the Transplants, +44, Snot, and the Aquabats. He released a solo project called Give the Drummer Some and survived a 2008 plane crash with Adam Goldstein.

• Wendy O. Williams — Wendy O. Williams was the shock-rock singer of the Plasmatics, known for outrageous stage antics and a punk-image Mohawk. Her career and life are often summarized by arrests for onstage obscenity and her 1998 suicide.

• What’s My Age Again? — What’s My Age Again? is a Blink-182 single from Enema of the State, best known for the refrain that nobody likes you when you’re 23.

• Writers and musicians
  • Jim Carroll — Jim Carroll was a writer and musician best known for The Basketball Diaries and the song “People Who Died.” His work also includes the memoir Forced Entries and the album Catholic Boy.
• 2 Tone ska bands
  • The Specials — The Specials were a key British 2-Tone ska band known for songs like “A Message to You, Rudy,” “Monkey Man,” and “Ghost Town.” Their music helped define the sound and politics of the movement. The group also spawned related projects such as Fun Boy Three and the Special AKA.

• All Time Low — All Time Low is a Maryland pop-punk band fronted by Alex Gaskarth. They are known for songs like “Dear Maria, Count Me In,” as well as later hits such as “Weightless” and “Monsters.”

• Flogging Molly — Flogging Molly is an Irish-American punk band fronted by Dave King and Bridget Regan. They are associated with songs and albums such as “If I Ever Leave This World Alive,” Swagger, Drunken Lullabies, and Float.

• Mojo Nixon — Mojo Nixon was the country-punk singer Neil McMillan, known for comic outrage songs like “Elvis Is Everywhere!” and “Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child.” He often collaborated with Skid Roper and became a cult figure through novelty anti-celebrity lyrics and appearances tied to the U.S. Luge team.

• Paramore — Paramore is a pop-punk band fronted by Hayley Williams and known for songs such as “Misery Business” and “Still Into You.” Its albums include Riot!, All We Know Is Falling, and Brand New Eyes.

  • Emergency — “Emergency” is a song by Paramore from All We Know Is Falling, and it later appeared in a screamo remix known as the “Crab Mix.” The title also appears as the name of a story narrated by the character Fuckhead in Denis Johnson’s Jesus’ Son.

  • Riot!

    • Misery Business — “Misery Business” is a Paramore song from Riot! that became one of the band’s signature singles. It is remembered for the line about getting someone “where I want him now” and for later being retired from live performances because of discomfort with its “once a whore” lyric.

New Wave and Post-Punk

• New wave — late 1970s–1980s; emerged from punk but incorporated synthesizers, art-rock, and pop songcraft.
  • New wave bands
    • Men Without Hats — Men Without Hats is a Canadian new-wave band led by the Doroschuk brothers. They are best known for the songs “The Safety Dance” and “Pop Goes the World,” both recurring quiz clues.

      • Pop Goes the World — “Pop Goes the World” is a Men Without Hats song from the 1980s, later used as the title track of an album. Its lyrics mention Johnny and Jenny, and the group also had a much bigger hit with “Safety Dance.”

      • Safety Dance — “Safety Dance” is the best-known hit by Men Without Hats, released on the album Rhythm of Youth. Its chorus warns that people who will not dance are not friends, and the song has been used in films, television, and commercials.

      • Songs

        • The Safety Dance — “The Safety Dance” is a 1983 hit by Men Without Hats from Rhythm of Youth, famous for the refrain about dancing if one wants to and leaving friends behind. The song was written after Ivan Doroschuk was kicked out of a nightclub, and its video is often noted for its medieval-style imagery and dance imagery.
  • The B-52s
    • B-52s — The B-52s are the Athens, Georgia new wave band known for “Rock Lobster” and “Love Shack.” Their early albums include Wild Planet and Bouncing Off the Satellites, and their debut also included a cover of Petula Clark’s “Downtown.”
  • The Cars — The Cars were a late-1970s American new wave band fronted by Ric Ocasek. Their best-known songs include “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” and “You Might Think,” and their debut album was a major commercial success.

    • Benjamin Orr — Benjamin Orr was the bassist for The Cars and sang lead on their hit “Drive.” The prompt also links him to later reunion-era talk about the band and to his death in 2000.

    • Just What I Needed — “Just What I Needed” is a 1978 single by the Cars, one of the band’s breakthrough hits. It opens with a memorable guitar riff and features Ric Ocasek’s dryly dismissive lyrics to an unwanted romantic interest.

    • Ric Ocasek — Ric Ocasek was the lead singer of the Cars. He also produced albums for Bad Religion and Weezer.

    • You Might Think — “You Might Think” is a 1984 Cars song tied to the early years of MTV-style music video spectacle. Its video, featuring a surreal giant/fly version of Ric Ocasek, won the first MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.

• Talking Heads — New York; David Byrne; funk and African rhythms; Remain in Light (1980) produced by Brian Eno. The band is also associated with art rock and songs such as “Once in a Lifetime,” “Psycho Killer,” and “Burning Down the House,” along with Stop Making Sense.

  • Burning Down the House — “Burning Down the House” is a Talking Heads song from Speaking in Tongues and a major single from the band’s live film Stop Making Sense. Its title comes from a Parliament-Funkadelic chant, and later covers by Tom Jones and the Cardigans turned it into a surprise hit again in 1999.

  • Life During Wartime — “Life During Wartime” is a Talking Heads song from Fear of Music about living under pressure and on the run, with the refrain “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco.”

  • Once in a Lifetime — “Once in a Lifetime” is a Talking Heads song from Remain in Light built around David Byrne’s anxious spoken-word reflections and the refrain “same as it ever was.” It is especially associated with the line about finding oneself with a house and family without remembering how one got there.

  • Remain in Light — Remain in Light is the 1980 Talking Heads album shaped by African and afrobeat influences. It includes “Once in a Lifetime,” “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On),” and “Crosseyed and Painless,” and is known for its striking red-mask cover art.

  • Talking Heads ’77
    • Psycho Killer — “Psycho Killer” is a Talking Heads song from Talking Heads ’77. It is famous for its French refrain “qu’est-ce que c’est”; the narrator is an unstable, sleepless speaker who asks “why say it again?” and urges listeners to run away. Its nervy, staccato lyrics and paranoid mood made it one of the band’s best-known early tracks. It opened Stop Making Sense and later received a surprise 2025 music video.
  • The Talking Heads — Talking Heads were a David Byrne-fronted new wave band known for songs like “Psycho Killer,” “Once in a Lifetime,” and “Burning Down the House.” Their work with Brian Eno on Remain in Light gave them a more experimental, Afrobeat-influenced sound.
• Blondie — New York; Debbie Harry; bridged punk, pop, and disco; “Heart of Glass,” “Call Me.” Founded by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein; other major songs include “Rapture,” “One Way or Another,” “Atomic,” and “Maria.” The 2004 album The Curse of Blondie was a later release.

  • Call Me — “Call Me” is the Giorgio Moroder and Deborah Harry song that serves as the theme to American Gigolo. It became a major hit in 1980 and is one of the best-known songs associated with Blondie singer Deborah Harry.

  • Heart of Glass — “Heart of Glass” is a Blondie single built around the contrast between an early love that seemed exciting and the later revelation that it was all an illusion. It became Blondie’s first number-one hit and is closely associated with the band’s shift into mainstream new wave success.

  • One Way or Another — “One Way or Another” is Blondie’s 1978 single, driven by Debbie Harry’s stalker-inspired lyrics. It later appeared in films including Donnie Brasco, Coyote Ugly, Mean Girls, and Puss in Boots.

• Elvis Costello — British; acerbic lyrics; This Year’s Model (1978); linked to both new wave and pub rock. Born Declan Patrick MacManus (also Declan McManus); debut album My Aim Is True; songs include “Alison” and “Everyday I Write the Book”; worked with The Attractions and collaborated with Diana Krall and Jenny Lewis; known for a 1979 Saturday Night Live performance in which he stopped one song to play “Radio Radio.”

  • Armed Forces — Armed Forces is Elvis Costello’s third album with the Attractions and includes songs such as “Accidents Will Happen” and “Oliver’s Army.” It was originally titled Emotional Fascism.

  • My Aim Is True — My Aim Is True is Elvis Costello’s 1977 debut album, originally recorded with members of Clover after he called in sick from his data entry job. It includes songs such as “Alison,” “Welcome to the Working Week,” “Watching the Detectives,” and “Less Than Zero,” and was followed by This Year’s Model.

• The Police — Sting, Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland; reggae-inflected new wave; “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take.” The Police were a British new wave band fronted by Sting and built around Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. They are known for songs such as “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” and “Message in a Bottle.”

  • ‘Roxanne’ and ‘Every Breath You Take’ — The paired songs are The Police’s ‘Roxanne’ and ‘Every Breath You Take,’ both later covered by Puff Daddy. They are among the band’s best-known singles, with ‘Roxanne’ from 1979 and ‘Every Breath You Take’ from 1983.

  • De do do do, de da da da — This Police song appears on Zenyatta Mondatta and is built around the refrain “De do do do, de da da da.” Its lyrics mock the way politicians, priests, and poets rely on words.

  • Don’t Stand So Close to Me — “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” is a Police song about a teacher and a schoolgirl whose attraction recalls Nabokov’s Lolita. It is one of the band’s best-known singles and centers on the danger of forbidden closeness.

  • Every Breath You Take — A song by the British rock band The Police, built around Sting’s obsessive, possessive lyrics to a former lover. Its melody and chorus were later famously sampled or reworked in Puff Daddy’s tribute “I’ll Be Missing You.”

  • Message in a Bottle — “Message in a Bottle” is a Police song about sending out an SOS from a castaway island at sea. The title also belongs to a Nicholas Sparks novel later adapted into a Kevin Costner film.

  • Reggatta de Blanc — Reggatta de Blanc is a 1979 album by The Police, opening with “Message in a Bottle.” Its title track is an instrumental that won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Rock Performance.

  • Stewart Copeland — Stewart Copeland is best known as the drummer for The Police, later branching into film scoring, solo work, and other projects such as Oysterhead and Animal Logic. His clues often mention his Klark Kent alias and scores for Rumble Fish, Wall Street, and other films.

  • Synchronicity

    • King of Pain — “King of Pain” is a song by The Police from Synchronicity. Its lyrics repeatedly describe the singer as trapped in a reign of suffering, and it was one of the band’s major hits.

    • Miss Gradenko — “Miss Gradenko” is a Police song from Synchronicity, featuring Stewart Copeland on vocals. The lyric describes a Kremlin employee or messenger whose fears and movements are framed through Cold War office imagery.

  • Wrapped Around Your Finger — “Wrapped Around Your Finger” is a Police single from Synchronicity sung by Sting. Its video features a stark black backdrop contrasted with a maze of white candles.

  • “Roxanne” — “Roxanne” is a Police song whose pleading refrain tells the title character she does not have to put on the red light. The song was adapted into the Moulin Rouge! number “El Tango de Roxanne,” which reworks its lyrics into a dramatic tango.
• Devo — Akron, Ohio; art-punk concept; “Whip It”; rigid, robotic rhythms. American new wave band known for art-punk songs like “Freedom of Choice.” The group is also associated with yellow jumpsuits and red energy dome hats, and with novelty videos built around stylized satire.

  • Freedom of Choice — Freedom of Choice is a 1980 Devo album best known for the hit single “Whip It.” It also includes songs such as “Mr. B’s Ballroom.”

  • Mark Mothersbaugh — Mark Mothersbaugh is the co-frontman of DEVO who became a prolific film and television composer. He wrote the Rugrats theme, scored several Wes Anderson films, and also created synth-driven music such as Muzik for Insomniacs and the theme for 21 Jump Street.

  • Whip It — “Whip It” is a New Wave song by Devo built around the repeated command to take the title action when trouble appears. Its lyrics and reversed-audio gimmick have helped make it one of the band’s most recognizable songs.

• Joy Division — Manchester; Ian Curtis; post-punk bleakness; Unknown Pleasures (1979); became New Order after Curtis’s death (1980). Its later album Closer and the band’s stark cover art are also closely associated with Peter Saville.

  • Ian Curtis — Ian Curtis was the lead singer of Joy Division, whose albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer helped define post-punk before his 1980 suicide. He is also associated with songs such as “Atrocity Exhibition” and the biopic Control, which dramatizes his seizures and troubled personal life.

  • Love Will Tear Us Apart — Joy Division’s best-known single opens with the line about routine biting hard and ambitions being low, and its title is often read as an ironic inversion of another love song title. The song is associated with Ian Curtis and became especially famous after the band’s only music video showed an empty room and an opening door.

  • Unknown Pleasures — Unknown Pleasures is Joy Division’s debut album, known for songs such as “Disorder,” “She’s Lost Control,” and “New Dawn Fades.” Its iconic Peter Saville cover uses a pulsar graph and has become one of the most recognizable images in post-punk music.

• The Cure — English band led by Robert Smith whose catalog moves between post-punk austerity, gothic atmosphere, and bright pop. Disintegration (1989) is their expansive, melancholic commercial landmark. Their catalog includes songs such as “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Just Like Heaven,” “Friday I’m in Love,” and “Pictures of You,” and *Disintegration* is their best-known album.

  • Disintegration — Disintegration is the title of a celebrated 1989 album by The Cure, known for tracks like “Plainsong” and the title song. The same word also titles William Basinski’s experimental tape-loop work and Tristan Murail’s spectral composition based on decay and erosion.

  • Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
    • Just Like Heaven — “Just Like Heaven” is a song by the Cure from the album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. It begins with a long instrumental introduction and is known for the lyrics “Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick.”

  • Lovesong — “Lovesong” is a song by the Cure from Disintegration, later covered by Adele and also by 311. Its best-known refrain is the promise that being alone together can feel like coming home again.

  • Pornography
    • One Hundred Years — One Hundred Years can refer to a Cure song from Pornography as well as the title phrase of another work in the packet data. The song is a recurring live staple in the band’s performances.
  • Wish
    • Friday I’m in Love — A 1991 song by The Cure from Wish. It is one of the band’s best-known singles and is noted for its upbeat, playful pop sound. Its lyrics list the days of the week and repeat the singer’s cheerful refusal to care that Monday is blue; one quoted line begins, “Dressed up to the eyes, it’s a wonderful surprise.”
• R.E.M. — Athens, Georgia; jangly guitars, oblique lyrics; Michael Stipe; major influence on American alternative rock. The band was fronted by Michael Stipe and founded by Peter Buck and Mike Mills with Bill Berry. They are known for songs like “Losing My Religion,” “Everybody Hurts,” and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” and for albums such as Out of Time and Automatic for the People.
  • Automatic for the People — Automatic for the People is the 1992 R.E.M. album that includes “Drive,” “Everybody Hurts,” “Man on the Moon,” and “Nightswimming.” Its songs and imagery are often identified by the album’s reflective tone and by the grey star ornament on the cover.
    • Monty Got a Raw Deal — “Monty Got a Raw Deal” is an R.E.M. song from Automatic for the People. Its title refers to Montgomery Clift, continuing the band’s pattern of songs about old Hollywood figures.

  • Fall on Me — Fall on Me is the title of a song whose video begins with the phrase “Bury Magnets Swallow the Rapture.” The clue material points to a music video rather than the generic phrase itself.

  • Green
    • Exhuming McCarthy — “Exhuming McCarthy” is an R.E.M. song from Green, built around the lyric about sharpening stones and walking on coals. The title alludes to anti-McCarthyism and the period’s political atmosphere.

  • It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) — “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” is a 1987 R.E.M. single from Document, noted for its frenetic, stream-of-consciousness lyric collage. It became one of the band’s signature songs and is remembered for its opening earthquake line, its rapid-fire references to public figures and other cultural names, and its closing assurance that the singer feels fine.

  • Losing My Religion — “Losing My Religion” is R.E.M.’s biggest hit from Out of Time, driven by mandolin and Michael Stipe’s anxious, unresolved lyrics. Its video drew on surreal imagery and helped make the song one of the band’s defining singles.

  • Michael Stipe — John Michael Stipe is the frontman and lead singer of R.E.M., the Athens, Georgia band that released “Radio Free Europe” after he met the other members at the University of Georgia. He has a cryptic public image, an aversion to love songs, and is known for describing himself as an “equal opportunity lech.” He is also a photographer and writer who published Two Times Intro and helped work with the film company Single Cell.

  • Monster
    • Bang and Blame — “Bang and Blame” is an R.E.M. song from Monster that became a notable Top 40 hit. The title phrase also fits the song’s accusatory tone and was omitted from some later compilations of the band’s work.

  • Murmur — Murmur is R.E.M.’s 1983 debut album, featuring the single “Radio Free Europe” and songs like “Shaking Through,” “We Walk,” and “Pilgrimage.” Its title was chosen partly because of the band’s guitar and vocal textures, and the cover shows a trestle and kudzu near Athens, Georgia.

  • New Adventures in Hi-Fi — New Adventures in Hi-Fi is R.E.M.’s 1996 album, the last to feature all four founding members. It includes “E-Bow the Letter” and “Electrolite,” with guest vocals by Patti Smith on the former.

  • Out of Time — Out of Time is R.E.M.’s 1991 album that includes songs like “Losing My Religion” and “Shiny Happy People.” It became the band’s biggest-selling album and won the first Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.

  • Reckoning — Reckoning is a 1984 R.E.M. album that followed Murmur and includes “So. Central Rain” and “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville.” Its cover features a double-headed snake, and the band also used the alternate title File Under Water.

  • Shiny Happy People — “Shiny Happy People” is an R.E.M. single from Out of Time featuring guest vocals by Kate Pierson. The song is often remembered for its upbeat chorus and for parody or modified performances, including a Sesame Street version.

  • Stand — “Stand” is an R.E.M. song from the album Green, and it also appears as a common title in other pop songs. The clues identify the song whose chorus tells the listener to do the title action “in the place where you live.”

  • The Great Beyond — The Great Beyond is an R.E.M. song from the soundtrack of the film Man on the Moon. It was also nominated for a 2001 Grammy in the category for best song from a motion picture or other visual media.

  • “Driver 8” — “Driver 8” is an R.E.M. song from Fables of the Reconstruction. Its lyrics evoke rural travel and radio imagery, including a treehouse, farm outskirts, and airplane floaters.

• Boy George — Boy George is the androgynous singer associated with Culture Club and hits like “Karma Chameleon” and “The Crying Game.” He became a major pop figure in the 1980s and later remained in the public eye through music and tabloid notoriety.

• British new wave bands
  • Culture Club — Culture Club was the Boy George–led new wave band whose Colour by Numbers produced “Karma Chameleon” and “Miss Me Blind.” They are also identified by “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” and by the classic lineup of Boy George, Mikey Craig, Jon Moss, and Roy Hay.
    • Songs
      • Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? — ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?’ is a 1984 hit by Culture Club fronted by Boy George. The song became one of the band’s signature singles and features the lyric about talking and believing.
    • “Karma Chameleon” — “Karma Chameleon” is Culture Club’s 1983 hit about a lover who “comes and goes,” comparing that person to a chameleon. Its lyrics feature the memorable line about living in “red, gold and green,” and the song became one of the band’s signature singles.
• Duran Duran — Duran Duran is the English pop band fronted by Simon Le Bon, known for hits like ‘Rio,’ ‘Hungry Like the Wolf,’ and ‘A View to a Kill.’ Its classic lineup also featured three unrelated Taylors, Nick Rhodes, and John Taylor, and its glossy videos helped define the MTV era.

  • Girls on Film — “Girls on Film” is an early hit by Duran Duran, best known for its provocative music video. The video drew attention for erotic imagery and nudity, and the song became one of the band’s first major UK hits.

  • Hungry Like the Wolf — “Hungry Like the Wolf” is a Duran Duran hit driven by a restless chase-and-pursuit image, with Simon Le Bon’s vocals and Andy Taylor’s distinctive production. Its music video helped make the song an early MTV staple and pushed it into the U.S. Top 5.

  • Is There Something I Should Know? — “Is There Something I Should Know?” is a Duran Duran single from the band’s early 1980s pop success. The title comes as a question and is associated with one of the group’s signature synth-pop hits.

  • Seven and the Ragged Tiger — Seven and the Ragged Tiger is a Duran Duran album that includes songs such as “Union of the Snake,” “The Reflex,” and “New Moon on Monday.”

  • The Reflex — “The Reflex” is a 1984 number one hit by Duran Duran from Seven and the Ragged Tiger. Its lyric imagery includes a child waiting in the park and a line about finding treasure in the dark.

• Elvis Costello and the Attractions
  • Blood and Chocolate — Blood and Chocolate is an Elvis Costello and the Attractions album released in 1986. It is known for its raw live recording style and songs such as “Uncomplicated” and “Crimes of Paris.”
• English pop-rock bands
  • The 1975 — The 1975 is an English pop-rock band fronted by Matty Healy. They are known for songs including ‘Love It If We Made It,’ ‘The Sound,’ ‘Paris,’ and ‘TooTimeTooTimeTooTime,’ and their self-titled debut album was named for the year 1975.
• English rock bands
  • Keane — Keane is an English rock band fronted by Tom Chaplin. They broke through with Hopes and Fears, then followed it with Under the Iron Sea and songs like “Somewhere Only We Know,” “Everybody’s Changing,” and “Is It Any Wonder?”
• English rock singers
  • Billy Idol — Billy Idol is the English punk-and-new-wave singer known for solo hits like “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell,” and his cover of “Mony Mony.” Clues often connect him to the band Generation X and to his trademark sneer, platinum hair, and 1980s MTV videos.

    • “Dancing with Myself” — “Dancing with Myself” is Billy Idol’s song about dancing alone in a crowded room, with playful sexual overtones. Its opening lines imagine drinking and thinking while the singer performs the title action.

    • White Wedding — “White Wedding” is Billy Idol’s 1982 song about a gothic wedding, later associated with a famous music video.

• Head over Heels — This Tears for Fears song appears in Donnie Darko and was one of the group’s major hits from Songs from the Big Chair. It is the title of a Go-Go’s hit as well, and its chorus repeats a series of contrasting greetings and farewells.

• I Don’t Like Mondays — “I Don’t Like Mondays” is the Boomtown Rats’ 1979 hit, opening with piano flourishes and the line about a silicon chip inside her head. The song was inspired by Brenda Ann Spencer, whose remark after a school shooting gave the single its title.

• I Melt With You — This Modern English song is best known for its chorus “Moving forward using all my breath” and has been widely covered. Its covers include versions by Hootie & the Blowfish, Jason Mraz, and Bowling for Soup.

• Icehouse (band)
  • Icehouse — Icehouse is the Australian band fronted by Iva Davies, originally called Flowers. They are associated with hits such as “Electric Blue,” “Crazy,” and “We Can Get Together,” and the name also refers to the plastic pyramid game pieces used in Icehouse-style games.
• Men at Work — Men at Work was an Australian new wave band led by Colin Hay. They are best known for ‘Down Under’ and ‘Who Can It Be Now?,’ which helped make them one of the first Australian groups to reach the top of the U.S. charts.

  • Business as Usual — Business as Usual is the debut album by Men at Work, the record that produced their number one hits “Who Can It Be Now?” and “Down Under.”

  • Down Under — A Men at Work song about Australia and an Australian traveler encountering compatriots abroad. Its refrain includes the “vegemite sandwich” lyric and the line “land where women glow and men plunder.” It was later reworked in new versions and became entangled in a copyright dispute over the children’s song “Kookaburra.”

• The Motels — The Motels were a new wave band best known for songs like “Only the Lonely” and “Suddenly Last Summer.” The clues point to one of their signature 1980s pop-rock acts.

• The Romantics
  • What I Like About You — “What I Like About You” is a hit by The Romantics built around the refrain about keeping on whispering in the singer’s ear. The title also refers to a WB sitcom starring Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth.

• The Smithereens — This power-pop band features Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken, and Mike Mesaros, and it is known for songs like “A Girl Like You” and “Only a Memory.” It also recorded “Time Won’t Let Me” for the TimeCop soundtrack and brought in Belinda Carlisle on the album 11.

• The Vapors
  • New Clear Days
    • Turning Japanese — “Turning Japanese” is the best-known song by The Vapors, from the album New Clear Days. Its lyrics and title have often been read as a masturbation joke, although the band denied that interpretation.
• The Waitresses — The Waitresses were an Akron new wave band fronted by Patty Donahue and written largely by Chris Butler. They are best remembered for “I Know What Boys Like,” “Square Pegs,” and the holiday song “Christmas Wrapping.”
  • Christmas Wrapping — “Christmas Wrapping” is The Waitresses’ wry holiday single about missed chances and an all-night grocery-store meeting on Christmas Eve. The song later became a modern seasonal standard through covers such as Save Ferris.

• “Kids in America” — “Kids in America” is a Kim Wilde new wave hit that became especially well known through later covers, including the version used in Clueless. Its lyrics celebrate restless youth and American pop culture with a bright, synth-driven sound.

• Roxy Music — Roxy Music was a British art-rock band fronted by Bryan Ferry, with Brian Eno in its early lineup. Its best-known songs include “Love Is the Drug,” “Virginia Plain,” and “In Every Dream Home a Heartache” from For Your Pleasure.
  • More Than This — More Than This is a Roxy Music song from Avalon that gained renewed fame through Lost in Translation. It is sung by Bob Harris in the film, and a cover version later became a notable single for 10,000 Maniacs.
• Tears for Fears — Tears for Fears is the English pop-rock duo best known for Songs from the Big Chair, which includes “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “Head over Heels.” The group also recorded “Shout” and “Mad World.”

  • Mad World — “Mad World” is a Tears for Fears song first released in 1982 on The Hurting. Gary Jules later made it famous as a cover used in Donnie Darko, and the lyric about “familiar faces” is one of its most recognizable opening lines.

  • Shout — “Shout” is a song by Tears for Fears whose chorus urges the listener to “let it all out.” It became a well-known pop hit through both the band’s original version and the older Isley Brothers song of the same title.

• The B-52’s

  • Love Shack — “Love Shack” is the B-52s’ 1989 hit built around Fred Schneider’s speak-singing and the invitation to a titular place where people can get together. Its lyrics describe the location as a little old place, and the song became one of the band’s signature pop anthems.

  • Private Idaho — “Private Idaho” is a song by the B-52s. It appeared on the album Wild Planet and includes the lyric about being “underground like a wild potato.”

  • Roam — “Roam” is a song by the B-52’s, known for its travel-themed chorus and upbeat, surreal lyrics. It appears on the band’s album Cosmic Thing.

  • Rock Lobster — “Rock Lobster” is a B-52’s novelty hit built around surf imagery, strange marine animals, and shouted lines over an eccentric dance-rock groove. The song became one of the band’s signature tracks and is remembered for its ridiculous beach scene, matching towels, and animal-name wordplay.

• The B-52s — The B-52s are the Athens, Georgia new wave band best known for “Rock Lobster,” “Private Idaho,” and “Love Shack.” Their name comes from the B-52 bomber, and clues often mention Ricky Wilson’s death and the album Bouncing off the Satellites.

• Naked Eyes — Naked Eyes was an 1980s synth-pop duo led by Pete Byrne and Rob Fisher. They are best known for their cover of ‘Always Something There to Remind Me.’

• Dexy’s Midnight Runners — Dexy’s Midnight Runners were the British band led by Kevin Rowland, known for Geno and the hit Come on Eileen. Their image famously shifted from street-gang styling to the overalls look associated with Too-Rye-Ay.
  • Come On Eileen — A 1982 song by Dexys Midnight Runners, written around Kevin Rowland’s nostalgic, conversational lyrics. It became the group’s signature song and an international hit, with an exuberant call-and-response chorus, a title refrain of “Come on Eileen,” and an opening reference to Johnny Ray. The title character is a fictional figure created for the song’s theme of Catholic repression.
• Frankie Goes to Hollywood — Frankie Goes to Hollywood was a British band whose first three singles all reached number one in the UK. They are best remembered for “Relax,” “Two Tribes,” and “The Power of Love,” along with the controversy surrounding their videos and cover art.

  • Relax — “Relax” is the debut hit single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, a song whose success was boosted by ZTT’s promotional campaign. It became notorious for its sexually explicit video and its later use in films and TV parody scenes.

  • Two Tribes — “Two Tribes” is a Frankie Goes to Hollywood song about the threat of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Its famous video depicts Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev wrestling while world leaders bet on the outcome.

• Mission of Burma — Mission of Burma is the Boston post-punk band led by Clint Conley and Roger Miller, known for songs like “Academy Fight Song,” “That’s When I Reach for My Revolver,” and “This Is Not a Photograph.” The band broke up in 1983 because of Roger Miller’s tinnitus and later reunited in the 2000s to release new albums.

• New wave bands
  • A Flock of Seagulls — A Liverpool English new wave/synth-pop band led by Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley, and Paul Reynolds. They are best known for “I Ran (So Far Away)” from their 1982 self-titled debut album, and also for “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)”; they were among the most recognizable synth-pop acts of the early 1980s.

    • I Ran — “I Ran” is the signature song by A Flock of Seagulls, the synth-pop group best remembered for its dramatic hairstyle and 1980s new-wave sound. It is often used as a clue for the band’s name and for the song’s association with a dance-club setting.

    • I Ran (So Far Away) — “I Ran (So Far Away)” is the signature 1982 hit by A Flock of Seagulls. Its lyrics mention auburn hair, tawny eyes, and Aurora Borealis, and the song is closely associated with the band’s mirrored, tinfoil-filled music video. The single is often treated as their one major hit.

  • Haircut 100 — Haircut 100 was an English new wave band best known for the singles “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)” and “Love Plus One.” Their 1982 album is associated with the same bright, post-punk pop sound that made them a chart act.

  • Missing Persons — Missing Persons was an American new wave band led by vocalist Dale Bozzio and guitarist Warren Cuccurullo. They are remembered for songs such as ‘Walking in L.A.,’ ‘Words,’ and ‘Destination Unknown,’ and for the debut album Spring Session M.

  • Squeeze — Squeeze is a British new wave band led by Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford. They are known for songs such as ‘Tempted,’ ‘Up the Junction,’ and ‘Hourglass,’ and they were among the first acts featured on MTV Unplugged.
    • “Tempted” — “Tempted” is a song by Squeeze produced by Elvis Costello. Its lyrics famously list a series of purchases, including a toothbrush and toothpaste, and describe the singer feeling drawn toward “the fruit of another.”

  • The B-52’s — The B-52’s are the Athens, Georgia new wave band behind “Rock Lobster” and “Love Shack.” Their colorful style and reunion-era album Cosmic Thing are common clues, and the group also appears in references to the song “Song for a Future Generation.”

  • The Fixx — The Fixx is a British new wave band best known for songs such as “One Thing Leads to Another,” “Saved by Zero,” “Red Skies,” and “Stand or Fall.” Its 1982 album Shuttered Room preceded the more successful Reach the Beach, which brought the band its biggest U.S. hits.

  • The Thompson Twins — The Thompson Twins were a British new wave band named after comic-strip characters. They were led by Tom Bailey and are known for hits such as “In the Name of Love,” “Lies,” and the album Into the Gap.

  • Tom Tom Club — Tom Tom Club is the new wave side project of Talking Heads members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz. The group is best known for the song ‘Genius of Love,’ which was later sampled in Mariah Carey’s ‘Fantasy.’

  • Wall of Voodoo — Wall of Voodoo was an American new wave band best known for the song “Mexican Radio.” Its later work included Call of the West and a lineup led by Stan Ridgway before Andy Prieboy took over vocals.
    • Mexican Radio — Mexican Radio is a song by Wall of Voodoo. Its lyrics evoke a confused attempt to hear a foreign broadcast and the refrain about wishing to be in Tijuana eating barbecued iguana.

  • Wang Chung — Wang Chung is the British new wave band led by Jack Hues and Nick Feldman, best known in the United States for “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” and “Dance Hall Days.” Their songs appeared in films like The Breakfast Club and To Live and Die in L.A., which made them a frequent quizbowl soundtrack answer.

  • XTC — XTC was an influential British new wave band led by Andy Partridge, known for sharp songwriting and Beatlesque pop. Quiz clues often mention albums like Drums and Wires, English Settlement, and Oranges and Lemons, plus songs such as “Senses Working Overtime,” “Dear God,” and “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead.”

  • ’Til Tuesday — ’Til Tuesday was a Boston new wave band fronted by Aimee Mann, best known for the hit “Voices Carry.” Their later work included songs shaped by Mann’s relationship with Jules Shear, and the band released Welcome Home before breaking up.
    • Voices Carry — “Voices Carry” is a 1985 hit by ’Til Tuesday, written by Aimee Mann. Its memorable refrain is the demand to keep it down, and the song is especially remembered for its music video and title-track status on the album Voices Carry.
• Scandal
  • Songs
    • The Warrior — “The Warrior” is a 1984 Scandal single sung by Patty Smyth, famous for the line “I am the warrior.” Its video features an exaggerated battle-dance scene, and the song became the band’s biggest hit. The same title is also used for a holy order in a question about an order whose members were the sons of a god.

• Siouxsie and the Banshees — Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British post-punk band fronted by Siouxsie Sioux, with an early history tied to Malcolm McLaren’s Sex Pistols scene. They toured with The Cure, and songs like “Hong Kong Garden” and “Spellbound” helped make their dark sound influential on later gothic and alternative acts.

• Cocteau Twins — Cocteau Twins were a Scottish dream-pop band fronted by Elizabeth Fraser. They are closely associated with the ethereal sound of albums like Heaven or Las Vegas and with the broader orbit of This Mortal Coil.

• Dance-punk bands

  • Death From Above 1979 — Death From Above 1979 is a Canadian dance-punk duo known for heavy use of cowbell and for songs such as “Romantic Rights” and “Blood on Our Hands.” Their album You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine is one of their best-known releases.

  • LCD Soundsystem — LCD Soundsystem is the James Murphy-led dance-punk band behind songs like “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House,” “All My Friends,” and “I Can Change.” Their breakup, reunion, and the concert film Shut Up and Play the Hits are recurring clues.

    • Losing My Edge — “Losing My Edge” is an LCD Soundsystem song by James Murphy in which a narrator boasts about knowing the history of club music before younger rivals. It name-checks punk, disco, techno, and art-rock figures while joking about aging out of coolness.

    • Sound of Silver — Sound of Silver is the 2007 LCD Soundsystem album that includes “All My Friends,” “Time to Get Away,” and the title track. It became one of the band’s most acclaimed releases and helped define their dance-punk sound.

• Half Man Half Biscuit — Half Man Half Biscuit is a Birkenhead-based British band fronted by Nigel Blackwell. They are known for sardonic, surreal lyrics and songs such as ‘Joy Division Oven Gloves’ and ‘National Shite Day’.

• Oingo Boingo — Oingo Boingo was a new wave band led by Danny Elfman, known for theatrical Halloween concerts and oddball synth-heavy pop. It grew out of the Mystic Knights of the Sea and used the shorter Oingo Boingo name after an earlier stage as the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. The band is associated with songs such as “Only a Lad,” “Dead Man’s Party,” and the film theme “Weird Science.”

• Post-punk bands

  • Idles — Idles are a Bristol-based post-punk band fronted by Joe Talbot. Their music includes songs like “Danny Nedelko” and “Mother,” and albums such as Brutalism, Joy as an Act of Resistance, Ultra Mono, Crawler, and Tangk.

  • The Sound — The Sound is a post-punk band known for albums such as Jeopardy and From the Lions Mouth. Its name also appears as the opening phrase of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence,” a frequent clue anchor for the band.

  • The The — The The is an English post-punk group led by Matt Johnson, effectively a shifting solo project rather than a stable band lineup. Its albums include Soul Mining, Infected, and Mind Bomb.

• Spandau Ballet — Spandau Ballet was a British new wave band led by vocalist Tony Hadley and songwriter Gary Kemp. They are best known for hits like ‘True,’ ‘Gold,’ and ‘To Cut a Long Story Short’. The group’s name came from graffiti seen in Berlin, and they first built a following around London’s Blitz club scene before signing to Chrysalis Records.

• The Beat
  • Save It For Later — “Save It For Later” is a song by The Beat noted for Dave Wakeling’s unusual guitar tuning on the original recording. Its chorus includes the refrain about legs giving way and hitting the ground, and Harvey Danger later covered it for the 200 Cigarettes soundtrack.

• Bangles — The Bangles are the Los Angeles pop-rock band led by Susanna Hoffs, with hits including “Manic Monday,” “Walk Like an Egyptian,” and “Eternal Flame.” Their earlier rise came from the Paisley Underground scene and albums like All Over the Place and Different Light.

• Joe Jackson
  • Is She Really Going Out With Him? — “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” is a Joe Jackson song centered on incredulity over a woman’s choice of romantic partner. It was later covered by Sugar Ray and became one of Jackson’s best-known hits.
• Kajagoogoo — Kajagoogoo was a British new wave band originally called Art Nouveau. They are best remembered for the hit “Too Shy,” and their lead singer Limahl left before the poorly received album Islands.
  • Too Shy — “Too Shy” is the best-known single by Kajagoogoo, the band fronted by Limahl. Its chorus repeats the phrase “hush hush, eye to eye.” The song appeared in a music video that became one of Kajagoogoo’s signature pop moments from the early 1980s.
• Mr. Mister — Mr. Mister was a 1980s rock band best known for “Broken Wings” and “Kyrie.” Their album Welcome to the Real World produced their biggest hits, making them a frequent clue for repetitively named band questions.
  • Broken Wings — “Broken Wings” is a song whose lyrics allude to a Kahlil Gibran work of the same name. The title also appears as an ability name in Riven Q, where the third charge can leap over walls.
• Panic! at the Disco — Panic! at the Disco was a pop-rock band fronted by Brendon Urie and originally formed as a Blink-182 cover band. Their best-known songs include “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” “This Is Gospel,” and “High Hopes.”

  • Brendon Urie — Brendon Urie is the lead vocalist and sole remaining original member of Panic! at the Disco. He is identified with the band’s later era after the departure of its other founding members.

  • I Write Sins Not Tragedies — “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” is Panic! at the Disco’s 2006 single from A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. Its wedding-set chorus about closing the door and its scandalous groom-bride lyric are its best-known clues.

• Phantom Planet — Phantom Planet is a Southern California rock band best known for the song “California,” which became widely associated with The O.C. They also recorded songs such as “Big Brat” and the album The Guest.

• pop rock bands
  • 5 Seconds of Summer — 5 Seconds of Summer is an Australian pop-rock band often abbreviated 5SOS. Their hits include “She Looks So Perfect,” “Amnesia,” “Want You Back,” “Youngblood,” and “Teeth.”
    • Calm — Calm is a 2020 album by 5 Seconds of Summer whose title is an acronym formed from the band members’ first names. The album includes songs such as “Old Me” and “No Shame.”

  • Haim — Haim is an American indie/pop-rock band formed by the three sisters Danielle, Este, and Alana Haim. They broke through with songs like “The Wire,” “Don’t Save Me,” and “Want You Back,” are known for the album Women in Music Part III, and appeared in Licorice Pizza.

  • Hot Chelle Rae — Hot Chelle Rae is an American pop-rock band best known for its 2011 hit “Tonight, Tonight.” The band also released the song “I Like It Like That” under the title Miracle Drug in some contexts.

  • Lifehouse — Lifehouse is the LA band fronted by Jason Wade that broke through with the album No Name Face and the hit ‘Hanging by a Moment.’ The band was briefly called Blyss and later followed its debut with Stanley Climbfall and other pop-rock releases.

    • Behind Blue Eyes — “Behind Blue Eyes” is a song by the Who that was originally conceived for the Lifehouse project. Its speaker contrasts a calm exterior with anger and isolation, beginning with the line that no one knows what it is like to be the bad man.

    • No Name Face

      • Hanging by a Moment — “Hanging by a Moment” is Lifehouse’s biggest hit, from the album No Name Face. The song topped Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 for 2001 and was written by Jason Wade as a song of spiritual longing.

  • Mike + The Mechanics — Mike + The Mechanics is a pop-rock band led by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford. The group had hits such as “Silent Running,” “All I Need Is a Miracle,” and “The Living Years,” and featured singers Paul Young and Paul Carrack.

  • Mike and the Mechanics — Mike and the Mechanics is a British pop-rock group formed by a member of Genesis during the band’s hiatus. The band had major hits with “Silent Running,” “The Living Years,” and “All I Need Is a Miracle,” and it later returned after an early-2000s break.

  • Neon Trees — Neon Trees is a pop band from Provo, Utah, known for songs like “Animal” and “Everybody Talks.” Their later work includes the album I Can Feel You Forgetting Me and the single “1983.”

  • OneRepublic — OneRepublic is an American pop rock band led by Ryan Tedder. Their credits and later singles include work connected to Selena Gomez and the 2022 song “I Ain’t Worried.”
    • Ryan Tedder — Ryan Tedder is the lead singer of OneRepublic and a prolific pop songwriter. He has written or co-written hits for artists including Camila Cabello, Nick Jonas, and 5 Seconds of Summer, and he sang lead on OneRepublic’s Counting Stars.
  • Smash Mouth — A California rock/pop-rock band led by Steve Harwell and Greg Camp, best known for “Walking on the Sun” and “All Star.” Their albums include Astro Lounge and later releases such as Summer Girl, and their songs became closely associated with film soundtracks, including Shrek.

    • Astro Lounge — Astro Lounge is Smash Mouth’s 1999 album featuring “All Star,” the song that became its signature hit. The record also includes tracks such as “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends.”

    • Fush Yu Mang

      • Walkin’ on the Sun — “Walkin’ on the Sun” is Smash Mouth’s breakout single from Fush Yu Mang. The song opens with the line about buying the world a toke and urges listeners to act before supplies run out.

      • Walking on the Sun — “Walking on the Sun” is a 1997 Smash Mouth hit from Fush Yu Mang. Its bright, retro sound accompanies lyrics about social oddballs and about learning to conserve resources and “snuff the fires and the liars.”

    • Then the Morning Comes — “Then the Morning Comes” is a Smash Mouth single released after “All Star” that reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 20 and placed on year-end charts for 2000. Its lyric clue is the line about doing it again every day being just a fling before the title moment.
  • The Bangles — The Bangles were the all-female pop-rock group featuring Susanna Hoffs and the Peterson sisters, with Michael Steele on bass. They are best remembered for 1980s hits like “Manic Monday,” “Walk Like an Egyptian,” and “Eternal Flame,” and later returned with Doll Revolution.

    • Eternal Flame — “Eternal Flame” is the Bangles ballad that begins with Susanna Hoffs singing “close your eyes, give me your hand, darling.” The song was a major 1989 hit and has been widely covered, including by Atomic Kitten.

    • Manic Monday — “Manic Monday” is the Bangles song written by Prince and released under a pseudonym before becoming a major pop hit in 1986. Its lyrics describe the frustration of being late for work after a sleepless night and nod to earlier songs about Monday.

    • Susanna Hoffs — Susanna Hoffs is the lead singer of the Bangles, the pop group behind “Walk Like an Egyptian” and other 1980s hits. She also appeared in the film The Allnighter and later collaborated on cover albums with Sweet.

    • Walk Like an Egyptian — “Walk Like an Egyptian” is a 1986 hit by the Bangles from Different Light. Its lyrics depict people posing and moving in a stylized, Egyptian-inspired way.

  • The Turtles — The Turtles were a Los Angeles pop group that evolved from the surf band the Crossfires and are best known for “Happy Together.” Their other familiar clues include the Dylan cover “It Ain’t Me Babe,” the satire “Elenore,” and later work by the Flo and Eddie lineup.

    • Elenore — “Elenore” is a 1968 hit song by The Turtles. The lyric portrays the title woman as swell and asks her to speak her mind.

    • Happy Together — “Happy Together” is the Turtles song whose title was reused for Wong Kar-wai’s 1997 film about a troubled same-sex couple in Argentina. The song also appears in later films and TV references, making it a common pop-culture clue.

  • Tommy Tutone — Tommy Tutone is the band best known for the hit single “867-5309/Jenny,” their signature and only major chart success. The group came out of the San Francisco Bay Area and later broke up after a short recording career.
    • 867-5309 / Jenny — This is “867-5309/Jenny,” Tommy Tutone’s best-known hit about the girl and her phone number. The song is famous for the repeated number and the line about finding it on the bathroom wall.
  • Cutting Crew — Cutting Crew is a British pop-rock group best known for “(I Just) Died in Your Arms,” from the album Broadcast.
• rock bands — Rock bands are musical groups built around rock music, from legendary acts like U2 and the Beatles to fictional groups in games and animation. The clues point to performing groups rather than solo artists or other kinds of ensembles.

  • AFI — AFI, short for A Fire Inside, is an American rock band that reached platinum success with Sing the Sorrow and Decemberunderground. The latter album includes the hit “Miss Murder,” and the band also recorded “Totalimmortal,” which was later covered by The Offspring.

  • Alien Ant Farm — Alien Ant Farm is a rock band best known for its 2001 cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” Their album ANThology helped bring them wider attention, and the band name comes from a science-fiction style hypothetical about humans as an alien diversion.

  • April Wine — April Wine was a Canadian rock band formed in Halifax by Myles Goodwyn. Their classic hits include “Just Between You and Me,” “Sign of the Gypsy Queen,” “I Like to Rock,” and “Roller.”

  • Arctic Monkeys — Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band from Sheffield, known for songs such as “Do I Wanna Know?”, “R U Mine?”, and “I Wanna Be Yours.” Their albums include Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, AM, and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.

    • Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino — Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is a 2018 Arctic Monkeys album with a space-age, lounge-pop sound centered on a fictional luxury hotel on the Moon. Its title track and songs like “Four Out of Five” and “The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip” helped define the album’s satirical, retrofuturist style.

    • Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not — Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not is the debut album by the Arctic Monkeys. Its best-known songs include “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor,” “When the Sun Goes Down,” “A Certain Romance,” and “Riot Van.”

  • Audioslave — Audioslave was the hard rock supergroup formed by Chris Cornell with former members of Rage Against the Machine after that band’s breakup. The group released songs such as “Like a Stone,” “Cochise,” and “Be Yourself,” and even played a landmark outdoor show in Havana.

  • Badfinger — Badfinger was an Apple Records rock band that began as The Iveys. Paul McCartney wrote and produced their breakthrough single, “Come and Get It,” and the band later had hits like “No Matter What” and “Day After Day.”
    • Without You — “Without You” is a song best known through cover versions by Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey. The song was originally written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of Badfinger and appeared on the album No Dice.

  • Better Than Ezra — Better Than Ezra is a rock band from Baton Rouge, best known for its platinum album Deluxe and the hit single “Good.” Quizbowl clues also point to songs like “King of New Orleans” and soundtrack appearances.

  • Black Crowes — The Black Crowes are a Southern rock band led by the Robinson brothers. They rose to fame with Shake Your Money Maker and later released Lions.

  • Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band — Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band is the rock group associated with songs like “Night Moves,” “Mainstreet,” and “Old Time Rock and Roll.” The group also recorded “Shakedown” and other hits from the Bob Seger catalog.

  • Breaking Benjamin — Breaking Benjamin is a hard rock band from Wilkes-Barre led by Ben Burnley. Their hits include “So Cold,” “Sooner or Later,” and “Polyamorous,” and they also recorded “Blow Me Away” for the Halo 2 soundtrack.

  • Coldplay — Coldplay is a British rock band fronted by Chris Martin. Their clues include ‘Yellow,’ ‘Clocks,’ ‘The Scientist,’ ‘Viva la Vida,’ and the ten-minute ‘Coloratura,’ along with the band’s sustainability-focused touring plans and the ‘drink from me’ single featuring Beyoncé.

    • A Rush of Blood to the Head — A Rush of Blood to the Head is Coldplay’s second studio album. Its best-known tracks include “The Scientist,” “Clocks,” “In My Place,” and “Politik.”

    • Chris Martin — Chris Martin is the lead singer of Coldplay, the British band behind songs such as “Yellow,” “Clocks,” and “The Scientist.” He fronts the group in its stadium-pop era, including later songs like “Viva la Vida” and “Hymn for the Weekend.”

    • Parachutes — Parachutes is the debut album by Coldplay, the one with ‘Yellow,’ ‘Trouble,’ and ‘Don’t Panic.’ Its cover features a blurred globe, and the album won the 2002 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.

    • Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends — Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends is a 2008 Coldplay album produced with Brian Eno. It includes songs such as ‘Viva la Vida,’ ‘Violet Hill,’ ‘Lost!,’ ‘Strawberry Swing,’ and ‘42,’ plus hidden tracks and the Prospekt’s March EP tie-in.

    • X&Y

      • Fix You — “Fix You” is a Coldplay song from X&Y that became one of the album’s signature ballads. It was released as a single in 2005 and is tied to Chris Martin’s personal grief and the line “when you try your best but you don’t succeed.”

  • Collective Soul — Collective Soul is the Stockbridge, Georgia rock band led by Ed Roland, best known for the hits Shine, December, and The World I Know. Their debut Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid helped push them into mainstream alternative rock. Their name comes from Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, and quiz clues often list members such as the Roland brothers and Will Turpin. They are a staple answer for 1990s alternative-rock questions.

  • Crosby, Stills, and Nash — Crosby, Stills, and Nash was the folk-rock supergroup whose harmonies and politically charged songs made them a major act of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They are associated with songs such as “Ohio” and “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.”

  • Dire Straits — Dire Straits were the Mark Knopfler-led rock band behind “Money for Nothing,” “Walk of Life,” and “Sultans of Swing.” Their album Brothers in Arms made them especially famous, and the band also released earlier records like Making Movies and Communique.
    • Brothers in Arms — Brothers in Arms is a 1985 Dire Straits album that includes “Money for Nothing,” “So Far Away,” and “Walk of Life.” It became especially famous for its MTV-era single and for being one of the first compact discs to sell a million copies worldwide.
      • Walk of Life — “Walk of Life” is a Dire Straits song from Brothers in Arms. It celebrates an oldies singer named Johnny and repeats the hook about a boy who can play, with a bright synthesizer-driven sound.
    • Money for Nothing — “Money for Nothing” is the Dire Straits song and music video famous for its animated delivery crew and the refrain about wanting MTV. Quiz clues usually point to the lyrics about microwave ovens, color TV sets, and the Joe Pesci-inspired cartoon character.
  • Eagles — “One of These Nights,” “Heartache Tonight,” and “Lyin’ Eyes” are songs by the Eagles. The set of titles points to the band that was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

    • Heartache Tonight — Heartache Tonight is an Eagles song built around the line ‘Somebody’s gonna hurt somebody’. Its lyrics promise that the night and the song will last until morning.

    • Hotel California — “Hotel California” is the Eagles’ 1976 hit about a haunting luxury hotel on a dark desert highway where guests can never leave. Its lyrics and guitar solo helped make it one of classic rock’s most famous songs.

    • Life in the Fast Lane — “Life in the Fast Lane” is an Eagles song, remembered for its sharp portrait of a hard-headed man and a dangerously attractive woman. It is one of the band’s best-known rock tracks from the late 1970s.

    • Peaceful Easy Feeling — “Peaceful Easy Feeling” is an Eagles song from their early 1970s catalog, remembered for its desert imagery and relaxed romantic mood. The singer says he has a peaceful, easy feeling from a woman who cannot take him any farther than he already knows how to go.

    • Witchy Woman — “Witchy Woman” is an Eagles song known for its occult imagery and the line about raven hair and ruby lips. It was an early hit from the band’s debut album and later became familiar through pop-culture references such as a Seinfeld joke.

  • Evanescence — Evanescence is a gothic rock band fronted by Amy Lee, known for hits like “Bring Me to Life,” “Everybody’s Fool,” and “My Immortal.” Their albums include The Open Door and Anywhere But Home, and their music often blends piano, orchestration, and heavy guitar.

    • Amy Lee — Amy Lee is the lead singer of Evanescence. She sang on ‘Bring Me to Life’ and ‘My Immortal’ and later collaborated with Seether on ‘Broken’.

    • Bring Me to Life — “Bring Me to Life” is an Evanescence hit from Fallen, featuring Paul McCoy of 12 Stones on guest vocals. Its chorus opens with the plea “Wake me up inside,” and the song became one of the group’s signature tracks.

  • Explosions in the Sky — Explosions in the Sky is an instrumental rock quartet known for expansive post-rock songs and for composing the soundtrack to Friday Night Lights. Their 2007 album All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone helped define their reputation for cinematic, highly atmospheric music.

  • Glam rock bands
    • The Darkness — The Darkness are a mid-2000s glam rock band best known for the falsetto-driven hit “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” They also inspired a video game series in which Mike Patton voices the supernatural entity empowering Jackie Estacado.
  • Golden Earring — Golden Earring is a Dutch rock band best known for “Radar Love” and “Twilight Zone.” Their catalog includes the compilation The Continuing Story of Radar Love and a run of hard-rock singles from the 1970s and 1980s.
    • Twilight Zone — “Twilight Zone” is the Golden Earring song that became a 1982 hit and shares its title with the Rod Serling television anthology series. The song’s lyrics evoke spies, double-crosses, and a troubled night drive, while the title also names the boundary zone between the day and night sides of a tidally locked planet.
  • Goo Goo Dolls — The Goo Goo Dolls are the Buffalo rock band that broke through with “Name” and later scored hits like “Iris,” “Slide,” and “Black Balloon.” They began as a punk act, released albums such as A Boy Named Goo and Dizzy Up the Girl, and are fronted by John Rzeznik.
    • Albums
      • Dizzy Up the Girl — Dizzy Up the Girl is a Goo Goo Dolls album that includes the hit singles “Iris,” “Slide,” “Broadway,” and “Black Balloon.” Its songs include John Rzeznik’s characteristically plaintive, radio-friendly rock writing, including the track “Iris.”
    • Gutterflower
      • Here Is Gone — “Here Is Gone” is a Goo Goo Dolls song from the album Gutterflower. Its lyrics dwell on failed expectations and the breakdown of a relationship.
  • Grand Funk Railroad — Grand Funk Railroad is the rock band from Flint, Michigan best known for “We’re an American Band” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.” The group had a long, stop-and-start career, sold out Shea Stadium in 1971, and later added Craig Frost to the lineup.
    • We’re An American Band — “We’re an American Band” is a Grand Funk Railroad song built around the band’s road-life bragging and the refrain about coming to town to help you party down. Its verses mention Little Rock, Freddie King, Omaha, and the hotel mayhem that follows the band’s arrival.
  • Hootie & the Blowfish — Hootie & the Blowfish are the Darius Rucker-fronted rock band whose 1994 debut Cracked Rear View became a major hit. Their follow-up Fairweather Johnson disappointed commercially, though the group remained associated with songs like “Hold My Hand” and “Only Wanna Be with You.”
    • Cracked Rear View — _Cracked Rear View_ is the debut album by Hootie & the Blowfish. It produced hits like “Hold My Hand,” “Only Wanna Be With You,” and “Let Her Cry.” The album’s best-known clues include Darius Rucker’s vocals and its huge commercial success in the 1990s. Bob Dylan-related and “Tangled Up in Blue” references can also appear in questions about its songs.
      • Only Wanna Be With You — “Only Wanna Be With You” is a 1994 hit by Hootie and the Blowfish from Cracked Rear View. Its video featured sports figures such as Dan Marino, and the song is often remembered for its references to the Dolphins and to Bob Dylan.

  • Hootie and the Blowfish — Hootie and the Blowfish are the South Carolina rock band fronted by Darius Rucker, best known for their 1994 hit-packed album Cracked Rear View. Their biggest songs include “Only Wanna Be with You,” “Hold My Hand,” and “Let Her Cry,” which helped make them one of the defining mainstream acts of the 1990s.

  • Irish rock bands
    • U2 — Irish rock band fronted by Bono. Known for songs such as “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “With or Without You,” “One,” and “Beautiful Day,” and for albums including The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and Songs of Innocence. Their history also includes the 360° Tour and the controversial automatic iTunes giveaway of Songs of Innocence.

      • 11 O’Clock Tick Tock — This is an early U2 song about a late-night clock striking eleven. It appeared before the band’s later breakthrough material and is identified by its ticking refrain.

      • Achtung Baby — Achtung Baby is U2’s 1991 album, the one associated with songs like “Zoo Station,” “Mysterious Ways,” and “The Fly.” Its lyrics and sound reflect the band’s shift toward a harsher, more experimental style, and it was inspired in part by German reunification.
        • “One” by U2 — “One” is the U2 song from Achtung Baby, one of the band’s best-known singles.
      • All That You Can’t Leave Behind — All That You Can’t Leave Behind is the U2 album released in 2000 that includes “Walk On” and “Elevation.” It was promoted as a comeback statement, with Bono joking that the band was reapplying for the job of best band in the world. The album also contains “Peace on Earth” and “New York,” matching the other archive clues. Its title is usually given with the apostrophe in Can’t.

        • Walk On — Walk On is a U2 song from All That You Can’t Leave Behind, dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi. A walk-on is also an athlete who joins a college team without being recruited.

        • Walk On — “Walk On” is a U2 song from All That You Can’t Leave Behind that was nominated for a 2002 Grammy. Its lyrics list things you fashion, make, build, break, measure, and steal before urging the listener to keep moving.

      • Beautiful Day — “Beautiful Day” is a U2 song from All That You Can’t Leave Behind, released as the album’s lead single and later used in high-profile performances and political campaigns. Its lyrics include the image of seeing the world in green and blue and the refrain about not letting the day get away.

      • Bono — Bono is the stage name of U2’s lead singer Paul David Hewson. The name Bono Vox was meant to suggest a good voice. He is associated with songs such as “Beautiful Day” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” the album The Joshua Tree, the Drop the Debt campaign, and stage personas including The Fly and MacPhisto on tour.

      • Bono and The Edge — Bono and The Edge are the short-stage-name members of U2, and the clues point to their real names Paul Hewson and David Evans. The pair wrote the James Bond theme song “GoldenEye.”

      • Bullet the Blue Sky — “Bullet the Blue Sky” is a U2 song from The Joshua Tree, later associated with Rattle and Hum and with lyrics aimed at U.S. intervention in Central America.

      • Get On Your Boots — “Get On Your Boots” is U2’s first single from No Line on the Horizon. The song alludes to war and unrest in lines such as “rockets hit the funfair” and was originally titled “Sexy Boots.”

      • Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me — “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” is a U2 song recorded for the Batman Forever soundtrack. It was later parodied by “Weird Al” Yankovic as “Cavity Search.”

      • How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb — How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is the U2 album led by “Vertigo” and also featuring “All Because of You” and “City of Blinding Lights.” It won Album of the Year and includes songs like “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own” and “Love and Peace or Else.”

      • Larry Mullen Jr. — Larry Mullen Jr. is the drummer for U2 and a frequent collaborator on side projects such as ‘Put ‘Em Under Pressure.’ He also worked on the Mission: Impossible theme and is known for his Harley Davidson obsession and Elvis fandom.

      • Rattle and Hum — Rattle and Hum is U2’s 1988 live album and companion film, named from a line in “Bullet the Blue Sky.” It includes songs such as “Angel of Harlem” and “Van Diemen’s Land,” along with collaborations and live recordings from the band’s tour era.

      • Sunday Bloody Sunday — Sunday Bloody Sunday is a U2 song from War that reflects the Troubles in Northern Ireland rather than endorsing the IRA. It is also the title of a 1971 John Schlesinger film about a love triangle and one of the first mainstream movies to treat bisexuality and homosexuality openly.

      • The Edge — The Edge is the stage name of U2 guitarist David Evans, whose sharp, terse playing helped define the band’s sound. He is associated with songs such as “Numb” and “Van Diemen’s Land,” as well as the nickname that became his public moniker.

      • The Joshua Tree — U2’s 1987 album, featuring songs such as “With or Without You,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and “One Tree Hill.” Its title refers to the desert plant native to the American West, and the record is also associated with the band’s politically charged songs “Bullet the Blue Sky” and “Mothers of the Disappeared.”

        • Exit — “Exit” is a U2 song from The Joshua Tree, known for its ominous imagery and for inspiring a notorious murder case. It is also the title of a board game in which players tilt a labyrinthine board to remove their pieces first.

        • I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For — This U2 song appears on The Joshua Tree and became one of the band’s most covered and spiritually themed hits. It was also the target of a notorious parody built from Casey Kasem rants.

      • The Unforgettable Fire — The Unforgettable Fire is a 1984 U2 album co-produced by Brian Eno. Its best-known songs include “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “Bad,” and the title track.
        • Pride — “Pride” is a U2 song that first appeared on the album The Unforgettable Fire. It is the band’s first major U.S. top-forty hit and is associated with Martin Luther King Jr.
      • Where the Streets Have No Name — A U2 single from The Joshua Tree and one of the band’s biggest hits. It is known for its opening delay guitar figure and chiming guitar line, and for an early live performance staged on a rooftop in downtown Los Angeles. The song opens with a plea to tear down the walls that hold the singer inside.

  • J. Geils Band — The J. Geils Band was a New England rock group that mixed blues influences with a later pop-rock run fronted by Peter Wolf. Their biggest commercial successes came with Freeze Frame and its hit single “Centerfold,” after which they briefly mounted another hit album with Love Stinks.

  • Jet — Jet is an Australian rock band founded by the Cester brothers and best known for the album Get Born and the single “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.” The name also appears in other media, but the band is the intended topic here.
    • Are You Gonna Be My Girl — “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” is Jet’s breakout single from Get Born, and it became their best-known song. Its opening line asks, “So 1, 2, 3, take my hand and come with me,” and it charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

  • L7 — L7 was a riot grrrl band fronted by Donita Sparks, known for ‘Pretend We’re Dead’ and other early-1990s alt-rock songs. Its albums included Bricks Are Heavy, Hungry for Stink, Smell the Magic, and The Beauty Process.

  • Los Lobos — Los Lobos are the East L.A. band whose blend of rock, Tex-Mex, and traditional Mexican music brought them wide recognition. They are closely associated with “La Bamba,” as well as albums like How Will the Wolf Survive? and Kiko.

  • Loverboy — Loverboy is a Canadian rock band fronted by Mike Reno, known for arena-rock hits such as “Working for the Weekend” and “Hot Girls in Love.” They also recorded “Almost Paradise” with Nancy Wilson for Footloose and scored multiple Top 40 singles in the 1980s.

  • Matchbox Twenty — American rock band fronted by Rob Thomas. Their breakthrough debut album Yourself or Someone Like You featured “Long Day,” “Push,” “3 AM,” and “Real World.” Later albums included More Than You Think You Are and Where the Light Goes. Thomas later gained additional fame through his work with Santana.

    • 3 AM — “3 AM” is a Matchbox Twenty song associated with Rob Thomas and the line about someone who only sleeps when it’s raining.

    • Bright Lights — “Bright Lights” is a Matchbox Twenty song about heartbreak after a lover leaves for New York City. The song imagines the speaker waiting for the other person to fail so they can come home and mend the relationship.

  • Moby Grape — Moby Grape was a San Francisco rock band associated with a heavily hyped 1960s debut album. Their lineup included Skip Spence and Peter Lewis, and later clues mention songs such as “Omaha” and “Hey Grandma.”

  • OK Go — OK Go is a Chicago-based rock band known for viral, elaborate music videos, especially the treadmill choreography in “Here It Goes Again.” The band’s other clues often mention Damian Kulash, public-radio appearances, and videos built around Rube Goldberg contraptions and optical illusions.

  • Paul Revere and the Raiders — Paul Revere and the Raiders were a 1960s rock group fronted by Mark Lindsay and associated with the Dick Clark show Where the Action Is. Their best-known songs include “Kicks,” “Hungry,” “Good Thing,” and “Indian Reservation.”

  • Queens of the Stone Age — Queens of the Stone Age are a rock band led by Josh Homme, known for Songs for the Deaf and the hit “No One Knows.” Their Southern California sound and radio-station interludes are recurring clues.
    • Songs for the Deaf — Songs for the Deaf is a Queens of the Stone Age album released in 2002. It includes songs such as “No One Knows,” “Go With the Flow,” and “First It Giveth,” and features Dave Grohl on drums.
  • REO Speedwagon — REO Speedwagon is a Midwestern arena-rock band named after a truck model from Ransom Eli Olds. They are best known for songs like “Ridin’ the Storm Out” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling.”
    • Can’t Fight This Feeling — “Can’t Fight This Feeling” is a 1985 power ballad by REO Speedwagon and one of the band’s biggest hits. It appears on Wheels Are Turnin’ and uses romantic, yearning lyrics such as “You give my life direction.”

  • Seether — Seether is a South African rock band known for songs like “Broken,” recorded with Amy Lee of Evanescence, and for a cover of George Michael’s “Careless Whisper.” Their catalog also includes tracks such as “Remedy” and “Betray and Degrade.”

  • Seven Mary Three — Seven Mary Three is a rock band best known for the song “Cumbersome,” which first gained notice through Orlando radio play. The band formed in the early 1990s and later released albums such as Churn and Economy of Sound.

  • Shinedown — Shinedown is a Jacksonville hard rock band fronted by Brent Smith and co-founded with drummer Barry Kerch. Their albums include Us and Them and The Sound of Madness, which spawned songs such as “Devour,” “Second Chance,” “I Dare You,” and “Save Me.”

  • Shocking Blue — Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band led by Mariska Veres and associated with the 1969 hit “Venus.” They also recorded “Never Marry a Railroad Man,” and the band included Robbie van Leeuwen and Cor van der Beek.

  • Simple Minds — Simple Minds are a Scottish new wave band best known in the United States for “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” They also scored a British number one with “Belfast Child,” and their song became closely associated with The Breakfast Club.
    • The Breakfast Club
      • Don’t You Forget About Me — “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” is the Simple Minds hit best known from The Breakfast Club, where it plays over the film’s ending and is often identified with the soundtrack. Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff wrote it, and it was originally passed on by artists including Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol before Simple Minds recorded it.

  • Sister Hazel — Sister Hazel is an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida, best known for the 1997 hit “All for You.” The band also released albums including Somewhere More Familiar, Fortress, and later songs such as “Champagne High” and “Change Your Mind.”}],

  • Staind — Staind is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, fronted by Aaron Lewis. They broke through with Dysfunction and later hit #1 with Break the Cycle, with songs like “Outside,” “Home,” “Mudshovel,” and “It’s Been Awhile” among their best-known tracks.

  • Stone Temple Pilots — An American alternative rock band formed in San Diego, best known for Scott Weiland as frontman and for hits such as “Plush” and “Vasoline.” Its album Purple and songs like “Creep” are also associated with the band, along with its early-1990s grunge-era commercial success and frequent misidentification as Nirvana. The non-singing members are Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo, and Eric Kretz.
    • Tiny Music…Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop — Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop is a 1996 Stone Temple Pilots album. It is often remembered for the band’s pop-leaning turn on songs like “Big Bang Baby.”

  • Stryper — Stryper is the Christian glam-metal band known for black-and-yellow costumes and the nickname “the Yellow and Black Attack.” They are especially associated with To Hell with the Devil and Soldiers Under Command, and they became famous for tossing Bibles to audiences at concerts.

  • Superdrag — Superdrag is a Knoxville rock band best known for the 1996 song “Sucked Out.” They released Regretfully Yours and Head Trip in Every Key, and later reunited after a long hiatus.

  • The Band — The Band was the influential roots-rock group that backed Bob Dylan in the mid-1960s and was first known as the Hawks. They are associated with songs such as “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” and with The Last Waltz.

    • Music From Big Pink — Music From Big Pink is The Band’s 1968 debut album, named for the house where it was recorded near Woodstock. It includes songs such as “The Weight” and “Tears of Rage,” and its release helped establish the group apart from its earlier role as Dylan’s backing band.

    • Robbie Robertson — Robbie Robertson was the lead guitarist and principal songwriter of The Band. He is associated with songs like “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” the Last Waltz, and later solo work such as Music for the Native Americans.

    • The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down — “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” is a Band song from their self-titled second album that tells the story of Virgil Caine during the collapse of the Confederacy. It became better known through Joan Baez’s cover, and its lyrics evoke figures and images such as Robert E. Lee and Stoneman’s cavalry.

    • The Weight — “The Weight” is a song by The Band from Music from Big Pink, famous for the chorus asking Fanny to “take a load off.” Its narrative passes through Nazareth and a cast of characters like Crazy Chester and the Devil, and it is also known for appearances in Easy Rider and The Big Chill.

  • The Beatles — The Beatles were the Liverpool English rock band of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Their albums include Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road, and Let It Be, and they became a touchstone for studio experimentation and for album covers as pop-cultural icons; their withdrawn Yesterday and Today cover is especially notable.

  • The Black Crowes — The Black Crowes are an Atlanta rock band led by the Robinson brothers. Their breakthrough album was Shake Your Money Maker, and later releases such as Three Snakes & One Charm helped define their bluesy hard-rock sound.

  • The Boomtown Rats — The Boomtown Rats were the Irish rock band fronted by Bob Geldof, best known in the United States for “I Don’t Like Mondays.” The song was inspired by a school shooting, and the band’s later work included In the Long Grass after their Live Aid-era fame.

  • The Box Tops — The Box Tops were a late-1960s band best known for Alex Chilton’s gravelly lead vocal on “The Letter.” Chilton later became better known for Big Star, but the Box Tops remain identified with that single hit.
    • The Letter — “The Letter” is the Box Tops hit written by Wayne Carson Thompson, famous for its opening plea for a ticket for an aeroplane. Joe Cocker later had a successful cover version, helping the song remain a standard of late-1960s pop and soul.

  • The Calling — This Los Angeles rock band is best known for the hit “Wherever You Will Go.” Its lead singer Alex Band also sang with Santana on “Why Don’t You and I.”

  • The Cranberries — The Cranberries were an Irish rock band fronted by Dolores O’Riordan, known for hits like “Linger,” “Zombie,” and “Dreams.” Their songs and later reunion-era material are common clues, especially the anti-IRA imagery in “Zombie” and the posthumous connection to Bad Wolves’ cover of “Zombie.”

    • Dolores O’Riordan — Dolores O’Riordan was the lead singer of the Cranberries. She fronted the band on albums such as Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, No Need to Argue, and To the Faithful Departed.

    • No Need to Argue — No Need to Argue is a 1994 album by the Cranberries, best known for songs like “Zombie” and “Ridiculous Thoughts.” It followed their breakthrough success and became one of the band’s signature releases.

      • Zombie — “Zombie” is the 1994 Cranberries single written in protest of the Troubles. Its most famous lyric references “tanks and bombs,” and the song is closely associated with Dolores O’Riordan.

  • The Cult — The Cult is the British rock band fronted by Ian Astbury, known for hard-edged songs such as “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Fire Woman.” Their albums Electric and Sonic Temple are among the band’s most frequently cited releases.

  • The Doobie Brothers — A 1970s rock band known for songs such as “Listen to the Music,” “Long Train Runnin’,” “China Grove,” and “What a Fool Believes.” Their sound mixed pop, soft rock, country-rock, and boogie-driven guitar work, with layered vocals and a name that is slang for a joint. The group had long-running personnel changes, used multiple drummers in its classic lineup, and later went on hiatus after early success; Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, and Patrick Simmons are especially associated with its catalog.
    • China Grove — “China Grove” is a song by the Doobie Brothers. The song refers to a small Texas town and is one of the group’s recognizable rock tracks.

  • The Goo Goo Dolls — The Goo Goo Dolls are a rock band known for songs such as “Name” and “Iris.” Their later work includes the albums Gutterflower and Let Love In, which kept them in the pop-rock mainstream.

  • The Grass Roots — The Grass Roots are a rock band best known for “Midnight Confessions,” “Temptation Eyes,” and “Let’s Live for Today.” The name originally belonged to the P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri songwriting team before being attached to a Los Angeles group.

  • The Guess Who — The Guess Who was the Canadian rock band from Winnipeg best known for “American Woman,” “These Eyes,” and “No Time.” They are a standard clue for Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, and other classic-rock Canadian invasion references.

    • American Woman — “American Woman” is a Guess Who song that became famous for its angry dismissal of the title figure, telling her to stay away and that the band does not need her war machines. Lenny Kravitz later had a hit cover, and the song was also used in an Austin Powers context featuring Heather Graham as Felicity Shagwell.

    • These Eyes — “These Eyes” is a hit song by The Guess Who. Its lyrics describe tears and a lost love, and it became memorable enough to be used comedically in Superbad.

  • The Killers — The Killers are a rock band from Las Vegas known for songs like “Mr. Brightside,” “Somebody Told Me,” and “Human.” Their albums include Hot Fuss, Sam’s Town, and Day & Age, and they also released the song “Tranquilize” with Lou Reed.

    • Hot Fuss — Hot Fuss is the debut album by the Killers, the Las Vegas rock band that broke through with “Mr. Brightside,” “Somebody Told Me,” and “All These Things That I’ve Done.” Its success helped establish the band’s synth-heavy style, later continued on Sam’s Town and Day & Age.

    • Sam’s Town — Sam’s Town is a 2006 album by The Killers whose tracks include “When You Were Young,” “Read My Mind,” “Uncle Jonny,” and “For Reasons Unknown.” Its imagery includes a cover with a model beside a bighorn sheep, and one song’s video is the only music video directed by Tim Burton.
      • When You Were Young — “When You Were Young” is a single by The Killers from the album Sam’s Town. The song opens with a nostalgic portrait of a man and a relationship set against a stormy, cinematic guitar-driven backdrop.

    • Somebody Told Me — “Somebody Told Me” is a song by the Killers from Hot Fuss. Its lyrics include the line about “breaking [my] back just to know your name,” and it became a widely recognized mid-2000s alternative rock single.

    • “Mr. Brightside” — “Mr. Brightside” is the Killers’ 2004 single that opens with the singer coming out of his cage and being fine, only to spiral into jealousy and imagined betrayal. It became one of the band’s signature songs and was filmed in multiple versions, including a U.S. cut set in a 1920s bordello.
  • The Nails — The Nails were the rock band behind the song “88 Lines About 44 Women.” Their clues tend to center on that novelty hit, the album Mood Swings, and their Boulder origins with Mark Campbell as frontman.
    • 88 Lines About 44 Women — This is “88 Lines About 44 Women,” a one-hit wonder by The Nails built from quick portraits of dozens of named women. The song is known for its deadpan, list-like structure and for references to archetypes, religions, and subcultures.

  • The New York Dolls — The New York Dolls were an influential early glam-rock band known for Too Much Too Soon and for David Johansen, later famous as Buster Poindexter. Their live recordings and reunions kept interest in the group alive after the deaths of Johnny Thunders and other members.

  • The Pretenders — The Pretenders are a rock group fronted by Chrissy Hynde, known for songs like “Back on the Chain Gang” and “I’ll Stand by You.” The name also refers to an Ariosto play, I Suppositi, whose intrigue involves swapped identities and romantic deception.

  • The Raconteurs — The Raconteurs are the Jack White– and Brendan Benson–led indie rock supergroup behind songs like “Steady, As She Goes,” “Broken Boy Soldier,” and “Salute Your Solution.” Their debut album Broken Boy Soldiers and later Consolers of the Lonely helped make them known internationally, though they were called the Saboteurs in Australia.

  • The Refreshments — The Refreshments were an Arizona rock band from Tempe best known for the song “Banditos” and for writing the theme song for King of the Hill. Their album Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy produced their best-known hit, and the band later broke up despite brief national recognition.

  • The Rembrandts — This duo of Phil Solem and Danny Wilde is best known for the Friends theme song, “I’ll Be There for You.” They also had a hit with “Just the Way It Is, Baby,” and even issued a 2001 reunion album after a period when Wilde worked on a solo project under the band’s name.

  • The Replacements — The Replacements were a Minneapolis alt-rock band led by Paul Westerberg, known for songs like “I Will Dare,” “Bastards of Young,” “Left of the Dial,” and “Alex Chilton.” Their reputation for drunken chaos and cult acclaim helped make them a prototype for the great lost American punk band.

  • The Shocking Blue — The Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band best remembered in these clues for “Venus,” their biggest international hit. They were the first Dutch group to reach number one in the United States with that song.

  • The Verve — The Verve were an English rock band led by Richard Ashcroft, best known for the album Urban Hymns and the hit “Bitter Sweet Symphony.” Their other major singles include “The Drugs Don’t Work” and “Lucky Man.” They are also associated with the controversial use of the Rolling Stones sample that sparked a royalties dispute.
    • Bitter Sweet Symphony — “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is a 1997 Verve single whose video follows Richard Ashcroft walking through London. The song became famous for legal trouble over its sample of an orchestral version of the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time.”

  • The Verve Pipe — The Verve Pipe is the Michigan rock band best known for the hit “The Freshmen.” Their album Villains also produced earlier singles such as “Photograph,” and they should not be confused with The Verve.

  • The White Stripes — The White Stripes were the Detroit garage-rock duo of Jack and Meg White, best known for “Seven Nation Army.” Their catalog also includes “Fell in Love with a Girl,” “Icky Thump,” and other stripped-down songs built around guitar and drums.

    • Fell in Love with a Girl — “Fell in Love with a Girl” is a short, fast White Stripes song whose music video was built from stop-motion Lego animation. Joss Stone recorded a gender-swapped cover, and the song’s riff is famously played on guitar shifted down an octave rather than on bass.

    • Icky Thump — “Icky Thump” is a White Stripes song and the title track of their 2007 album. The song’s video and lyrics play with border-crossing imagery and absurd rural-mythic scenes, while the album also includes tracks like “Little Cream Soda” and “300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues.”

    • Seven Nation Army — “Seven Nation Army” is the White Stripes song from Elephant whose riff is often mistaken for bass but is actually guitar pitched down. Its chant-like opening has made it a worldwide sports anthem.

    • The Hardest Button to Button — “The Hardest Button to Button” is a White Stripes single from Elephant, built around Jack White’s guitar part rather than an actual bass. Its video is remembered for the duo’s marching drums and amplifiers moving through a park and subway.

  • The Zombies — This British rock band is best known for “She’s Not There” and “Time of the Season,” and it included Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone. Their album Odessey and Oracle became a cult favorite and also contains songs such as “Care of Cell 44” and “A Rose for Emily.”
    • Odessey and Oracle — Odessey and Oracle is the 1968 album by the Zombies, best known for “Time of the Season.” Its songs also include “Care of Cell 44,” “A Rose for Emily,” and “This Will Be Our Year,” making it a landmark of baroque pop.

  • Three Days Grace — Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band whose hits include “I Hate Everything About You,” “Just Like You,” and “Animal I Have Become.” The band released Wave of Popular Feeling under the earlier name Groundswell before breaking out with One-X and Life Starts Now.

  • Travis — Travis is a Glasgow rock band fronted by Fran Healy, known for albums such as The Man Who and The Invisible Band. The group formed in 1990 and released its first EP, All I Wanna Do Is Rock, before its breakthrough singles.

  • ZZ Top — ZZ Top is a Texas rock band known for songs such as “La Grange,” “Sharp-Dressed Man,” “Legs,” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’.” Its later career included heavily synthesized ’80s hits like “Velcro Fly” and “Got Me Under Pressure,” while its image became famous for the group’s long beards.

    • Eliminator — Eliminator is the 1983 ZZ Top album that includes “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’.” Its cover features the classic hot rod that also became a recurring visual in the band’s videos.

    • La Grange — “La Grange” is a ZZ Top song about a Texas brothel near the town of the same name. It is known for its repeated “A haw, haw, haw, haw” refrain.

    • Sharp Dressed Man — “Sharp Dressed Man” is the ZZ Top hit from Eliminator about a well-dressed man who attracts attention from women. Its video follows an awkward man transformed by stylish clothes, and the song opens with the line about a clean shirt and new shoes.

• The Divinyls — The Divinyls were an Australian rock band fronted by Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. They are best known internationally for “I Touch Myself,” though they also had hits like “Boys in Town” and “Pleasure and Pain.”
  • A Flower Like Me?
    • I Touch Myself — “I Touch Myself” is a 1990 hit by the Divinyls, known for its openly suggestive lyrics about masturbation. It later became familiar through film usage, including a prominent appearance in Austin Powers.

• The Go-Go’s — The Go-Go’s were the influential all-female 1980s rock band led by Belinda Carlisle. They are remembered for hits like “We Got the Beat,” “Vacation,” and “Our Lips Are Sealed.”

• The Housemartins — The Housemartins were an English indie band whose early work included London 0 Hull 4 and The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death. They are known for “Happy Hour” and an a cappella cover of “Caravan of Love,” and Norman Cook later became Fatboy Slim.

• The Jam — The Jam were a British punk and mod revival band fronted by Paul Weller. They are known for songs such as “In the City,” “The Modern World,” “Going Underground,” and “Beat Surrender.”

• Everybody Wants to Rule the World — “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is a Tears for Fears hit from the 1980s. It resurfaces in pop-culture settings ranging from Watchmen to later cover versions, and its title phrase supplies the song’s central refrain.

• Pop rock
  • Crowded House — Crowded House is the Australian pop-rock band fronted by Neil Finn, best known in the United States for “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” Other recurring clues include songs like “There Goes God” and releases such as Farewell to the World and Time on Earth.
    • Don’t Dream It’s Over — “Don’t Dream It’s Over” is a Crowded House song later covered by Sixpence None the Richer. Its lyrics include the image of a smoky room smelling of wine and cheap perfume.
  • Plain White T’s — Plain White T’s are a Chicago-area rock band formed by Tom Higgenson and Dave Tirio, later known for albums like All That We Needed and Every Second Counts. They became widely known for the hit “Hey There Delilah,” and also released songs such as “1, 2, 3, 4” and “Our Time Now.”
    • Songs
      • “Hey There Delilah” — “Hey There Delilah” is the Plain White T’s hit about a long-distance relationship, with lyrics addressed to Delilah DiCrescenzo and references to New York City. It appeared on All That We Needed before becoming a bigger success as a later single and one of the most downloaded songs of 2007.
  • Pop rock groups
    • Selena Gomez & the Scene — Selena Gomez & the Scene was a pop-rock group fronted by Selena Gomez. The band released Kiss & Tell and songs such as “Naturally,” “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know,” and “Who Says.”
  • The Monkees — The Monkees were the 1960s television pop group fronted by Davy Jones and made up of Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz, and Jones. Their songs include “I’m a Believer,” “Daydream Believer,” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and their TV theme declared, “Hey hey, we’re the Monkees.”

    • Daydream Believer — “Daydream Believer” is the Monkees song that tells sleepy Jean to cheer up and asks what it means to the title figure, a homecoming queen. The song is strongly associated with Davy Jones and the line about once thinking of the singer as a white knight on a steed.

    • Michael Nesmith — Member of the Monkees who later became known for solo work and music-business ventures. He wrote Linda Ronstadt’s hit “Different Drum” and was the son of the woman who invented Liquid Paper; he also inherited the Liquid Paper fortune and was known for his distinctive knit cap.

    • Micky Dolenz — Micky Dolenz is best known as the drummer and one of the members of the Monkees. He is a former child actor and television director who later recorded and toured with the group, and he remained associated with Monkees revival projects.

    • Pleasant Valley Sunday — “Pleasant Valley Sunday” is a Monkees song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Its lyrics satirize suburban conformity and were inspired by West Orange, New Jersey.