Latest Features
UFOs! Mick Jagger! Cold War paranoia! The bizarre origins of one of the biggest hits of the 1980s
The smash hit song reflected both the decade's geopolitical tensions and the era's underlying optimism
“It was a challenge to myself: ‘I’m not gonna have a chorus in this song’”: How Jack White created the riff of the century
"It's the kind of riff you figure out when you're learning how to play guitar"
“People say I hate John Bonham because he stole my stuff”: The legendary drummer who influenced Bonzo and many more
"I know my place in rock history," he says
“I went to the label and said, ‘This song sucks. This is not the song I wrote.’”: The war over a ’90s anthem
An idiosyncratic and insanely catchy rock-pop classic
“In the hands of lesser musicians, this would simply sound sloppy”: A music professor breaks down the genius of D'Angelo
"He only recorded three albums and a handful of guest vocals, but those recordings possess extraordinary musical depth"
“I would come into the studio and people didn’t want to listen to me”: Avril Lavigne’s fight to create her first big hit
It also kick-started the career of production team The Matrix
The history of virtual analogue synthesizers
From the Nord Lead to the MicroKorg, virtual analogue powered some of the most beloved instruments in synth history. We tell the story of the tech that bridged two worlds
“She had nailed her interpretation of that song before she came to the studio”: When Heaven 17 revived Tina Turner’s career
The soul legend recorded Let’s Stay Together in one take
“There are certain songs that I’ve written that are imbued with extra magic”: Graham Gouldman on I’m Not In Love
10cc’s classic turned fifty this year
“Each of our albums had a synth that really excited us. The first was a Prophet ‘08, the second was the MS-20, and this time the Moog Matriarch is on every track”: Maribou State on Hallucinating Love
On their third LP, Hallucinating Love, Maribou State return with a revitalized sound after battling mental health issues