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35 Unknown Music-Business Secrets, Unlocked

Check out these musical acts! Sorry… We meant musical facts!

35 Unknown Music-Business Secrets, Unlocked

February 18, 2024

How did that band get their name? Who actually wrote that hit song? How exactly did that band break up? These are a few of the many compelling questions that are about to be answered below. You keep asking, and we’ll keep tracking down the answers!

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35

DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY IS ABOUT VINCE NEIL, FROM MÖTLEY CRÜE. According to Steven Tyler, the boys from Aerosmith spotted Neil from the back, in a bar, and assumed he was a woman. When he turned around, they realized their mistake and started riffing with the phrase, dude looks like a lady. CRACKED.COM http://wwwchuffingtonpost.com/sue-kerr/aerosmith-dude-looks-like-a-lady_b_3848538.html — Source

34

The Goo Goo Dolls

THE Goo Goo DOLLS WERE ORIGINALLY CALLED SEX MAGGOT. Their manager balked at the name, so they picked the name Goo Goo Dolls when they spotted an ad for a doll with a moveable, rubber head in True Detective magazine. CRACKED.COM http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/The_Goo_Goo_Dolls.aspx — Source

33

Toad the Wet Sprocket

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET TOOK ITS NAME FROM A MONTY PYTHON SKETCH. In the bit, which appeared on an album, Eric Idle was making fun of rock bands with ridiculous names. Не had no idea one of the names had been chosen by an actual band until he heard them on the radio. CRACKED.COM http://youtu.be/DR22krUkBc — Source

32

31

THE SONG PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DRUGS. Co-writer Peter Yarrow says that it's about losing one's childhood innocence. Не said the song is actually banned in Hong Kong because of its supposed drug references. What kind of a mean- spirited SOB would write a children's song with a covert drug message? CRACKED.COM http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/puff.asp — Source

30

HELTER SKELTER IS THE BEATLES' ATTEMPT TO OUT-WHO THE WHO. Paul McCartney wrote it after hearing The Who's eardrum-shattering style, and figuring he could do better. CRACKED.COM wwww.thecurrent.org/feature/2013/07/16/today-in-music-history-the-beatles-record-helter-skelter — Source

29

Duran Duran

DURAN DURAN NAMED ITSELF AFTER THE VILLAIN IN CHEESY SCIFI FLICK BARBARELLA. The villain was actually named Durand Durand. Also in Barbarella: Jane Fonda, pictured above in the Orgasmatron. CRACKED.COM http://www.bandnameexplained.com/2013/07/duran-duran-band-name-meaning.html — Source

28

THE BEASTIE BOYS' FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT WAS A JOKE. They wrote it as a gag song, making fun of annoying rock anthems. When the song was published, they released a video that was meant to be a parody. The irony was lost on fans and it was a big hit. CRACKED.COM http://www.npr.org/2011/05/06/136019762/the-fresh-air-interview-the-beastie-boys — Source

27

The Guess Who

THE GUESS WHO WROTE AMERICAN WOMAN ON THE SPOT AT A DIVE BAR. Guitarist Randy Bachman broke a guitar string during their set, and after he'd restrung it he was at the piano tuning his guitar. The audience started responding to the tuning sounds, so the band worked them into a song, right then and there. CRACKED.COM music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2013/2/Randy-Bachman-takes-us-behind-the-writing-of-American-Woman — Source

26

Pharrell

Pharrell's 24-hour music video. ISE 08:57AM AM 08 SHARE THIS MOMENT Directed by We Are from LA, the full length version of Pharrell's 2014 hit Happy is 24 hours long. It filmed hundreds of regular people and celebrities dancing to the song overll days of shooting and 42 separate locations around L.A. CRACKED — Source

25

OK Go was a pioneer in viral music videos. Their treadmill choreography in 2009's Here It Goes Again was a massive hit that led to their rube goldberg machine video for This Too Shall Pass. With a crew of 60 people, the machine synced up with the song itself and took roughly 60 takes to complete. CRACKED — Source

24

A-ha

A-ha's TAKE ON ME blended live action and animation. Director Steve Barron and animators Michael Patterson and Candace Reckinger used a technique called rotoscoping, which involves tracing over live-action footage, frame by frame. Four months and over 3,000 drawings later, they had arguably the most iconic music video of all time. CRACKED — Source

23

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello had the first fully animated music video. Released in 1979, Accidents Will Happen was made by Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, who created a cartoon version of the band using 35mm stills as reference. CRACKED — Source

22

Madonna

The world first saw an empowered female artist through Madonna's videos She is cited by Encyclopedia Britannica as the first female artist to fully exploit the potential of the music video. Her '80s videos for Like a Virgin and Material Girl paved the way for every female artist to follow. CRACKED — Source

21

Michael Jackson's THRILLER is so much more than a music video. In December 1983, the 13-minute short film was solely responsible for increasing MTV's ratings tenfold. It is the only music video to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for being culturally, historically or aesthetically significant. CRACKED — Source

20

Bob Dylan was an early pioneer of the music video. In 1965, 16 years before MTV, Dylan filmed a video for his song Subterranean Homesick Blues, where he held cue cards with lyrics. Several bands have used the cue card approach since, most notably INXS with 1987's Mediate. GET BORN CRACKED — Source

19

MTV had a very fitting first music video. At 12:01a.m. on August 1st, 1981, Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles became the very first music video on MTV. The video was released in 1979, so the band definitely saw the changing of the guard and capitalized. CRACKED — Source

18

Noel and Liam Gallagher After 20 years of creative differences, drug use, and backstage brawls, their final breakup came in 2009 before a Parisian festival. In this physical fight, Liam smashed Noel's guitar, and Noel shared that he officially quit the band. They haven't spoken since. CRACKED — Source

17

Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith of EPMD. : CLOU In 1991, Smith's home was robbed, and Sermon was named as the orchestrator. Sermon denied it but implied that Smith had it coming. Soon after they split in 1992, people shot up Sermon's house. After all this, they reunited for Back in Business in 1997. CRACKED — Source

16

Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth FILING In 2011, after 27 years of marriage, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore divorced when Moore cheated on her with Eva Prinz. Moore stated that he intended to keep the band together, but Gordon (and the rest of the band) clearly thought that was ridiculous. CRACKED — Source

15

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel MISTEL THE LUXU OF HOLLY Garfunkel felt that Simon's solo single True or False was a betrayal. They were hyper-competitive and envious of each other. Manager Mort Lewis said that Paul thought the audience viewed Art as the star, and Art felt inferior since Paul wrote the music. CRACKED — Source

14

Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker of Cream. Bruce once played bass during Baker's drum solo, and Baker attacked him, claiming he had a knife and would kill him. Eric Clapton said they each played so loudly (in order to drown the other out), that Clapton would stop playing and they wouldn't even notice. Their 1969 album Goodbye was indeed their goodbye. CRACKED — Source

13

Van Halen

Van Halen and Sammy Hagar. After their break up in 1996, Van Halen reunited with Hagar in 2004 and clashed immediately. Hagar even quit, but was legally forced to stay. The last show saw a drunk Eddie Van Halen smash his guitar, and yell You don't understand! to fans and storm off stage. CRACKED — Source

12

The Smashing Pumpkins

Billy Corgan and the rest of The Smashing Pumpkins. The band broke up in 2000 due to Billy Corgan getting the lion's share of earnings and credit. 18 years later, they reunited for a new album and a tour, but bassist D'arcy Wretzky bailed after learning Billy would make twice as much as every other member. CRACKED — Source

11

The Clash

The Clash Drummer Topper Headon wrote Rock the Casbah but was fired over his heroin addiction before it became their biggest hit. At the height of their fame, Paul Simonon, Mick Jones, and Joe Strummer fought relentlessly over the direction of the band and broke up in 1986. CRACKED — Source

10

The Everly Brothers After 20 successful years, Don Everly got so drunk at a show in 1973, that he couldn't remember the lyrics to their most popular songs. Phil Everly broke his guitar over his brother's head, stormed out of the venue, and they didn't speak again until their father died years later. CRACKED — Source

9

Axl Rose And Slash Glick Slash claimed that before a show, Axl refused to go onstage until the band agreed to sign away their rights to the band's name. After their 1993 tour, Axl referred to Slash as a cancer, the band broke up, and Axl didn't even attend their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. CRACKED — Source

8

Get the Party Started

P!nk's Get the Party Started VE ATION 13+THE YSIUM Part ART OF 'E N OF El ra E CRACKED.COM Written by frontwoman of 4 Non Blondes, Linda Perry, Get The Party Started was originally intended for Madonna, who passed on the song. Perry explained that, while writing the song, I picked up a microphone and said, 'I'm just going to say every clichéd line I can think of. MA — Source

7

Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl iHeart K RADIO 102.7 USFN RF CRACKED.COM Co-written by Pharrell Williams, Stefani's first #1 hit song, Hollaback Girl, was written in response to Courtney Love derisively calling Stefani a cheerleader. Pharrell claims that Naomi Campbell inspired the chorus when she said, in response to someone trying to get her attention by screaming, I have a name, I'm not no hollaback girl. RRY grous MAXI-SING — Source

6

Prince

The Bangles' Manic Monday GRAGKED COM The Bangles' 1986 hit song was written specifically for the band by none other than Prince, who sent the band the song via cassette tape. The guitar legend penned the song under the pseudonym RRY S LOVE Christopher. MAXI-SING — Source

5

Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway Breakaway Performad M Kelly Clarkson FROM PRINCESS DIARIES2 ROYAL E ENGAGEMENT CRACKED.COM ORIGINAL SOUNDTRASE Written by Avril Lavigne in 2004, Breakaway was originally intended to be on Lavigne's 2002 debut album, Let Go. Lavigne offered the song to Clarkson because, in her opinion, it reminded her of a church song. RRY grous MAXI-SING — Source

4

Otis Blackwell

Elvis Presley's Don't Be Cruel CRACKED.COM Black songwriter Otis Blackwell wrote many of Presley's biggest hits including Don't Be Cruel which was recorded by the young star in 1956 and soon became a #1 hit. Though Presley received songwriting credits on many his tunes, including those penned by Blackwell, Elvis did not write a single song. MAXI-SINGO RRY STORE — Source

3

Chaka Khan's I'm Every Woman GRACKED.COM The iconic songwriting partner and spouse duo, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, wrote the disco tune I'm Every Woman for Chaka Khan in 1978 which became a #1 hit. Shockingly enough, it was Nick-not his wife, Valerie - who came up with the title. RRY grous MAXI-SING — Source

2

David Bowie

David Bowie's Fame CRACKED COM Bowie's hit song Fame was written over a riff that guitarist Carlos Alomar originally developed for a cover. Bowie, John Lennon, and Alomar wrote the entire song in one session in 1975 complete with lyrics intended as a scoff in the face of the music business which Bowie and Lennon benefitted exponentially from: Fame (fame) puts you there where things are hollow. G MAXI-SINGO TRRY 5 — Source

1

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's Ain't No Mountain High Enough CRACKED.COM One of the most sing-alongable songs ever recorded was written by dynamic musical duo Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson in 1967 for their close friends Gaye and Terrell. Tammi tragically died at age 24 from a brain tumor and her untimely passing deeply affected Gaye and likely contributed to his subsequent mental decline. RRY grous MAXI-SING — Source

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