How 55 Highly Recognizable Songs Got Their Names
Music essayist Walrus Pepper Skelter, who previously listed famous musicians appearing on other musicians’ songs, shared how 55 highly recognizable rock songs were named and the circumstances that led to their titles.
We dive into the fascinating stories behind 55 famous songs and the surprising origins of their titles. From last-minute changes and hidden meanings to funny accidents and record label decisions, these titles often have stories just as interesting as the music itself.
Some were easy to guess, while others had very interesting origins. For example, the song “Roxanne” by The Police was inspired by the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, the Aerosmith song “Walk This Way” was inspired by the 1974 Mel Brooks film Young Frankenstein, and the Tommy James and The Shondells song “Mony Mony” was inspired by the Mutual of New York building at 1740 Broadway in New York City.
