Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album is the best-selling album of all time, with over 66 million copies sold worldwide.
The Beatles hold the record for the most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with 20 chart-topping singles.
The longest-running No. 1 song in Billboard history is “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, spending 19 weeks at the top.
Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I Will Always Love You” is one of the best-selling singles by a female artist and was featured in the movie “The Bodyguard.”
Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” is often considered one of the greatest rock songs of all time, but it was never released as a single.
Beethoven composed some of his most famous works, including the Ninth Symphony, while he was completely deaf.
Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and Janis Joplin all died at the age of 27, leading to the “27 Club” phenomenon.
Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016, becoming the first musician to receive the prestigious award.
The famous “Pink Floyd” pig-shaped inflatable pig, used on the cover of their “Animals” album, broke free during a photoshoot and caused flight delays at London’s Heathrow Airport.
The Rolling Stones’ iconic logo featuring big lips and a protruding tongue was designed by artist John Pasche.
The shortest song ever recorded is “You Suffer” by Napalm Death, which is just 1.316 seconds long.
Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was not a colonel; it was an honorary title.
The first music video ever played on MTV was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles.
Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, had a degree in art and design and even designed the band’s logo, known as the “Queen Crest.”
The “Moog Synthesizer” was one of the earliest synthesizers used in popular music, popularized by bands like The Doors and The Beatles.
The electric guitar that Jimi Hendrix famously set on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 was a Fender Stratocaster.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen was the first music video ever to be made by a British rock band.
The “Dark Side of the Moon” album by Pink Floyd spent a record 741 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.
Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich was a peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwich, often fried in butter.
The first commercially successful compact disc (CD) was Billy Joel’s album “52nd Street,” released in 1982.
The first music CD ever produced was ABBA’s “The Visitors” in 1982.
Madonna’s birth name is Madonna Louise Ciccone, and she’s often referred to as the “Queen of Pop.”
The longest officially released song is “The Rise and Fall of Bossanova” by PC III, which is over 13 hours long.
The legendary Johnny Cash performed multiple concerts at Folsom Prison and San Quentin State Prison in the late 1960s.
The “White Album” by The Beatles is officially titled “The Beatles.”
Bob Marley’s song “No Woman, No Cry” was written as a tribute to his childhood friend Vincent “Tata” Ford.
The “Smells Like Teen Spirit” music video by Nirvana was filmed in a single day on a tiny budget.
The song “Happy Birthday to You” is one of the most widely recognized tunes in the world, but it was copyrighted until recently, which meant royalties were paid for its use in films and public performances.
Pink Floyd’s album “The Wall” was inspired by the alienation felt by band member Roger Waters during a tour.
The legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven believed he was born in 1772, but his birth certificate shows he was born in 1770.
The famous “scream” in the painting “The Scream” by Edvard Munch is said to have been inspired by a hallucination caused by hearing a “scream” of nature while on a walk.
Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way” has been covered by numerous artists in many languages and is considered one of the most popular songs in the world.
The first music video to air on MTV Europe was “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits.
Before becoming famous, Elvis Presley was a truck driver.
The “Bee Gees” got their name from the initials of “Brothers Gibb.”
The longest-running music festival in the world is the Montreux Jazz Festival, held annually in Switzerland since 1967.
The original title of the Beatles’ song “Yesterday” was “Scrambled Eggs.”
“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson was the first video by a black artist to be played in heavy rotation on MTV.
Before becoming a music superstar, Lady Gaga worked as a songwriter for other artists, including Britney Spears and Fergie.
The world’s smallest playable violin, called the “nano violin,” is only 10 micrometers long and is played using lasers.
The famous music producer Phil Spector invented the “Wall of Sound” production technique, characterized by dense, layered arrangements.
The song “Yesterday” by The Beatles has been covered by over 2,200 artists, making it one of the most-covered songs in history.
The longest officially released song title is “I’m a Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank on the Streets of Yokohama with my Honolulu Mama Doin’ Those Beat-o, Beat-o Flat-On-My-Seat-o, Hirohito Blues” by Hoagy Carmichael.
The band U2 was originally called “Feedback” before adopting their iconic name.
“Gangnam Style” by Psy was the first YouTube video to reach one billion views.
David Bowie’s different-colored eyes were the result of anisocoria, a condition where the pupils are different sizes.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen was once banned by the BBC for being too long for radio play.
The famous 1969 Woodstock Festival took place in Bethel, New York, not in the town of Woodstock as many believe.
The first music video played on MTV was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles on August 1, 1981.
The piano used in the movie “Casablanca” was sold at an auction for over $3 million.
“Hey Jude” by The Beatles was written by Paul McCartney to console John Lennon’s son, Julian, during Lennon’s divorce.
Johnny Cash’s song “A Boy Named Sue” was written by Shel Silverstein, the famous children’s book author and illustrator.
The name “Aerosmith” was inspired by a conversation the band members had about starting a band and being “aerosmiths” of rock ‘n’ roll.
The legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix was a paratrooper in the U.S. Army before pursuing his music career.
The world’s oldest known musical instrument is a bone flute, dating back over 40,000 years, found in Germany.
The famous “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles was their first number-one hit in the United States.
The first rap song to win a Grammy Award was “Parents Just Don’t Understand” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (Will Smith).
The term “heavy metal” was first coined by writer William S. Burroughs in his 1962 novel “The Soft Machine.”
The song “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses was written by Axl Rose about his then-girlfriend Erin Everly.
Frank Sinatra’s recording of “My Way” is one of the most requested songs at karaoke bars worldwide.
Jim Morrison, the lead singer of The Doors, studied film at UCLA and was known for his poetic lyrics and charismatic stage presence.
The opening guitar riff in “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple is one of the most recognizable in rock history.
“Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix was inspired by a dream he had where he could “walk under the sea.”
“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen has been covered by over 300 artists, including Jeff Buckley, and is often considered one of the greatest songs ever written.
The first music video ever aired on MTV was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles.
The iconic music festival Woodstock was attended by over 400,000 people in 1969 and became a symbol of the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
The famous “Elvis has left the building” phrase was used by announcers to disperse fans after Elvis Presley’s concerts.
The electric guitar used by Kurt Cobain in Nirvana’s “Unplugged” performance sold at auction for over a million dollars.
Mozart composed his first symphony at the age of 8 and his first opera at 12.
“Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan is often considered one of the greatest songs of all time and was released in 1965 as a groundbreaking six-minute single.
The term “punk rock” was coined by critic Dave Marsh in a review of Question Mark & the Mysterians’ song “96 Tears.”
The famous rock band Led Zeppelin’s name was inspired by a suggestion from The Who’s drummer, Keith Moon.
The first music video played on MTV in 1981 was chosen because it featured a British racing car theme, which the network’s founders thought would appeal to their target audience.
Elvis Presley’s iconic outfit, including the white jumpsuit and cape, was designed by costume designer Bill Belew.
The Beatles were initially rejected by Decca Records in 1962, with the label famously stating, “Guitar groups are on their way out.”
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video is over 13 minutes long and features iconic dance sequences and special effects.
The term “punk rock” was first used to describe the garage band Question Mark & the Mysterians in the 1960s.
The famous “Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles was written as a children’s song.
The legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan was born with the name Robert Allen Zimmerman.
“American Pie” by Don McLean is a song that reflects on the tragic plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson.
The iconic music festival, Coachella, takes its name from the 1960s-70s song “Ella, elle l’a” by France Gall, which was a favorite of the festival’s founder.
Before becoming famous, Jimi Hendrix played guitar as a backup musician for artists like Little Richard and the Isley Brothers.
The Rolling Stones’ famous logo featuring the big lips and tongue was designed by artist John Pasche in 1971.
The legendary rapper Tupac Shakur was an accomplished actor and appeared in films like “Juice” and “Poetic Justice.”
John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics for “A Day in the Life” from The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album sold for over $1 million at auction.
“Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses features one of the most iconic guitar solos in rock history, played by Slash.
Elvis Presley recorded over 600 songs during his career, but he never wrote any of them.
The famous “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles was their first single to sell over a million copies before it was even released in the U.S.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen was originally met with skepticism by music executives due to its unconventional structure.
The first rap Grammy Award was given in 1989 for the category of Best Rap Performance to DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (Will Smith).
The “MTV Unplugged” series popularized acoustic performances by famous artists, including Eric Clapton and Nirvana.
The “Tupac Hologram” performance at the 2012 Coachella Festival was created using a mirror and CGI technology.
The title of Led Zeppelin’s song “D’yer Mak’er” is a play on the pronunciation of the phrase “Did you make her?” in a Jamaican accent.
Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” was the first video by a black artist to air in heavy rotation on MTV.
The Bee Gees’ song “Stayin’ Alive” is famous for its disco beat, which was inspired by the sound of a heart monitor.
The Eagles’ album “Hotel California” features a song of the same name that is often misinterpreted as having dark or Satanic themes.
Prince was known for his virtuosic talent and could play multiple instruments, including guitar, piano, and drums.
The famous “Four Seasons” by Vivaldi is a set of violin concertos that represent the four seasons of the year.
Frank Sinatra’s recording of “My Way” is one of the most-covered songs in music history.
“La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens was the first rock and roll song to be performed entirely in Spanish to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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