The Story Behind The Song

This week in a very special episode of The Story Behind the Song , host Peter Csathy welcomes indie rock icons Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg and Steve West of Pavement to break down “Kennel District” on the 30th anniversary of the album Wowee Zowee . Discover the inspiration behind the song, one of only a handful of Pavement songs written and sung by Kannberg. They discuss the recording p...

The Story Behind the Song 's Peter Csathy is back to talk to legendary  The Police  drummer  Stewart Copeland  to talk about "Roxanne." Definitely known as "The Police Song," "Roxanne" is a song that changed the fortunes of the English rock band  The Police . The song was written by lead singer and bassist  Sting  for their debut album  Outlandos d'Amour , which cel...

This week, host Peter Csathy welcomes Salt-N-Pepa's Cheryl "Salt" James to The Story Behind the Song to break down their groundbreaking 1990 track "Let's Talk About Sex." Discover the song's provocative origins, designed with producer Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor to challenge radio censorship. Salt reveals how the track, meant to spark a necessary dialogue, was later tr...

Blondie  are, without question, one of the most successful, iconic, and influential bands in rock and roll history. On this encore episode of  The Story Behind the Song , listen to the band talk about their song "Rapture" and more. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 15 years ago, the  Debbie Harry -fronted group has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and continues to release...

This week on The Story Behind the Song , host Peter Csathy welcomes Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh to dive into the story behind their classic 1997 track "Wrong Way." Discover the song's spontaneous, beer-fueled origins at Willie Nelson's Texas studio. Gaugh reveals how a casual conversation was transformed overnight by frontman Bradley Nowell into the iconic lyrics, and how the track w...

Don McLean  earned the title of America's Troubadour with his iconic 1971 hit song "American Pie." This eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock track is considered a cultural touchstone in the annals of Americana, tracking the loss of innocence of the early rock and roll generation through oft-debated reference-rich lyrics about "the day the music died." Listen now. On this episode o...

This week on  The Story Behind the Song , host Peter Chatty welcomes the legendary Susanna Hoffs, singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the iconic 80s band, The Bangles. Hoffs takes us on a fascinating journey behind one of The Bangles' biggest hits, the 1989 power ballad, "Eternal Flame." Discover the surprising inspiration behind "Eternal Flame"—a pilgrimage to Elvis's Gra...

On this encore episode of   The Story Behind the Song ,  The Killers  frontman Brandon Flowers reflects on one of the band's earliest songs -- "All These Things That I've Done." Listen to Flowers' insight into the tune. Flowers chats about the song's spiritual meaning, explaining how it grapples with themes of guilt, faith, and forgiveness. Ultimately, it's the sonic re...

The Queen of Disco herself,  Gloria Gaynor , joins host Peter Csathy on  The Story Behind the Song  to explore her iconic, universal anthem "I Will Survive." Listen to Gaynor discuss her signature song. Released in 1978, "I Will Survive" was recorded while Gaynor was recovering from a paralyzing fall, and she recounts how her own situation allowed her to inject pure emotion into th...

On this encore episode of  The Story Behind the Song , we revisit a conversation with Gerald Casale of  Devo  about the band’s seminal 1980 single “Whip It.” Released as the second single off Devo’s  Freedom of Choice,  “Whip It” remains instantly recognizable with its hooky synthesizer lines, over-the-top vocal delivery, and overall silly tone. While it quickly became an anthem of fun, the tune w...

Co-founder, singer, keyboardist, and songwriter Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo joins host Peter Chatty on  The Story Behind the Song to explore the iconic "Girl U Want" from Freedom of Choice . Peter welcomes Mark to discuss the bouncing and boisterous track, its unique inspirations from a Glasgow pamphlet and The Knack's "My Sharona," and its enduring legacy as a quintessential Dev...

On this encore episode of  The Story Behind the Song , we revisit a conversation with Graham Russell of the Australian super duo Air Supply to discuss their smash hit “All Out of Love." Air Supply's own Graham Russell joins host Peter Csathy to talk about how “All Out of Love” came together and how Clive Davis' input made the song an international success. He also talks about how he me...

Lead singer and songwriter Adam Duritz of Counting Crows joins host Peter Csathy on  The Story Behind the Song , to explore the iconic "A Long December" from Recovering the Satellites . Peter welcomes Adam to discuss the deeply emotional and moving song, its spontaneous creation in under 24 hours, and its enduring legacy as a fan favorite that continues to resonate decades later. Released...

On this encore episode of The Story Behind the Song , we revisit the incredible music of Heart. Just last week, we brought you Nancy Wilson's insights into their powerful track "Barracuda." Now, we journey back to an earlier conversation with Nancy, exploring Heart's breakout classic from their early years: "Crazy on You." This iconic song, arguably their masterpiece, helpe...

Guitar legend Nancy Wilson of Heart joins host Peter Csathy for her second appearance on The Story Behind the Song  , this time to explore the iconic "Barracuda" from Little Queen . Following their previous engaging conversation about "Crazy On You," Peter welcomes back Nancy to discuss the powerful guitar licks and signature riff that define this classic track. Released in 1977 on...

On this encore episode of The Story Behind the Song, revisit one of the most unexpected and authentic indie bands of the early 80s -- Violent Femmes. Breaking out big in 1983 with a unique sound and a hit-packed debut album, the Femmes created truly timeless jams, none more ubiquitous than "Blister in the Sun." The proto-folk-punk tune still makes people dance and sing along decades later....

The Story Behind the Song returns for Season 4 to dive deep with legendary guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers who joins host Peter Chatty to explore the iconic song "Refugee" from Damn The Torpedoes . Mike discusses his musical beginnings in Florida, from early rock influences to forming Mud Crutch with Tom Petty. He recounts the journey leading to the creation of T...

The Story Behind the Song returns to dive deep into some of music history’s most iconic tracks with the legends who made them. Host Peter Csathy sits down with the likes of Heart’s Nancy Wilson, Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s Mike Campbell, DEVO’s Mark Mothersbaugh, Sublime’s Bud Gaugh, Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz, and more for a fresh batch of episodes. From the spark of inspiration to untold t...

On the season finale (and encore episode) of  The Story Behind the Song , hear Rick Astley  discuss his classic "Never Gonna Give You Up" and more. Rick Astley burst onto the pop scene 1987 seemingly out of nowhere when his debut single -- the feel-good, earnest dance anthem “Never Gonna Give You Up” -- grabbed the No. 1 spot in 25 countries. In just a matter of weeks, Astley traded his sm...

On this encore episode of  The Story Behind the Song , listen to Garbage 's  Shirley Manson  discuss "Only Happy When It Rains," her origins with Garbage, and more. Manson first met up with her three future bandmates in Wisconsin as a result of one of those strange, classic twists of rock and roll fate involving MTV, a phone call, and a disastrous first audition. In then end, Garbage w...

On the latest episode of  The Story Behind the Song , pioneering electronic producer and songwriter  Moby  joins host Peter Csathy for a deep dive into his groundbreaking album  Play  and the smash hit single "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" Moby delves into his journey from a young musician experimenting with punk rock to his embracing of electronic music and DJ culture. It all led to  Pl...

On this encore episode of  The Story Behind the Song , hear Boy George discuss "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" and more. One of the most popular and influential bands of the 1980s,  Culture Club  could be considered the original new wave boyband. They fused the sounds of new wave, pop, and reggae to create a unique sound that was both catchy and stylish. Boy George discusses the hit song&#...

On the latest episode of  The Story Behind the Song , host Peter Csathy is joined by  The Church  bassist and vocalist Steve Kilbey to take a deep dive into the Australian band's beloved hit "Under the Milky Way." Listen to their conversation. Kilbey tracks the origins and production of "Under the Milky Way," which arrived as the lead single of The Church's 1988 debut album...

In this encore episode of  The Story Behind the Song , hear James Mercer of The Shins talk about their indie classic "New Slang," the late bassist Neal Langford, and more. One of the most renowned American indie rock bands,  The Shins  have carved a lasting legacy with their distinctive blend of folk, pop, and indie rock. Formed in 1996 by frontman James Mercer, a chance inclusion of “New...

On the latest episode of  The Story Behind the Song , William Reid, who co-founded influential UK duo  The Jesus and Mary Chain  with his brother Jim Reid, sits with host Peter Csathy to discuss one of the band's most iconic songs: "Just Like Honey." Listen now. After forming a band in the early '80s, brothers William and Jim Reid embarked on a punk rock journey that eventually led...