'60s Flop Songs That Turned Into Smash Hits
These smash hits from UB40, the Beatles, Santana, Soft Cell, and the Stones were previously flops for other artists. Here's a look at their origin stories.
Read MoreArchive for December 2025
Back to Archive Index'60s (5)
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Fallout's Season 2 Soundtrack Resurrects This 1960 Western Banger
The second season of "Fallout" reaches into franchise history to revive a classic Western song that was popularized in "Fallout: New Vegas."
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This Iconic Love Song Held The No. 1 Spot The Longest In 1969
You may be surprised to know that the love song that stayed at No. 1 the longest in 1969 during the culmination of the counterculture was a bubblegum pop song.
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5 Rock Songs From 1969 That Sound Even Cooler Today
The end of the 1960s was marked by rock music inspired by war, division, and inequality, and these iconic songs hit just as hard now as they did then.
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5 Songs From The '60s That Have Aged Terribly
1960s weren’t all love and peace. These five songs glamorize domestic abuse, misogyny, and grown men longing for young girls. What a drag.
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'70s (9)
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Barry Manilow Had Serious Doubts About His 1978 Single Copacabana
Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" is a "story song," with characters like Lola, Tony, and Rico, and a tale that reads like a tragic piece of fiction.
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This Classic Love Song Held The No. 1 Spot The Longest In 1973
Plenty of love songs topped the charts in 1973, but it was a music legend's heartstring-tugging ode that claimed the top spot for the longest that year.
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5 Songs From 1975 That Define Rock History
Hindsight tells us what defined rock history. Looking back at 1975, it's clear that Patti Smith, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, War, and Bob Dylan made a big impact.
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This Iconic Love Song Held The No. 1 Spot The Longest In 1977
Few songs have topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks or longer, and in 1977, this heart-lifting and Grammy-winning solo debut joined this elite club.
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Caroll O'Connor's 1971 Performance Of All In The Family's Remembering You Is Heartbreaking Now
"All in the Family's" Caroll O'Connor once performed the show's lesser-known closing song, "Remembering You," and today it's even more heartbreaking.
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All In The Family Theme Song, Those Were The Days, Was One Of 1972's Top Hits
TV's "All in the Family" was a groundbreaking comedy series, and its theme song, "Those Were the Days" was even a Billboard hit. Here's why it resonated.
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This Iconic Love Song Was A Smash Hit In 1971
Some say they don't make love songs like they used to, but this iconic smash hit from 1971 reminds us of why amorous songs have been a staple of popular music.
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5 Songs From 1976 That Define Rock History
By 1976, rock 'n' roll had been evolving for two decades, and these five songs from bands ranging from the Sex Pistols to Boston help define rock history.
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5 Songs From 1971 That Are So Underrated
From an orchestral Beach Boys track to a nearly half-hour-long Miles Davis masterpiece, here are five songs from 1971 that deserve more appreciation.
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'80s (2)
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5 '80s Rock Songs We'll Be Blasting On Repeat 'Til The Day We Die
No matter the time and place, nor how old anyone is, there are some '80s rock songs that seem to do something supernatural to us, and they never get old.
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5 Rock Songs From 1982 That Sound Even Cooler Today
A great song stands the test of time, and these jams by bands including Asia, Eddie Money, and the Psychedelic Furs sound cooler now than they did in 1982.
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'90s (2)
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This '90s Band Defined Grunge, But Not With The Album Everyone Says
Several bands encapsulated the '90s grunge sound, but this groundbreaking group's third album helped define the sound even more than their most popular one.
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Why 1994 Was Alternative Rock's Best Year Ever
In 1994, alternative rock had its moment, and the year turned out to be one of the most artistically inventive the genre has seen to this day.
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Classic Rock (5)
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5 Classic Rock Songs From The '70s That Sound Even Cooler Today
Amidst all the restless, churning desire to make novel and cool music in the '70s, certain songs stood out as especially cool on the classic rock front.
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5 Songs From The '70s That Nail The Meaning Of Life
From a tender lullaby to a melancholy take on the fleeting nature of human existence, here are five songs from the 1970s that speak to the human experience.
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5 Banger Rock Songs Made Famous By Movies
Some movies, such as "Top Gun" and "The Breakfast Club," have achieved iconic status, and their associated rock songs also rode their plot to eternal fame.
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These 5 Songs Define '70s Glam Rock
From bold hair and wild makeup to the era’s unique, electrifying guitar sounds, these five tracks capture everything that made ’70s glam rock unforgettable.
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5 Classic Rock Songs From The '70s That Don't Sound 50 Years Old
In the 1970s, artists such as Blondie, Brian Eno, and Fleetwood Mac pushed the boundaries of rock music and produced songs that were far ahead of their time.
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Entertainment (1)
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5 Classic Songs You Didn't Know Were Written For Other Music Legends
Artists like Lady Gaga and Sia once wrote music for others before breaking out on their own. In fact, some classic songs were intended for other musicians.
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Hard Rock (3)
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5 Modern Rock Songs We'll Be Blasting On Repeat 'Til The Day We Die
The pantheon of modern rock is vast, but from the bombastic creativity of Muse to The Cranberries' lamentations, these songs deserve an eternity on repeat.
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5 '70s Rock Songs We'll Be Blasting On Repeat 'Til The End Of Time
It's hard to distill the greatest 1970s rock songs, but from Led Zeppelin to Heart, here are the tunes to smash that repeat button and belt out the lyrics to.
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The Red Hot Chili Peppers Don't Deserve A Grammy For Best Rock Song — And We Know You're Mad
In 2007, the Red Hot Chili Peppers won a Grammy for Best Rock Song, and yet from Muse to Radiohead, there were so many more deserving bands that year.
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Music (18)
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5 Classic Breakup Songs Made Famous By Movies
Some of the best breakup songs have been given to us by movies, themselves a mainstay of post-breakup self-care right up there with ice cream and friend time.
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This No. 1 Barry Manilow Song Was Renamed Because Of A '70s Rock Hit
Barry Manilow had a lot of hits, and one particular No. 1 song initially had the same name as another chart-topper from a 1970s band around the same time.
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5 Songs From The '80s That Define Rock History
The 1980s saw a wide range of new styles of rock building on the established sound. Bands like AC/DC had hits along side The Cure, U2, and Nine Inch Nails.
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The Meaning Behind Paul McCartney's Darkest Songs
Paul McCartney's compositions are generally optimistic, but sometimes he likes to dive into more moody, negative, reflective, and ominous sounds.
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The 5 Most Popular Covers Of '70s Songs
The 1970s saw a lot of great music, but some songs from that decade were covered by artists who took them to new heights. You'll recognize these recycled hits.
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5 Rock Songs From The '80s We'll Be Blasting On Repeat 'Til The End Of Time
The '80s left us with a vast catalog of outstanding rock music, but from Motörhead to Prince, these are the tunes that will always remain on our playlist.
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'80s Rock Icons That Tarnished Their Own Legacy
The rock stars of the 1980s enjoyed lifestyles that you don't see much anymore, but after the glitz and glam subsided, some ended up ruining their reputations.
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The 5 Best Rock Songs From Female Musicians
These five songs, including a '70s punk rock cornerstone and a blistering 1990s alt-rock breakup anthem, broke new ground for women in rock 'n' roll.
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5 Rock Songs From 1976 That Sound Even Cooler Today
Fans of rock music were spoilt for choice in 1976, but from the Sex Pistols to Boston, these once-groundbreaking and iconic tunes have aged like fine wine.
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The Real Reason These Bands Broke Up
Being in a band looks like fun, but behind the scenes, there are evolving dynamics and personalities. Here's a look at what caused these bands to break up.
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5 Timeless Rock Songs About Love
Rock music is more often associated with loud guitars and a pounding beat than heartfelt emotion, but sometimes, love sneaks its way into the genre.
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5 Love Songs That Will Have Every Boomer Crying Into Their Coffee
Everyone has a soft spot for a certain love song, but these five selections from past decades are so overtly emotional, boomers are sure to cry in their coffee.
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Music Biopics That Lied To Your Face
The music biopic has long been a staple of the movies, but from chronological errors to outright fabrications, they're often more fantasy than documentary.
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4 Songs By Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees That Aged Terribly
Even Rock and Roll Hall of Famers miss the mark sometimes. Case in point: these four songs that are downright appalling by today's (or any) standards.
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This Classic Love Song Held The No. 1 Spot The Longest In 1970
The biggest Billboard hit of 1970 was an unconventional love song that drew inspiration from both a Bach chorale and American gospel music.
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Strange Stories Behind Popular Bands
Many of us want to go deeper with our favorite bands, hearing all the weird stories behind the members that brought their music to the mainstream.
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The Most Timeless Rock 'N' Roll Voices Of The '80s
From opera-trained singers to unforgettable frontmen, these five vocalists helped define the sound of the 1980s — and everything that came after.
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5 Hits From The '80s That Will Stir Up Emotions In Every Boomer
From Foreigner to Simple Minds, the 1980s gave us more than a few heavy-hitters, and here are a handful guaranteed to send boomers down memory lane.
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Opinion (7)
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Nickelback Is A Better Rock Band Than You Remember
It seems like everyone sneers at Nickelback, but we think the much-maligned Canadian rock band deserves nothing but praise from rock purists and fans alike.
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Music Wasn't Better In The 'Good Ole Days' — And Our Case Is Airtight
The pioneering days of pop, rock 'n' roll, and other musical genres may seem superior to today's acts, but we think nothing could be further from the truth.
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Why This Forgotten '90s Band Deserves A Comeback Over All The Others
The '90s produced a lot of bands that became iconic, but we think that one of the more forgotten bands of that era is due for a comeback. Here's why.
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Here's Why 1971 Was The Best Year For Music Ever
By 1971, many acts that would go on to be legends were already on the scene, but that specific year saw the release of a staggering number of great albums.
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This Classic Rock Band Actually Got Better When It Replaced Its Lead Singer
Ever since this band replaced its lead singer, debate has continued over which version was better. Here's an argument for why the second guy rocked harder.
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Why We'll Never Get Over The Loss Of Nirvana
Plenty of bands have called it quits at the height of their popularity, but the dissolution of Nirvana after Kurt Cobain's death is a uniquely tragic episode.
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Guns N' Roses' Worst Song Of All Time Is A Bizarre Dumpster Fire, And Reddit Agrees
Guns N' Roses has recorded a few clunkers, but nothing comes close to this atrocious attempt to jump on the 1990s industrial music bandwagon.
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Other Genres (3)
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'70s Breakup Songs That Take Every Boomer Back To Their First Heartache
Heartache is part of life, and artists like Bill Withers, Carole King, and others made it the subject of songs that boomers will remember with melancholy.
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'80s Wedding Songs That Will Stir Up Nostalgia In Every Late Boomer
A modern wedding likely means a late boomer (or two, or more) is involved, and they are well-situated to have a nostalgic take on their own youth in the 1980s.
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These '70s Dance Songs Will Get Every Gen Xer Out Of Their Seats
We all have our own musical tastes, but there's a rare group of '70s dance songs that are so timeless, they even get Gen Xers moving on the dance floor.
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Presidents (1)
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The Smash Hit Songs On Trump's Playlist Are As Random As You'd Expect
You may not think you have much in common with Donald Trump, but odds are, you like at least one of the 13 random mix of hit songs on his Spotify playlist.
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Tragic Real-Life Stories (1)
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AC/DC's Tragic Real-Life Story
AC/DC are the kings of party songs, but their real-life stories haven't always been fun. The hard-rocking band has weathered their fair share of tragedies.
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