![The song actually isn't that romantic. The song actually isn't that romantic.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2813,h_1582,x_0,y_58/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/mentalfloss/01j1tgmmjqs62wf8q2a1.jpg)
![Kenneth Partridge Kenneth Partridge](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_180,ar_1:1,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01fw71t9pvwjh8sbfq90.jpg)
Kenneth Partridge
Joined: Jul 4, 2016
Kenneth Partridge is a music and pop-culture writer based in Brooklyn. He's written for such publications as Billboard, The AV Club, Pitchfork, and Refinery29. His hobbies include reading, running, shopping for records, and attempting to justify his love of ska.
![The song actually isn't that romantic. The song actually isn't that romantic.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2813,h_1582,x_0,y_58/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/mentalfloss/01j1tgmmjqs62wf8q2a1.jpg)
![MC Skat Kat and Paula Abdul on tour in 2017. MC Skat Kat and Paula Abdul on tour in 2017.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_59/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/mentalfloss/01j1dkmnzfdyrfcqe7ez.jpg)
The Nine Lives of MC Skat Kat, Paula Abdul’s Co-Star in “Opposites Attract”
![Chris Kelly and Chris Smith of Kris Kross. Chris Kelly and Chris Smith of Kris Kross.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3840,h_2160,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01j06d6yhbr1g958vhgw.jpg)
When Kriss Kross Launched a Backward Clothing Trend
![Living Colour Living Colour](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6043,h_3399,x_0,y_28/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/mentalfloss/01hykffwn2e1vscnmwgx.jpg)
Cult of Musicality: How Living Colour Defied Expectations and Defined Hard Rock in the ‘80s
Why Do Some Songs Fade Out at the End?
Taylor Swift is just the latest in a long line of musicians who like to employ a “fade-out,” where the song gets gradually quieter in the closing seconds.
“Blackbird” Revisited: How The Beatles’ Civil Rights Anthem Has Been Inspiring Artists for More Than 50 Years
How Johann Sebastian Bach and the Little Rock Nine inspired one of The Beatles’ biggest hits—and one of the most covered songs ever recorded.
For Sale: John Lennon’s Long-Lost ‘Help!’ Guitar
You can’t buy me love, but one lucky Beatles fan can fork over a small fortune to own John Lennon’s beloved guitar.
10 Surprising Facts About Wham!’s “Last Christmas”
Over the course of his illustrious career, George Michael gave the world many gifts. One that keeps on giving is “Last Christmas,” the 1984 holiday classic by Wham!, Michael's pop duo with Andrew Ridgeley.
“I Want It That Way”: How Max Martin’s ‘Melodic Math’ Led to This Enduring (and Confusing) Backstreet Boys Hit
The Backstreet Boys’ 1999 smash “I Want It That Way,” which celebrates its 25th anniversary in April 2024, is among the definitive songs—if not the definitive song—of the ’90s teen-pop explosion.
The Surprising Name Origins of 20 Famous 1980s Bands
The decade of shoulder pads, leg warmers, and piano-keyboard neckties brought with it some ridiculously awesome band names.
The Great Milli Vanilli Hoax: The Truth Behind the Music Scandal That Rocked the 1990s
In 1990, Grammy-winning duo Milli Vanilli went from 'Top of the Pops' to laughing stocks when it was revealed that they had not sung a note on their own album.
The Romantic Rivalry Behind Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’
The 50-year-old song has remained relevant because, according to Dolly Parton, “Most of us have actually had a Jolene or a Joe in our lives at one time or another.”
If You Knew: The Short, Brilliant Life—and Lasting Legacy—of Jeff Buckley
If the only thing Jeff Buckley ever did was record his 1994 cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” he would still have a permanent spot in music history.
The Long, Contentious History of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”
The winding tale of “Nothing Compares 2 U” begins in 1984, when Prince wrote the song, and continues through to 2021, when Sinead O’Connor declared it “my song.”
The Surprising Name Origins of 20 Famous 1990s Bands
Limp Bizkit did it all for the nookie ... and the chance to make people not want to listen to their music?
How Nelson Mandela Helped Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” Become a Hit
Tracy Chapman’s 1988 classic “Fast Car” might never have risen to the near top of the charts if it wasn't for a technical mishap.