FT Life of a Song

From recordings by Memphis Minnie and Led Zeppelin to sampling by Dr Dre, Eminem and Massive Attack, David Cheal traces ... Read more

Peter Aspden tells the story of 'Misirlou', the swaying Anatolian love song that was reinvented as a 1960s surfers' anth... Read more

Documentary films are breaking UK box office records and are, arguably, having more success than ever before. As "The Qu... Read more

Herbie Hancock's soul jazz classic 'Watermelon Man' originally drew on his 1940s Chicago childhood but went on to be giv... Read more

From Billy Paul’s adulterous original in 1972 to Amy Winehouse's gender-bending twist on the song 30 years later, Ludovi... Read more

Recorded by musical perfectionists Steely Dan, sampled by hip-hop trio De La Soul and recycled in other pop songs, the s... Read more

"Lady Marmalade" began life as a sleazy soul anthem by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan before being funked up by Labelle, give... Read more

Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" has been used in the campaigns of George HW Bush, Obama and, most recently, Ber... Read more

The coolification of Phil Collins is among pop's most curious turnarounds. Richard Clayton explains what the song owes t... Read more

Peter Aspden visits the basement treasure-house where recordings of Florence Nightingale, 1940s electronica and other ra... Read more

How did Bill Withers' little blues inspire a 1990s R&B hit and a Simon Cowell-produced football anthem? Ian McCann c... Read more

David Honigmann follows Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway' from its origins in a Welsh cottage to 'Wayne's World', the White Hous... Read more

Peter Aspden deconstructs the creation of Bob Dylan's legendary song over the course of a single day in the studio. This... Read more

Leonard Cohen's most famous song nearly wasn't released after being rejected by his record label. It is now among the mo... Read more

Ludovic Hunter-Tilney uncovers the back story of Vanilla Ice’s hit Ice Ice Baby. Credits:Ultra, EMI Hosted on Acast. See... Read more

Richard Clayton on how Tracy Chapman's searing ballad of low income life carried her to global acclaim.Credits: Elektra,... Read more

Peter Aspen looks at how The Eagles turned a few improvised chords into one of the most iconic, and enigmatic, rock song... Read more

Miles Davis' "So What" is one of the most famous compositions in jazz. Ian McCann explores its many incarnations, from R... Read more

This song has its roots in an ancient refugee crisis and the more recent struggle for racial equality. Over the years, i... Read more

"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison's Bret Michaels was the last popular flourish of transvestism in rock. Ludovic Hunt... Read more