Author: Thomas Newman

If anyone was destined to get into the music business, it was Randy Newman. His uncles, Alfred, Lionel, and Emil Newman, all made their names as Hollywood composers, racking up a stonking 10 Oscars and…

Back in the 1980s, pop acts didn’t get much bigger than Hall and Oates. With their radio-friendly brand of blue-eyed soul, they dominated the charts, releasing one mega-selling album after the other. Today, they rank…

The title of a song often says a lot about the lyrical or musical content of the song. Colors are a common theme that is used in titles. A color is sometimes used as a…

Skid Row might never have achieved the same level of fame as some of their peers, but that didn’t stop their fusion of hard rock and metal from playing out in millions of mosh pits…

Rock stars might spend most of their time touring, but there’s no place like home. Especially, it seems, if that home is the USA, which has provided the subject to more classic rock songs than…

By the time they formed in 1978, the majority of Toto were already seasoned studio musicians, having played extensively for the likes of Steely Dan, Cher, Boz Scaggs, Seals & Crofts, and Michael Jackson. With…

Ever since he dropped his debut album Don’t Go Near the Water back in 1993, Sammy Kershaw has been impressing critics and fans alike with his rich vocals, quirky song choices, and gift for storytelling….

He might be best known for his work with Van Halen, but Sammy Hagar has also managed to forge a hugely successful solo career. After first tasting success with hard rock outfit Montrose in the…

When the Smiths broke up, no one knew how Morrissey would fare without Johnny Marr by his side. As it turned out, he’d do just fine. His political opinions may have left a cloud over…