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Behind every iconic song lies a fascinating secret waiting to be revealed! Join us as we uncover the hidden histories and surprising stories behind some of music's greatest masterpieces. From childhood mishearings to technical breakthroughs, these behind-the-scenes facts will change how you hear these legendary tracks forever. Which musical revelation surprised you the most?
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00:00I don't wanna die, I sometimes wish I've never been born at all
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the hidden histories and untold secrets behind some of the most iconic anthems ever recorded
00:24Number 10, Seven Nation Army was a childhood mishearing
00:30I'm gonna fight em all
00:33That instantly recognizable, stomping guitar riff from this song has become an anthem for sporting events worldwide
00:39A rallying cry that transcends language barriers
00:42Yet, the enigmatic title itself stems from an utterly charming and profoundly innocent misunderstanding
00:48And if I catch it coming back my way, I'm gonna serve it to you
00:53The White Stripes frontman, Jack White, revealed that as a young boy growing up in Detroit
01:01He had difficulty pronouncing the Salvation Army, the name of the charitable organization he often saw
01:06Instead, he consistently mispronounced it as Seven Nation Army
01:10I'm gonna fight em all
01:13I said the nation army couldn't hold me back
01:17This unique, slightly menacing phrase stuck with him throughout his childhood
01:21Eventually becoming the perfect distinctive title for their 2003 smash hit
01:25And the stains coming from my blood
01:28Tell me go back home
01:30Number 9, Good Vibrations took 90 hours of studio time to record
01:34When Brian Wilson set out to create the Beach Boys Good Vibrations in 1966
01:44He wasn't just aiming for a pop single
01:46He was attempting to compose what he famously called a pocket symphony
01:57This ambitious vision translated into one of the most painstakingly crafted songs in rock history
02:02To achieve his desired soundscape, Wilson employed a revolutionary modular recording technique
02:07Breaking the song into numerous distinct sections
02:10Each recorded separately in different Los Angeles studios
02:13Like Gold Star Studios and Western Recorders over several months
02:22This meticulous process involved an astonishing 17 recording sessions across four different studios
02:28And racked up an unprecedented 90 hours of tape
02:31The final cost of the single ballooned to an estimated $50,000
02:35An astronomical sum in 1966
02:44Number 8, Every Breath You Take is a Stalker Anthem
02:47Every Breath You Take
02:51And Every Move You Make
02:53The Police's timeless hit, released in May 1983 on their album Synchronicity
02:58Has been embraced by countless couples as a romantic ode
03:01Even becoming a popular choice for weddings
03:03However, its true meaning is far darker and profoundly unsettling
03:15Something lead singer Sting has openly expressed frustration about being misunderstood
03:19I feel so bold and I long for your embrace
03:23Penned during a period of immense personal turmoil
03:26Specifically his 1982 divorce
03:28The song is a chilling portrayal of obsessive love, surveillance, and relentless jealousy
03:33Sting himself has described it as a nasty little song
03:36Famously stating
03:37I think its a very sinister song
03:39And I don't think people have really grasped that
03:49Number 7, Prince Played Every Instrument On When Doves Cry
03:52Prince Rogers Nelson was nothing short of a musical polymath
04:03A virtuoso capable of mastering nearly any instrument he laid his hands on
04:07Though the titular track on Purple Rain was recorded live with the band
04:10At First Avenue in Minneapolis on August 3rd, 1983
04:13Prince subsequently performed extensive overdubs
04:16Most notably his searing, unforgettable guitar solos and layered vocals
04:21Maybe I'm just too demanding
04:24Maybe I'm just like my father
04:28Too bold
04:29Across the Purple Rain album, Prince's command over every sonic element was even more evident
04:34On tracks like When Doves Cry, he famously played every single instrument
04:38I think we scream at each other
04:41This is what it sounds like When Doves Cry
04:46His unparalleled ability to conceive, arrange, and then perform such intricate and
04:51diverse parts solidified his reputation as one of music's most comprehensively gifted and independent artists
05:02Number 6, Imagine Has Been Banned During Sensitive Historical Periods
05:06John Lennon's Imagine, released in 1971, stands as one of the most powerful and hopeful anthems for peace and unity ever written
05:21Imagine all the people
05:26Envisioning a world without war, greed, or division
05:30Yet, these very themes, which many embrace as universal aspirations
05:34Have ironically caused it to be viewed as subversive and even discouraged in certain contexts
05:38You may say I'm a dreamer
05:41But I'm not the only one
05:47BBC urged stations to avoid playing Imagine during the 1991 Gulf War
05:51And US Clear Channel circulated a post-9-11 do not playlist that included it
05:56While not an official sweeping government decree across all media
06:00Specific radio stations and outlets under the regime's influence
06:03Actively avoided playing the song
06:05Effectively silencing its message
06:07Due to its perceived anti-establishment and anti-religious sentiments
06:11And the world will live as one
06:16Number 5, Smells Like Teen's Spirit title came from a friend's joke
06:20Light up on guns, bring your friends as fun to those who to pretend
06:29At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, Nirvana's generational anthem wasn't just a song
06:33It was the defining sound of the 90s
06:36It's somewhat enigmatic title however, has an incredibly mundane origin
06:48The phrase was spray painted on Kurt Cobain's bedroom wall by his friend Kathleen Hanna
06:52The lead singer of the riot girl band Bikini Kill in 1990
06:55Hanna wasn't making a profound statement
06:57She was merely pointing out that Cobain smelled like Teen Spirit
07:00A popular brand of deodorant aimed at young women
07:03That his then girlfriend Toby Bale, also a member of Bikini Kill, frequently wore
07:16Cobain, oblivious to the brand
07:18Thought Hanna was making a deep, revolutionary statement about his rebellious spirit
07:22Embracing it as a powerful, anti-establishment slogan
07:25I'm for stupid and contagious
07:29Here we are now, entertainer
07:33Number 4, The Thriller Music Video Costs More Than The Song
07:36Are you alright?
07:38Get away!
07:40AHHHHH!
07:42AHHHHH!
07:44AHHHHH!
07:46AHHHHH!
07:47AHHHHH!
07:48AHHHHH!
07:49Michael Jackson's Thriller revolutionized the art of the music video forever
07:52But for a track of such monumental impact
07:55The cost of its groundbreaking visual accompaniment
07:57Far outstripped the resources typically allocated to music videos at the time
08:01Even surpassing the individual production cost of the song itself
08:05It's close to midnight
08:07And something evil's lurking in the door
08:11Directed by John Landis
08:13And featuring groundbreaking special effects makeup by Rick Baker
08:16The 14-minute cinematic masterpiece, released on December 2, 1983
08:20Cost an unprecedented $500,000 to $800,000 to produce
08:25This was an astronomical sum
08:38Especially considering record labels like CBS Epic initially balked at funding it
08:42Chances are they got over it once they realized how lucrative and influential Jackson's album, song, and video had become
08:57Number 3, Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven was accused of being a ripoff
09:01There's a lady you shoot
09:05All that clitters is gold
09:08The legendary British four-piece's nine-minute epic
09:11Is undeniably one of rock's most revered and recognizable tracks
09:15There's a feeling I can
09:18When I look to the west
09:21However, controversy centers on striking similarities between Stairway's opening
09:26And an instrumental track called Taurus
09:28Released in 1968 by the American psychedelic rock band, Spirit
09:32Spirit's bassist, Mark Andes
09:34And the estate of their late guitarist, Randy California
09:37Pursued legal action for years
09:39Alleging that Led Zeppelin had plagiarized their work
09:42Citing that Led Zeppelin had opened for Spirit on several occasions in 1968 and 1969
09:47Ultimately, a final ruling in 2020 by the US Supreme Court upheld Led Zeppelin's sole copyright
10:00Effectively ending the contentious debate
10:02She's buying a stairway to Heaven
10:16Number 2, The Beatles' Hey Jude was originally written for John Lennon's son
10:20Hey Jude, don't make it bad
10:26Many might not be familiar with the deeply personal and tender origin behind Hey Jude's creation
10:31Paul McCartney penned the song specifically for Julian Lennon, John Lennon's young son
10:36During a tumultuous period in 1968
10:38When John was leaving his first wife, Cynthia Lennon, for Yoko Ono
10:42And anytime you feel the pain
10:45Hey Jude, be afraid
10:48Paul drove to visit him and Cynthia, wanting to offer solace and reassurance
10:53On the drive, he began to compose a song in his head
10:56Initially titled Hey Jules, intending it as a comforting message
10:59Then you begin to make it better
11:05Julian Lennon himself later recalled, Paul's trying to cheer me up
11:08The song, famously recorded at Trident Studios and released as a single
11:12Transformed a moment of personal sorrow into a timeless message of empathy and resilience
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11:40Number one, Bohemian Rhapsody broke technical ground and the tape machine
11:45Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
11:52Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is a recording miracle that almost melted the studio's equipment
11:57The song's soaring operatic middle section came from sheer obsession
12:01Over the course of about three weeks, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor layered their own voices again and again
12:08An estimated 180 separate vocal overdubs to create that massive choral sound
12:13Go on, roll the track
12:17Who even is Galileo?
12:22My nuts feel like they're in my chest right now
12:23Are we done?
12:24The technology of the time was analog, meaning every new layer degraded the tape's quality
12:29By the end, the engineers had bound so many takes together that the tape itself became nearly transparent from overuse
12:35It's one of rock's greatest examples of ambition literally pushing the limits of what was physically possible
12:52Do we hit all the right notes with these musical revelations?
13:03Or do you know an even more surprising fact about your favorite song?
13:06Let us know in the comments down below
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