In 1984 songs like "Dancing in the Dark," "Jump," and "When Doves Cry," were big mid-year hits, making it one of the decade's best summers for music.

Dramatic ballads, bouncy finger-snappers, and even a little island groove — the love songs of 1993 gave the year a slate of ...

The range of country music is on display in Kane Brown's hit single; a duet by Wynonna Judd and the alt-rocker Waxahatchee; and the title song of Big Time, indie singer-songwriter Angel Olsen's album.

This classic country rock song is known by non-fans and America diehards alike. And it makes sense why. The stellar storytelling, the simple arrangement of it all… Few songs that feature more or less ...

Sometimes the best songs are the simplest. While it’s always fun to see someone flex the breadth of their talents, that approach doesn’t always equal a timeless, universally loved song. At times, a ...

Erika Goldring/WireImage; Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images; Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for Live Nation Justin Tranter is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter whose pen game is ...

Nobody, but nobody does love songs the way country music stars do, and there was no more romantic decade for the genre than the 1990s. And with Valentine's Day fast approaching, we thought this was ...

There's no way to comprehensively sum up George Strait's career, which has included almost 100 singles and more than 30 albums. Something will be left out. So that's not what we're trying to do here.

At the end of April, Christofer Drew announced he’d be returning to music with a new solo album called Unborn Spark, set to drop May 13. However, the former Never Shout Never vocalist underwent a ...

Eddie Van Halen revolutionized the guitar. “Revolutionized” may be a strong word, but it’s accurate. The iconic guitarist, who died Oct. 6 at the age of 65 from throat cancer, was one of only a ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. This is FRESH AIR. Rock critic Ken ...