From rock anthems to pop ballads, some of the most popular songs in history have had mysterious, strange, or downright bizarre origins. From eerie experiences to crazy coincidences, these songs show that a good song can come from anything.
We Didn’t Start The Fire – Billy Joel
World-famous singer Billy Joel came out with his groundbreaking song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” in 1989, which would be his third Billboard number-one hit and be nominated for a Grammy. Around this time, 40-year-old Billy Joel was in the process of brainstorming ideas for a new song when he met the late Beatles member John Lennon’s son, Sean, and his friend, who had just turned 21. They were talking about what a terrible time the 1980s were. Joel shared that he’d felt the same when he was their age in the late 1960s. Sean and his friend believed Joel had it easier by growing up in the 1950s. “Everyone knows that nothing happened in the 50s,” they said. Joel replied, “Wait a minute, didn’t you hear of Korea, the Hungarian freedom fighters, or the Suez Crisis?”
This struck inspiration for the song that would become “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Joel then started jotting down world events, famous people, wars, and other events during his lifetime, from 1949 up to 1989, such as Harry Truman, Doris Day, North Korea, and much more. This song became one of the most famous and inspirational songs. It showed that the world is always in conflict and that it’s not the fault of those currently living in it. As the title suggests, the fire “was always burning, since the world’s been turning.”
New York Mining Disaster 1941 – Bee Gees
Brother band the Bee Gees, famous for the songs “How Deep Is Your Love” and “Staying Alive,” were known for their upbeat, catchy titles and lyrics. The band shocked people by naming their soon-to-be hit single “New York Mining Disaster 1941.” This spooky and moving song came to be when two of the bandmates, Barry and Robin Gibb, were in an eerie hallway of their record label’s building. They came up with a song about a man who was trapped in a mine. While this disaster was made up, the Bee Gees based this incident on a tragic mining accident in Wales in 1966 that killed 116 children and 28 adults. They then told the inspiring and heartbreaking story of someone trapped in the cave and the horrors of waiting to be rescued.
One Way Or Another – Blondie
While the rock-heavy and catchy pop hit “One Way or Another” by Blondie might seem like a song of empowerment, it’s actually about Blondie’s real-life stalker. In a 2011 interview, lead singer Debbie Harry shared, “A nut job actually stalked me, so it came out of a not-so-friendly personal event. I tried to inject a little levity into it to make it more lighthearted. It was a survival mechanism.” This song comes from the perspective of Harry’s stalker and shows how creepy he was and the effect his behavior had on her. This song of revenge she wrote for the man who was stalking her ended up reaching number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. It’s also been in many movies and has been sung by several bands and artists.
The origins of hit songs can sometimes be just as interesting as the songs themselves. Whether their stories come from make-believe stories, personal experiences, or just talking with friends, these stories prove that you can’t predict when inspiration will strike for a top hit. Ultimately, what makes these songs unforgettable is the creativity, originality, and stories that went into creating them.
