music-history

Fifty years old this month, Kraftwerk's single Radioactivity was a groundbreaking track that morphed into the German electronic pioneers' most political protest song.

She made stunning, forward-thinking songs in the 1950s, but was barely known – and aged 50, she disappeared. Now, with a new re-release of her music, she's recognised as a trailblazer.

It isn't on any "best album of all time" lists, yet it's sold more than The Dark Side of the Moon, Purple Rain and Abbey Road combined. Why is the Eagles' 1976 LP so amazingly popular?

With Happy Birthday, Stevie Wonder successfully campaigned to honour Martin Luther King Jr with a national holiday, in a career of socially conscious songwriting.

The band performed their first concert on 4 December 1965. In 1981, their leader Jerry Garcia talked to the BBC about how they became superstars but "never sold out".

When the single was released in 1955, it was a big hit – but only after the original lyrics were changed. In 1972, the singer told the BBC that "there's nothing bad" about his music.

As fans honour the loss of R&B legend D’Angelo and recall his sensual, slow-burn video for Untitled (How Does It Feel), it’s time to consider if the artistry wasn’t skin-deep.