If you have difficulty remembering the lyrics to complicated songs, then “Duetto buffo di due gatti” (“Humorous Duet for Two Cats”) is for you. The song consists of just one word — […]
Melodious Meandering Through Mystifying Musical Muses
The Shortest National Anthem for One of the World’s Oldest Countries
If you are the impatient type, who can’t wait for the national anthem to end so your favorite sporting event can begin, then Japan may be the place for you. It holds […]
Silence is Golden — And Subject to Copyright
When British composer Mike Batt included a song aptly titled “A One Minute Silence” in The Planets’ album “Classical Graffiti,” he thought he had hit upon a clever way to separate two […]
A Classical Composition about Classic Caffeine Compulsion
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is primarily known as a classical composer of Christian music. It was rare that he strayed from religious themes in his music, but when he did it was […]
Tuning the Helicopters
Musical instruments can be costly, and any band student who has had to lug a tuba or bell set on a school bus knows they can be unwieldy, too. The Sousaphone or cello […]
Which Record Holds the Record for the World’s Worst Record?
Teenage tragedy songs were popular in the 1950s and 1960s. With one song, in particular, the greatest tragedy about it is the three and one-half minutes of your life you wasted while […]
500 Miles and 500 More… No Sweat for an Astronaut
The International Space Station (ISS) orbits the earth at a relative speed of 7.66 kilometers per second, allowing it to circle the earth in 90 minutes. The 1988 song “500 Miles” by […]
Hail to the Short Chief
“Hail to the Chief” has been the official anthem of the President of the United States for well over 150 years. The song is instantly associated with power, prestige, and position. Ironically, it […]
The Rising Costs of Partridges in Pear Trees
If you want to bless your true love during the 12 days of Christmas next year, you may want to save up your pennies, starting now. According to the latest study, the […]
God Save the King — and Please Hurry Him Along!
Spectators at the Rathenau railway station in Brandenberg, Germany on February 9, 1909 hoped to get a chance to see United Kingdom’s King Edward VII. They got a bit more than they […]
Have Yourself a Jewish Little Christmas
Many of the most popular Christmas songs were written by Jewish songwriters: “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells […]
I’m Dreaming of a Best Seller
“White Christmas”, written by Irving Berlin and sung by Bing Crosby, is the best-selling single song of all time. With estimated sales in excess of 50 million for the original version and […]
All of the Other Reindeer Used to Mock His Nasal Microcirculation
Scientists studying the origin of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s most-distinctive feature believe they have figured out why his nose is so bright. The short story is that it is due to an […]
Listen to the Song that Takes 639 Years to Play
UPDATED ON MAY 6, 2021 The longest musical performance in history is currently taking place in the church of St. Burchardi in Halberstadt, Germany. The performance of John Cage’s “Organ²/ASLSP (As Slow […]
If I Could Finish This Song, It Would Be Loverly
Alan Jay Lerner took two weeks to write the last line of “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” for the play My Fair Lady. The concluding words are, “Loverly, loverly, loverly, loverly.”
Commonplace Fun Facts 