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Are you the "music guy" on your trivia team? Read up for some fun facts and little-known info that will score you maj points.

Songs

Pop music is meant to make us feel good; the Top 40&nbsp;industry thrives on the happy vibes that propel&nbsp;audiences to listen to a song over and over. The feel-good formula for radio-friendly hits definitely requires upbeat music -&nbsp;but lyrics are another story.

Happy-sounding songs with secret dark meanings have been tearing up the charts for years. Have you ever realized just how dark/creepy/sad/weird these&nbsp;dark pop songs actually are? 
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Interesting

When it comes to pop songs that are diss tracks, ingenious subtlety is often just as good as ... or perhaps even better than ... full-on mockery. While the world will always welcome blatant parodies&nbsp;like Frank Zappa&#39;s&nbsp;&quot;Bobby Brown&quot; and the like,&nbsp;there&nbsp;really is something to be said for brilliantly passive-aggressive treatments of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrity-twitter-feuds/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">celebrity feuds</a> in song.

Take Tori Amos&#39;s &quot;Professional Widow,&quot; for instance - could it be about Courtney Love? The Foo Fighters&#39; &quot;Let It Die&quot; might be about her, too. And is Radiohead&#39;s &quot;Punch Up at a Wedding&quot; really a response to a bad review? Either way, the lyrics are deliciously scathing.

Some artists, of course, choose to keep their double meanings eternally cryptic, but it&#39;s still always fascinating to see private issues played out in the public arena of art. These secretly insulting pop songs managed to hit their mark perfectly, all while maintaining a facade that&#39;s just innocent enough. Perhaps&nbsp;more <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrity-fights/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">celebrity fights</a> should be settled with music.

LGBTQ+

Sex and sexuality have always been <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/13-songs-that-don_t-mean-what-you-think-they-do/molly-mahan" target="_blank">central themes in pop music</a>, but it's only recently that songs about being anywhere on the sexuality spectrum&nbsp;have come to be accepted as part of the lexicon.Before the 2000s, although alternative lifestyles were becoming more and more accepted in everyday life, the music business and audiences still had a long way to go in embracing LGBTQ+ motifs. For most, coming out in the public eye was not easy and could mean the difference between platinum records and crickets.&nbsp;A hit song like Katy Perry's &quot;I Kissed A Girl&quot; is pretty&nbsp;flagrant in its meaning, but you may not realize just how many other&nbsp;musicians&nbsp;were also breaking down doors -&nbsp;some more subversively than others -&nbsp;before Perry walked through&nbsp;with ease. While subliminal messaging is still somewhat the art of the song, there's relatively more freedom to express bisexuality through music that wasn't acceptable even a decade ago.&nbsp;When you listen closely to these songs, you may be surprised at the&nbsp;not-always-so-subtle lyrics&nbsp;you never realized were about bisexuality.&nbsp;You'll be surprised at some of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-songs-about-art/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">songs and artists</a> listed, but even&nbsp;if you don't love them all, you'll respect each and every one for having the courage to share themselves&nbsp;with&nbsp;the world. After all, the&nbsp;more vulnerable an&nbsp;artist is with their work, the more authentic the art, and these songs speak to the soul.

Everyone loves when a musical artist somehow re-crafts a beloved song with a creative new spin. Covers illustrate the multifaceted nature of music and lyrics.&nbsp;A simple tweak of the melody or alteration of the singing style can create whole new layers of complexity in regards to what a song means -&nbsp;without even changing the lyrics!&nbsp;Sometimes, covers even surpass the originals in terms of popularity and critical acclaim. What are the best cover songs? Help decide below.&nbsp;Good cover songs are common, but they don't always outdo the source material. Whether it's old songs covered by new bands or recent hits revamped by contemporary artists, people often show loyalty to original versions.&nbsp;The songs below, however, are an exception. Some of the best cover songs on this list are so universal that most people think that they aren’t covers at all. &quot;Twist and Shout&quot; was not originally recorded by <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/dark-beatles-facts/robert-f-mason" target="_blank">the Beatles</a> and while &quot;Me and Bobby McGee&quot; is heavily associated with the late <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/life-of-janis-joplin/erin-mccann" target="_blank">Janis Joplin</a>, she was not the original writer or recording artist. When artists choose to try their luck with a cover, it can sometimes be a gamble, especially&nbsp;if the band or musician behind the original version is an esteemed figure. However, the below musicians took a risk and it really paid off.&nbsp;Which cover songs do you think are better than the originals? Vote up the most impressive songs below!&nbsp;

Here's a list of songs whose meanings we completely miss because we either don't listen to lyrics properly or we just take the song at face value, ignoring any origins or intent of the artist. Or we just don't even realize what the lyrics really are. Then, one day, your world breaks down. The real meanings of these popular songs will shock you.Everything you knew and loved about these songs is about to turn out to be a lie because that songs you thought were innocent and sweet are often actually about the opposite. Think &quot;Born in the USA&quot; is a patriotic anthem? Think again.Hopefully, learning the truth about these popular songs doesn't shatter your world too much, though it will certainly make you think twice at the next karaoke night.

True Crime

Songs written about <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/strange-true-crime-twists/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">true crimes</a> have always been popular. Artists have always felt compelled&nbsp;to contextualize the atrocities of every day life and commit them to tape. But songs written about real <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-small-town-murders/lea-rose-emery" target="_blank">murders</a> aren&rsquo;t always accurate in their depictions of terrible events. That&rsquo;s why when you hear a historically accurate song about this dark subject, it really hits home. While artistic license is understandable, there&#39;s something satisfying about a song that&#39;s both artistically sound and true to life. Tracks like &quot;The Hurricane&quot; by Bob Dylan&nbsp;and &quot;Nebraska&quot;&nbsp;by Bruce Springsteen have been ingrained into the cultural consciousness not just for their distinct melodies, but because of the way they articulate how we feel about tragic&nbsp;events. Add these true crime songs to your playlist and get ready to accurately jam all night!&nbsp;

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Pop Music

Some of the biggest songs in history were written about unexpectedly deep subject matter. While many of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-songs-of-all-time-ranked" target="_blank">history's best&nbsp;songs</a> are straightforward,&nbsp;&nbsp;others aren't so cut and dry.&nbsp;Whether it's the disturbing incident that inspired Van Halen's &quot;Jump,&quot; the court case that inspired Bonnie Raitt's &quot;I Can't Make You Love Me,&quot; or the love triangle behind the Eric Clapton-penned &quot;Layla,&quot; there are some truly crazy backstories behind some of your favorite songs. Here are a few of the most surprising.&nbsp;

Pop music's great! It's all uplifting bangers about partying all night, or falling in love, or both, right? <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/13-songs-that-don_t-mean-what-you-think-they-do/molly-mahan" target="_blank">Well... not&nbsp;necessarily</a>. There are a lot of&nbsp;popular songs with secret meanings out there, ones that seem innocent but are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/fun-songs-with-secret-dark-meanings/jessica-defino" target="_blank">actually&nbsp;kind of dark</a>. Maybe a song you previously thought was&nbsp;innocent&nbsp;is about drug abuse, or abortion, or infidelity.&nbsp;&nbsp;The&nbsp;surprising meanings behind popular songs could cause you to never listen to them in quite the same way again. Maybe you won't be able to hear one of your&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;pop tracks without thinking of the singer&nbsp;doing the dirty or something else. Check out the&nbsp;real meanings of songs below and see which one blows your mind the most.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Debunking

Songs hold a lot of power, telling stories about people, places, emotions, and a host of other topics - including history. Songs about historical events may offer insights into a time long ago. They can also evoke a memory of a not-too-distant historical happening.&nbsp;

<a href="/list/most-accurate-movies-about-wild-west/mike-mcgranaghan" target="_blank">Much like historical movies</a>, <a href="/list/songs-about-history/ranker-music" target="_blank">historical songs</a>&nbsp;may take license in their content - to minimize, emphasize, or simply avoid key facts. Historically accurate songs, on the other hand, can surprise you with just how much they get right. A lot of mainstream songs about war, for example, include details that can almost transport you into the heat of battle. Songs about historical figures may create a personal connection with that individual, building newfound affinity or disdain.

Here&#39;s a list of songs that are surprisingly accurate - which one grabs your attention with its historical truth?&nbsp;

Le Lauréat: Mrs. Robinson

The top theme songs to our favorite films are all ranked here and ready for your votes. Whether the song makes you &quot;Happy&quot; like Pharrell or &quot;Lose Yourself&quot; like Eminem, these songs are forever ingrained in the history of both music and film as a result of their popularity and greatness. Which songs that were written for movies are the best? &nbsp; &quot;Let It Go,&quot; made Idina Menzel (or Adele Dazeem, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4cKvfJ3KJY">according to John Travolta</a>), is now one of the most popular songs in the world. These best songs written for movies not only won Grammys, but also Academy Awards and Golden Globes. From the Oscar-winning Three 6 Mafia song &quot;Hard Out Here for a Pimp&quot; to Will Smith's &quot;Men in Black&quot; theme song, these songs will take you back to the movies from which they came. Vote up all of your favorite <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-movie-themes?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">movie theme songs</a>, and if you don't see your favorite on here, be sure to add it.&nbsp;

True Stories

Third Eye Blind - 'Semi-Charmed Life'

Sometimes a song can be uptempo and peppy while also being somewhat sad. However, sometimes a song is just.... sad. Many are based purely on the writer&#39;s imagination, but for these songs, real life proved far more depressing than anything a musician could come up with. These famous songs and memorable tracks might be upbeat or seem like a lot of fun, but they all have super sad and depressing backstories (in fact, you might end up rethinking the inclusion of&nbsp;Van Halen&#39;s &quot;Jump&quot; on your pump up playlist).

Some are obvious - for instance, you likely know <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-eric-clapton-songs/voteable" target="_blank">Eric Clapton</a> wrote &quot;Tears in Heaven&quot; about the passing&nbsp;of his son. But,&nbsp;what about Clapton&#39;s song &quot;Circus&quot;?&nbsp;

Moreover, plenty of upbeat songs like &quot;99 Red Balloons&quot; and &quot;Semi-Charmed Life&quot; are actually about pretty dark subjects, like Cold War tensions&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-songs-about-addiction/reference" target="_blank">addiction</a>. A number of the songs with sad meanings on this list were <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-songs-released-posthumously/ranker-music" target="_blank">released posthumously</a>, after the artist passed on,&nbsp;usually from reasons related directly to their sad song lyrics.

Here are songs that are all&nbsp;based on really terrible things that actually happened. They might not seem like sad songs, but if you listen closely, you may shed a tear. Upvote the tracks and singles with the saddest true backstories below... but be sure to grab a box of tissues first.

Music plagiarism is big news in almost any era.&nbsp;Sure, Robin Thicke and Pharrell had to shell out <a href="http://ew.com/music/2018/12/13/blurred-lines-copyright-lawsuit-robin-thicke-pharrell-williams-pay/" target="_blank">$5 million to Marvin Gaye&#39;s estate</a> for their &quot;Blurred Lines&quot; infringement and there was the whole Tom Petty/Sam Smith debacle in recent music history, but singers have been ripping off other people&#39;s songs since recorded music first came on the scene, and even before that. What are the most blatant ripoff songs that obviously donned music, lyrics, or both from other tracks?

Chances are, your favorite band has either intentionally or purposefully lifted someone else&#39;s lyrics or melody - and probably had it done to them as well. While some <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/high-profile-cases-of-plagiarism/janaegreen" target="_blank">plagiarism cases</a> are extremely well known (George Harrison ganking the melody of &quot;He&#39;s So Fine,&quot; or John Fogerty being sued for plagiarizing himself, for example) there are almost limitless examples of songs being plagiarized. Some lawsuits against defendants were unsuccessful, while in other cases, the pilferer got slapped down with huge judgments.

These <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/comics-that-plagiarized-their-material/cynthia-griffith" target="_blank">blatant cases of plagiarism</a> cross genres, decades, and styles, showing that musicians &quot;borrowing&quot; from each other is no rarity. Is your favorite song a rip off of another famous musician? Find out in the list below.

Plenty of musicians stick to uplifting topics when it comes to writing a new song – what better way&nbsp;to ensure it'll get picked up by mainstream radio? Sometimes, though, things get a little dark. Some top tunes slip in references to shocking violence, and there are so many songs you didn't know are about murder.True, most people don't really listen closely to lyrics. But once you know the actual meaning behind these songs that are about murder, you'll never hear them the same way again. Songs about killing are all over the charts. You've probably hummed along to these tunes with no inkling of their homicidal undertones. It just goes to show you never know which songs have <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/fun-songs-with-secret-dark-meanings/jessica-defino" target="_blank">surprisingly dark meanings</a>.

Me & Bobby McGee

It&#39;s amazing how different a cover song can be from an original. How many popular songs are out there that were first recorded by somebody else? A new interpretation by a different artist can give a song an entirely different feel, make it seem more relevant, or just intensify the vibe it already had, making it one of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/cover-songs-better-than-the-originals/anncasano?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the best cover songs</a> ever. Sometimes, an updated version of a song can even turn a commercial flop into a chart-topping hit.

From R&amp;B hits re-recorded by &#39;<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/rock-stars-whose-deaths-were-the-most-untimely?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">80s rock stars</a>, to rappers riffing on girl groups, to stripped-down country western takes on brooding industrial ballads and a heaping helping of weird, this list features <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-songs-with-kind-in-the-title/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">all kinds of songs</a> you didn&#39;t know were covers. Sure, you think Hendrix when you hear &quot;Hey Joe,&quot; but who was he covering?

Read on to find out which song remakes are actually cover songs and vote below for the best songs that you didn&#39;t know were actually covers of other artists.

Music History

Ever&nbsp;sing along to a love song? Of course you have – they all seem so&nbsp;super sweet or achingly sad in a way that is totally beautiful and relatable.&nbsp;Well, you may want to rethink your feelings about some of those tunes after you see this list of love songs you never realized are creepy. Hits by artists like Adele, the Beatles, and more seem innocent on the surface, but when you really <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-songs-with-listen-in-the-title/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">listen to the lyrics</a>, you realize these are actually love songs with dark messages. Who knew so many songs about love were actually about stalking an ex or being attracted to people who are underage?That's not to say these songs aren't great; many of them are classics for a reason. But there are lots of fun&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/fun-songs-with-secret-dark-meanings/jessica-defino" target="_blank">pop songs with dark meanings</a>, when you think about it These secretly creepy love&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/13-songs-that-don_t-mean-what-you-think-they-do/molly-mahan" target="_blank">songs don't mean what you think</a>&nbsp;they do. Take a listen, but you've been warned – this list might just ruin slow dances for you forever.

If these <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-13-most-horrifying-_classic_-christmas-songs-of-all-time/nicolebreanne" target="_blank">horrifyingly creepy songs</a> about young girls were written today, they might not get radio play. Sociological standards have changed a lot since the days of Neil Diamond and The Doors, though. Elvis Presley&nbsp;fell in love with Priscilla&nbsp;Beaulieu when she was just 14-years-old, for example. Sure, it was definitely controversial back in the day&nbsp;but courting a minor didn't&nbsp;ruin&nbsp;his career.Some of these&nbsp;rock songs are more stomach-churning than others and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/fun-songs-with-secret-dark-meanings/jessica-defino" target="_blank">some are just plain surprising</a>. The Beatles were in their early 20s when they wrote “I Saw Her Standing There.” That song is&nbsp;about a 17-year-old girl. Gene Simmons, on the other hand, was almost 30 when he sang &quot;Christine Sixteen.&quot; Despite the controversy surrounding a much older man obsessing about a 16-year-old school girl, the song hit number&nbsp;25 on the Billboard Hot 100 even though many radio stations refused to play the track.Keep reading to see which voyeuristic songs were somehow socially acceptable.&nbsp;

You know those songs you're familiar with but can't place?&nbsp;The ones you hear&nbsp;everywhere, the ones that feel like they've always existed? The circus song that's played when the clowns come out. The haunted house organ song. That racist &quot;Asian&quot; riff. The one that played on Looney Tunes during all the chase scenes. What are those songs, anyway?It turns out there are a ton of famous songs you don't know the names of. What they all have in common is an uncanny ability, thanks to pop culture, to evoke bizarrely specific feelings. Because of that, they're all go-to tracks for filmmakers and TV producers (meaning many have since become cliches). Read on to learn what the heck all those songs are even called (and be sure to listen, too: your mind will be blown at least once).&nbsp;

Most of us just sing songs and pay no mind to the meaning or even really think about the lyrics. Songs you didn't realize were inappropriate as a kid include everything from rap tunes to upbeat, cheery pop singles – or even these 11&nbsp;songs you shouldn't have been singing in childhood.It may seem&nbsp;really obvious now that &quot;December, '63 (Oh, What a Night)&quot; is about a dude having a one night stand and popping his cherry, but, as a kid, maybe it's not. We hear the upbeat, funky song at a party or a wedding and dance around to it without really paying attention.&nbsp;What exactly does Neil Diamond mean when he sings, “reaching out, touching you, touching me?” Did anyone ever stop and ask, “What is the English translation to the Macarena?”And those are just a few&nbsp;of the secretly scandalous songs that may ruin the innocence of your childhood. Read on to discover more, and vote up your favorite songs that&nbsp;you also didn't know were wildly inappropriate as a kid.&nbsp;

Controversial

Some songs set out to be controversial, while others stumble into the territory. Musicians occasionally use their <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/most-career-ruining-performances/sean-kelly" target="_blank">art to make a political point</a>, challenge religious beliefs, or express something salacious enough to warrant being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/rumble-instrumental-banned-from-radio/erin-mccann" target="_blank">banned from radio</a> and television stations. These artists may also sometimes face&nbsp;protests and boycotts.&nbsp;

Artists can lose fans over dubious lyrics, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/most-controversial-music-videos/michelle-nati" target="_blank">a shocking music video</a>,&nbsp;or a controversial concert appearance. Often, a single song can turn a crowd against a musician. Here are a few of the most controversial songs.

The Rembrandts

Believe it or not, some major rock bands have taken the plunge into the world of television - and we're not just talking about music videos from the days when MTV actually played those. Sure, you've probably seen some big rock stars make cameos on TV shows, but others have gone even further to lend their sounds to the shows themselves.&nbsp; These are the rockers who have written original songs for TV shows.You've probably heard a lot of these tunes, but you may have had no idea they were written by some of the biggest names in rock music. With your votes, we'll find out which musician wrote the best original TV theme song.From Ozzman's ferocious theme for Dog the Bounty Hunter to They Might Be Giants's&nbsp;<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-malcolm-in-the-middle-episodes/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Malcolm in the Middle</a> ditty, which original TV song by rockers do you think is best?

Name That Song

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Have you ever thought about how many songs with calm in the title have been written? This list ranks the best songs with calm in the name, regardless of genre. Most of the tracks listed here are songs about being calm, but almost all of them have different lyrical interpretations, despite the commonality of having the word calm in the title. This ranked poll includes songs like &quot;Calm Inside the Storm&quot; by Cyndi Lauper, and &quot;Calm Like a Bomb&quot; by Rage Against the Machine. If you think a good song with calm in the title is missing from this list, go ahead and add it so others can vote for it too. Songs with calm in the lyrics are only allowed if that word is in the song's name as well.

List of 20+ Songs With Calm in the Title

The Best Songs With Calm in the Title

Song

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Calm on the Water

Calm Like a Bomb

Be Calm

Calm Before the Storm

Calm Inside the Storm

Calm and Cool

Be Cool, Be Calm (And Keep Yourself Together)

Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, Op. 27

Valley of the Calm Trees

I Remain Calm

Beautiful Calm Driving

Cool, Calm & Collected

Calm Down

Rest Calm

Atmospheres Op. 79 - 3. Calm

Calm Thou My Soul Convey Me to Some Peaceful Shore

Calm Now

The Calm

Calm the Fire

Lazy Calm

Have you ever thought about how many songs with calm in the title have been written? This list ranks the best songs with calm in the name, regardless of ...