music – Page 2 – Topical Fruit

Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” Finally Cracks the Billboard Hot 100, After 50 Years

“Landslide” is one of those songs that feels too big, too iconic, and too emotionally baked into pop culture to still have firsts left.

And yet, nearly 50 years after Fleetwood Mac released it, the song has just debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to the series finale of “Stranger Things”.

Nearly five decades after its release, Fleetwood Mac’s iconic 1975 song “Landslide” has debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 for the very first time, landing at an impressive #41.

“Landslide” has long been one of Fleetwood Mac’s most beloved songs, the kind of track that feels permanently woven into pop culture. It is regularly cited as a fan favorite, shows up on countless best-of lists, and has been covered by artists across genres. Still, despite all that love, the original studio version had never actually cracked Billboard’s main singles chart.

That makes this moment especially wild. A song that has sold more than two million units and is certified two-times platinum by the RIAA is only now officially a Hot 100 hit. It turns out cultural impact and chart history do not always line up neatly.

This is not “Landslide’s” first brush with the charts, though. A live version of the song reached #51 back in 1998, thanks to Fleetwood Mac’s massively successful live reunion album “The Dance”. That release introduced the song to a whole new generation at the time, much like “Stranger Things” has done now.

The latest surge proves, once again, just how powerful TV soundtracks can be.

“Stranger Things” has a solid track record of reviving older songs and pushing them into the streaming era spotlight, and “Landslide” is the newest beneficiary. Viewers heard it during a major emotional moment, immediately searched for it, streamed it, and sent it climbing straight onto the charts.

For Fleetwood Mac fans, this chart debut feels long overdue. For everyone else, it is a reminder that great songs do not expire. Sometimes they just wait patiently for their moment, even if that moment comes almost 50 years later.

Your Favorite Band Was Probably Locked In by 7th Grade, and That Explains a Lot

If someone played the music you were obsessed with in seventh grade, would you proudly sing along or immediately ask them to turn it off?

According to a new survey, there is a very good chance that the songs you loved back then are still shaping your tastes today, whether you want to admit it or not.

Ticketing company TickPick surveyed more than 1,000 people and asked when they first heard their all-time favorite band. The average answer was age 13, which lines up almost perfectly with seventh grade. In other words, your musical destiny was probably sealed around the same time you were figuring out lockers, awkward crushes, and how to survive middle school.

That age also lines up with another milestone. People said they were first exposed to explicit music at around 12 and a half. So right as music started getting a little more rebellious, it also became a lot more meaningful.

That combination might explain why those early favorites stick so hard.

When it comes to what actually shaped people’s music tastes growing up, friends were the biggest influence by far. Sixty-six percent of respondents said their friends played the biggest role. Radio came in next at 59%, followed by movies at 52%. Parents also mattered more than you might expect, with 48% citing their father and 45% their mother as influences. TV, concerts and festivals, and siblings rounded out the list.

Speaking of siblings, nearly half of the people who said a sibling influenced their music taste admitted it was usually an older sibling introducing them to music their parents probably would not have approved of. That feels like a timeless tradition. Big brothers and sisters have been sneaking questionable CDs and playlists to younger siblings forever.

Parents, meanwhile, are not exactly subtle about their musical opinions. Sixty-four percent said they have actively tried to influence their kids’ musical tastes.

Indie rock parents are the most aggressive about it, with 75% admitting they try to pass their favorite artists on to their kids. Fans of hard rock were close behind at 69%, followed by jazz lovers at 67%.

Classic rock, heavy metal, country, and folk fans all landed at 64%. On the other end of the spectrum, punk rock and pop fans were tied at 62% for being the least likely to push their tastes on their kids. The thinking there is probably that kids will find those genres on their own anyway. There is a reason Hot Topic somehow refuses to die.

Among parents who do try to influence their kids, 23% said it was important that their kids like their favorite artists, while 27% said it was important their kids like their favorite genres. Truly, the stakes have never been lower, and yet the passion remains high.

So if you still love the same bands you discovered in middle school, you are not stuck in the past. You are just extremely normal.

Got a Song Stuck in Your Head? This 40-Second “Earworm Eraser” Might Save You

Getting a song stuck in your head is annoying. It can even be maddening. But the internet might have just delivered a fix at exactly the right time.

There is a 40-second audio track floating around online called the Earworm Eraser, and its entire purpose is to help remove songs that are stuck in your head. Not replace them. Not remix them. Just evict them entirely.

The idea behind the Earworm Eraser is pretty simple, and kind of clever. Instead of giving your brain another catchy tune to latch onto, the track constantly shifts tempos, time signatures, and musical styles. Just when your brain starts to settle in, it changes again. And again. The result is something your brain cannot really grab onto long enough to turn into a new earworm.

In other words, it’s musical chaos, but intentional musical chaos.

The Earworm Eraser is available on YouTube, and the comment section reads like a support group for people who accidentally listened to “All I Want for Christmas Is You” one too many times. Plenty of listeners swear it worked almost immediately. Others say it did absolutely nothing for them. So yes, results may vary.

Still, there is something fascinating about how many people are desperate enough to try it. Earworms are a real psychological thing, often triggered by repetition, stress, or even boredom.

The Earworm Eraser is not claiming to be science-backed therapy or a guaranteed cure. It is more of a harmless experiment that takes less than a minute of your life. Worst case scenario, it does nothing and you are still stuck singing the chorus in your head. Best case scenario, sweet mental silence.

You Should Listen to 78 Minutes of Music a Day for Your Mental Health

If you are looking for an easy, enjoyable way to boost your mental health, the answer might already be in your headphones.

A new study says listening to music every day can seriously improve how you feel, and there is even a recommended daily dose. According to the British Academy of Sound Therapy, the magic number is 78 minutes of music per day to help maintain good mental health.

That might sound oddly specific, but the idea is simple. Different types of music support different emotional needs, and mixing them together creates the biggest benefit.

The study breaks those 78 minutes into categories.

To start, about 14 minutes of uplifting music can help boost happiness and put you in a better mood. Think songs that instantly make you smile or sing along, even if you are a little off-key.

Next comes 16 minutes of calming music to help you relax. This is the stuff you might play while winding down, commuting, or trying to shut your brain off after a long day.
Another 16 minutes should be whatever music helps you work through sadness. That could be emotional songs, comfort tracks, or anything that helps you process feelings instead of bottling them up.

You also need 15 minutes of motivating music to help with focus and concentration. This is your productivity soundtrack, the kind of music that makes you feel like you can take on your to-do list without screaming into a pillow.
Finally, there are 17 minutes of music chosen specifically to help manage anger, whether that means aggressive songs you can vent to or calmer tracks that help you cool off.

The good news is you do not have to hit all 78 minutes every single day to see benefits. Researchers say listening to just 11 minutes of music a day can still have therapeutic effects. And if you are really short on time, even five minutes of music can boost your happiness.

That makes this one of the most realistic wellness recommendations ever. No gym membership, no meal prep, no complicated routine. Just press play. Whether it is in the car, while cooking, or during a quick break at work, those minutes add up.

So if anyone asks why you are always listening to music, you now have a scientific excuse. You are not procrastinating. You are maintaining your mental health. And according to the experts, that playlist is basically self-care.

The Five Most Dangerous Songs to Drive to, According to Science

If you have ever caught yourself accidentally speeding because a song came on a little too strong, science says you are not imagining it.

A new study suggests that certain popular songs can actually make you drive faster and take more risks behind the wheel, all because of their tempo.

Researchers at the South China University of Technology looked at how music affects driving behavior and found that songs with a tempo of 120 beats per minute or higher can encourage drivers to speed up and drive more aggressively.

Translation: If the song makes you want to drum on the steering wheel, it might also make your foot heavier on the gas.

According to the study, these are the most dangerous songs to drive to:

“American Idiot” by Green Day
“Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus
“Mr. Brightside” by The Killers
“Don’t Let Me Down” by The Chainsmokers
“Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen

The common thread here is speed. Fast tempos can raise your heart rate and adrenaline, making you more likely to drive faster without realizing it. The researchers say it is not about the genre, it is about how your brain responds to the rhythm.

On the flip side, the study also identified songs that are far less likely to turn your commute into a Fast and Furious audition.

Least dangerous songs to drive to:

“Location” by Khalid
“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
“Under the Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
“God’s Plan” by Drake
“Africa” by Toto

Of course, this does not mean you need to delete half your music library. It just means being aware of how music can influence your mood and behavior. If you are cruising on the highway or stuck in traffic, a calmer playlist might help keep both your speed and your blood pressure in check.

So maybe save “Mr. Brightside” for karaoke night, and let “Africa” guide you safely home.

Here Are the Best Karaoke Songs for People Who Can’t Sing (You’re Welcome)

If the mere idea of karaoke makes you break into a cold sweat, good news. You’re not alone, and science, or at least a survey with some research behind it, is officially on your side.

Someone set out to find the best karaoke songs for people who absolutely, positively cannot sing, and the results are basically a greatest hits playlist of crowd-powered confidence.

The research ranked the 30 best karaoke songs for non-singers, meaning tracks that are loud, familiar, forgiving, and almost impossible to ruin when the whole bar is yelling along with you. These are songs where enthusiasm matters more than pitch, and where missing a note is not a failure, it’s part of the experience.

Before you panic-scroll for something obscure, relax. The Top 10 reads like the ultimate drunk wedding reception playlist.

Coming in at number one is “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, which barely even counts as singing. At some point, the crowd just takes over with the “bum bum bum,” and you’re basically hosting a singalong. Right behind it is “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, a song that lives entirely off vibes, fist pumps, and shouting “whoa” at the correct times.

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” lands at number three, because no one in the room cares how it sounds as long as everyone commits emotionally.

The full list runs all the way to 30, and yes, it’s packed with similarly forgiving favorites. If karaoke night is looming and your vocal confidence is nonexistent, this list is basically your survival guide.

Grab one of these songs, sing loudly, smile bigger, and remember, the louder the room gets, the less anyone notices how you sound.

Here are the Top 10:

“Sweet Caroline”, Neil Diamond
“Livin’ on a Prayer”, Bon Jovi
“Don’t Stop Believin’”, Journey
“Love Shack”, The B-52’s
“Wannabe”, Spice Girls
“Dancing Queen”, ABBA
“I Will Survive”, Gloria Gaynor
“Bohemian Rhapsody”, Queen
“Summer of ’69”, Bryan Adams
“Just the Way You Are”, Bruno Mars

26 Songs Turning 50 in 2026

It’s officially 2026, which means a very specific group of songs is hitting the big 50.

Yes, the biggest hit songs of 1976 are now officially 50 years old, and no, we are not emotionally prepared for that information. These tracks ruled the radio, packed dance floors, and somehow still pop up in movies, commercials, and wedding playlists like they never aged a day.

According to Billboard’s Year-End chart, 1976 was an absolute monster year for pop, disco, funk, and soft rock. You’ve got legendary artists, unforgettable hooks, and songs so familiar you probably know every word without realizing it.

So happy 50th birthday to the music of 1976. They might be old enough for AARP mailers, but they still sound pretty great turned up way too loud.

Here are the Top 26 Songs from Billboard’s 1976 Hot 100 Year-End chart:

“Silly Love Songs”, Paul McCartney and Wings
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, Elton John and Kiki Dee
“Disco Lady”, Johnnie Taylor
“December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)”, The Four Seasons
“Play That Funky Music”, Wild Cherry
“Kiss and Say Goodbye”, The Manhattans
“Love Machine”, The Miracles
“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”, Paul Simon
“Love Is Alive”, Gary Wright
“A Fifth of Beethoven”, Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band
“Sara Smile”, Daryl Hall and John Oates
“Afternoon Delight”, Starland Vocal Band
“I Write the Songs”, Barry Manilow
“Fly, Robin, Fly”, Silver Convention
“Love Hangover”, Diana Ross
“Get Closer”, Seals and Crofts
“More, More, More”, Andrea True Connection
“Bohemian Rhapsody”, Queen
“Misty Blue”, Dorothy Moore
“Boogie Fever”, The Sylvers
“I’d Really Love to Seee You Tonight”, England Dan & John Ford Coley
“You Sexy Thing”, Hot Chocolate
“Love Hurts”, Nazareth
“Get Up and Boogie”, Silver Convention
“Take It to the Limit”, Eagles
“(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty”, KC and the Sunshine Band

The Best Christmas Songs to Power Your Workout

If you thought Christmas music was just for decorating the tree or awkward family car rides, think again. Apparently, it is also perfect for breaking a sweat.

A new study looked at holiday songs that actually work for workouts, and the results might surprise you, or at least make your gym playlist a lot more festive.

The research comes from a site called MyBodyTutor, which analyzed 500 Christmas and holiday songs on Spotify. The goal was simple, find tracks with the right tempo to keep you moving.

According to fitness experts, songs with 120 to 150 beats per minute are ideal for moderate to high intensity workouts like running, cardio circuits, and strength training. Faster songs help keep your pace up, while slower ones are better for cooldowns.

Topping the list is a song nobody is shocked to see, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” At 150 beats per minute, it hits the sweet spot for high energy workouts and officially earns its crown as the most fitness friendly Christmas song of all time. Love it or roll your eyes every time it comes on, Mariah might actually help you shave a few seconds off your mile.

Here is the full Top 10 Christmas songs to work out to, according to the study:

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, 150 BPM
“Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano, 149 BPM
“Jingle Bells” by Frank Sinatra, 148 BPM
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee, 146 BPM
“Jingle Bells” by Michael Bublé, 143 BPM
“Christmas Time Is Here” by August Burns Red, 143 BPM
“The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole, 141 BPM
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” by Bruce Springsteen, 141 BPM
“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, 138 BPM
“Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber, 128 BPM

If you are doing high intensity interval training and really want to push it, the study points to Ariana Grande’s “Last Christmas,” which clocks in at a wild 206 beats per minute. That one is basically a sprint in song form. On the flip side, if you are winding down with stretching or yoga, Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” is a better fit at a calmer 95 BPM.

So yes, Christmas music can absolutely be workout music. And if Mariah Carey gets you through leg day, who are we to judge?

How Often Do We Listen to Music? For One in Four, the Answer Is: Always

If you feel like life should have a soundtrack, you’re in good company.

One in four Americans, according to a new YouGov poll, say they more or less always have music on, turning their daily routines into personal concerts.

23% listen to music “almost all the time”

The jumps to 36% for younger listeners as Gen Z’s headphones continue the process of fusing to their skull. Another 44% of Americans listen daily.

Not everyone listens to music

18% only pump the tunes a few times a week, 13% said even less than that, and then there’s the elusive 2% who claim they never listen to music at all, which… we don’t even know what to do with. Silence? On purpose?

Who’d you listen to this year?

The numbers dropped alongside Spotify’s annual Wrapped feature, the thing that lets everyone flex their favorite artists and songs from the past year—or quietly hide them, depending on how 2025 went for your playlists. (3% of us think our taste in music is so cringe, we’d rather keep it a secret.)

A quarter of people say their musical taste evolved over the past year. Maybe they got into jazz, finally gave in to K-pop, or circled back to emo after pretending they’d outgrown it. As for the rest of us? We stuck with our tried-and-true faves like it was still 2011.

So whether you’re blasting music all day or saving it for special moments, the numbers don’t lie – America’s love for music is still going strong, earbuds in and volume up.

Christmas Carols from Hell That Will Haunt Your Holidays

If you think hearing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 400 times a day is rough, buckle in.

The internet has curated a list of Christmas songs so chaotic, so unhinged, so unintentionally hilarious, they feel like they were handcrafted in the warm glowing fires of holiday torment. And yes, they are all real.

This roundup of Christmas Carols from Hell has been making the rounds again, and honestly, it’s the perfect seasonal content if you enjoy holiday music with a side of chaos. If you’re searching for worst Christmas songs, weird Christmas covers, or just need something to ruin your family’s sanity for fun, this list delivers.

Here are 11 tracks waiting to jingle your nerves:

“Here Comes Santa Claus” by Mrs. Miller
Mrs. Miller was discovered by the announcer from “Laugh-In”, and once you hear her approach to holiday cheer, you will understand exactly how that happened. Imagine your grandma singing karaoke after a sherry or three.
“Silent Night” by Wing
Wing Han Tsang went from hobbyist singer to cult legend in New Zealand. She eventually became famous enough for “South Park” to parody her. Her version of “Silent Night” sounds like your GPS trying to serenade you.
“White Christmas” by Tiny Tim
Tiny Tim’s falsetto already makes this a unique experience, but check out “Silent Night” for a spoken-word rant calling out hypocrites, fornicators, and child molesters. Nothing says holiday spirit like that vibe shift.
“Little Drummer Boy” by William Hung
Yes, William Hung from “American Idol”. And yes, there is an entire generation that doesn’t know who he is. Those of us who do will never forget.
“I Got a Cold for Christmas” by The Three Stooges
Not awful, not great, but definitely something that exists.
“Jingle Bells” by William Shatner, featuring Henry Rollins
Shatner talk-singing while Henry Rollins screams holiday joy in the background. A fever dream in audio form.
“Santa Claws Is Coming to Town” by Alice Cooper
Featuring John 5, Billy Sheehan, and Vinny Appice, because why wouldn’t a Christmas metal track include three legends casually hanging out?
“The Night Before Christmas” by David Hasselhoff
As cheesy as a Hallmark movie marathon, but somehow exactly what you expect from The Hoff.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Regis Philbin
Donald Trump shows up to offer Rudolph a job. That is not a joke. That is actually what happens.
“Jingle Hell” by Christopher Lee
Yes, that Christopher Lee. The metal-loving film icon spent his later years shredding holiday classics like a festive warlock.
“Away in a Manger” by The Brady Bunch
Only Marcia, a.k.a. Maureen McCormick, is featured. It comes from “Merry Christmas from the Brady Bunch”, an album that absolutely belongs in a time capsule.

If you need new holiday music to torture your friends, your family, or maybe even your HOA, this list will do the job. Enjoy responsibly.