Stevie Nicks - "Stand Back"

Somehow, I've gone through my whole life never hearing the story of how Prince's "Little Red Corvette" inspired Stevie Nicks' "Stand Back." It's worth reading in full.

I Hope Sinead O'Connor Is Okay

For years, I've wanted to write something about Sinead O'Connor. I can't tell you how often I think of her and wonder how she's doing. She's had such a hard life, which makes her most popular song just that much more haunting each time I hear it. For MEL, I wrote about "Nothing Compares 2 U."

The Least-Listened-To Songs on Great Albums

Recently, Spotify changed its layout, allowing you to see the play counts of every song on every album. For InsideHook, I checked out a bunch of classic albums to see which track was played least. Some of these songs are actually great -- I can't believe more folks don't listen to 'em. Here's my tribute to some underloved songs.

Let's Talk About 'Batdance'

The summer of 1989 was all about Batman. It was also about Prince's soundtrack to the smash film. For MEL, I wrote a lot about the legacy of one weird No. 1 hit, "Batdance."

When the Song of the Summer Comes From a Movie

For MEL, I did a deep dive into the best (and worst) summer movie songs. Peter Cetera, Prince, Kenny Loggins, Will Smith, Bryan Adams ... step right up.

Little Richard, 1932-2010

RIP to the man who put the sex in rock 'n' roll before just about anyone. For MEL, I paid tribute to Little Richard.

Janelle Monae – "Make Me Feel"

Have a great weekend, everyone. This is the best song of the first half of 2018.

Prince - "Father's Song"

The remastered, expanded Purple Rain has been out for a little while. While most of the extras aren't that worthwhile, I'm glad that "Father's Song" is now commercially available. And, yes, you do hear a little "Computer Blue" in there.

Prince's Short, Tragic Fatherhood

It's been nearly a year since Prince died. This week, his ex-wife Mayte Garcia has released a memoir, The Most Beautiful: My Life With Prince, about their time together. The most heartbreaking section, though, covers the death of their days-old son, Amiir. For MEL, I give readers a preview of how Garcia remembers her husband from the initial pregnancy to the boy's tragic death. It's an ordeal no one should have to experience.

Prince and 'The Beautiful Ones'

I was away for my anniversary weekend, so I didn't have a chance to post this on Friday. For Rolling Stone, I wrote about my favorite thing Prince ever did, which was his performance of "The Beautiful Ones" from Purple Rain. His estate blocked the video my editors posted from the film, but hopefully you'll still get the idea.

Prince's Sensual, Spiritual Sexual Life

For MEL, I wrote down some thoughts about how Prince's embrace of sex opened up a whole new world for pop music. In the process, he taught us all how to embrace our sensual/carnal side -- and also how to really live. You can read my essay here. (Oh, and I have another Prince-related piece coming soon.)

Janelle Monáe (featuring Prince) - "Givin Em What They Love"

Because Prince won't allow his songs on YouTube, it's very hard to feature the man's work on Friday Video. But, lo and behold, this duet from Janelle Monáe's The Electric Lady is there. And it's used so nicely in The Equalizer, too. So enjoy.