Pop Music Extravaganza: Discover the Top 10 Mind-Blowing Fun Facts You Never Knew!

1. "Wannabe" Gets Stuck in Our Heads

If you "Wannabe" my lover, you gotta get stuck in my head: A computational musicologist study led by Dr. John Ashley Burgoyne from the University of Amsterdam found that the Spice Girls' catchy anthem "Wannabe" ranked among the top 10 most recognizable songs in recent history, with participants identifying it in an average of 2.3 seconds, joining the ranks of Lou Bega's "Mambo No 5" and Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger".
Source => time.com

2. Jackson Buys Beatles' Catalog

When the King of Pop moonwalked his way into Sir Paul's pocket: In a surprising game of "Beatles Monopoly," Michael Jackson outbid Paul McCartney in 1985 for the majority of The Beatles' back catalog, causing a rift in their friendship. McCartney, having been left "ticketless in the Magical Mystery Tour" since 1969 due to mismanagement, didn't regain his ownership stake until a confidential settlement agreement put an end to the "long and winding road" in 2017.
Source => faroutmagazine.co.uk

Did you know The Beatles couldn't read musical notation but still created countless masterpieces? Discover how their unconventional approach made history!

=> Fun Facts about Music-History

3. Psy's "Gangnam Style" Phenomenon

Who let the horses out? Psy, apparently! Galloping his way into internet infamy with the infectious beat and ridiculous dance moves that shook the world: "Gangnam Style" by South Korean rapper Psy became the first YouTube video to hit 1 billion views in December 2012, and now boasts over 4.78 billion views as of May 2023. The video's overwhelming success inspired a stampede of parodies, copycat politicians, and star-struck celebrities trying to master the art of equestrian boogie, all while riding high on the crest of the Korean Wave that's taking global pop culture by storm.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. MJ's Thriller Dominates Charts

You might say that Michael Jackson really "beat it" with his Thriller album by turning up the "volume" of top 10 hits: Thriller boasts a jaw-dropping seven top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" moonwalking their way to the number one spot, making it the best-selling album of all time having sold over 70 million copies worldwide.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Bieber & Gomez Boost Carly Rae

When "Bieber fever" mingled with a dash of "Gomez glow" to create the ultimate viral potion: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez accidentally stumbled upon Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" while in Canada in December 2011, swiftly tweeting it into the international spotlight. This tweetstorm led to Jepsen signing with Scooter Braun's Schoolboy Records and Interscope Records propelling the song to worldwide fame.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Bee Gees' Life-Saving Groove

Bee Gees to the rescue: not only did their smash hit "Stayin' Alive" grace the music charts and our hearts, but it also doubled as a dance-inducing defibrillator for John Travolta's groovy strut through the streets of Brooklyn in Saturday Night Fever – a scene that immortalized disco's electrifying energy in the late 1970s.
Source => tcm.com

7. Taylor Swift Goes Pop

They say you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and Taylor Swift seems to have broken free from her country shell: With her 2014 pop album, 1989, she not only demonstrated her versatile musical prowess but also bagged three Grammy Awards, marking a significant departure from her country beginnings.
Source => blog.promolta.com

8. Weird Al's Nerdy Hit

Whoever said "opposites attract" must have foreseen the day when "Weird Al" Yankovic would unite comic book collectors, thespian dungeon masters, and Donny Osmond in one epic anthem: "White & Nerdy" not only became Yankovic's first and only Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit, but also boasted appearances from Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, and Seth Green, and was certified platinum for those disco-dancing dorks out there, bringing new meaning to the term "geek chic."
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Earworms: The Science of Catchy Songs

Ready to get that tune stuck in your head like gum on a school desk? Turns out, it's not just the catchy chorus that causes these musical misdemeanors – it's a science: According to Professor Emery Schubert from the University of NSW, earworms worm their way into our brains due to repetition, recent exposure, and familiarity with the song. Plus, daydreaming increases our susceptibility to these catchy culprits. But fear not, most people find these tune intrusions more of a pleasure than a pest.
Source => kidsnews.com.au

10. Rebecca Black's "Friday" Frenzy

In a twist straight out of an alternate reality where William Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss collaborated on a song: Rebecca Black's "Friday" spread like wildfire, garnering equal parts groans and giggles as it soared to infamy: This musical misfire, despite being labeled "the worst song ever" by critics, somehow sashayed its way to number 38 on the US Hot Digital Songs chart and sold over 500,000 copies in the US, with its much-maligned music video racking up 166 million views on YouTube, boosted by a cacophony of parodies and widespread, morbid curiosity.
Source => en.wikipedia.org