Timbaland, Fergie, Gwen Stefani Win Top Honors at ASCAP Awards

The 25th Annual ASCAP Pop Awards were held last night at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Timbaland received the organization's top pop award, Songwriter of the Year, while Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape" and Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" tied for Song of the Year. Despite all the tumult since their takeover, EMI Music Publishing managed to take home Publisher of the Year. Other artists winning assorted awards were Justin Timberlake, Akon, The-Dream, Ludacris and Nelly Furtado. Additionally, Steve Miller and Lionel Richie were given Golden Note Awards for lifetime achievement. Quincy Jones was on hand to honor Richie, while Les Paul honored Miller via video. Finally, Sara Bareilles took home the Vanguard Award for "helping shape the future of American music."

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Song Stories

“The Pretender”

Foo Fighters | 2007

This song wasn't part of the planned track listing for 2007's Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, and was put together in a day. "It happened after we recorded a lot of stuff," said Dave Grohl. Yet it ended up as the album opener and the lead single. Grohl called it "a stomping Foo Fighters uptempo song with a little bit of Chuck Berry in it." The singer hinted at the lyrics' political overtones: "Everyone's been f---ed over before and I think a lot of people feel f---ed over right now and they're not getting what they were promised."

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