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Song Stories

“Stay (I Missed You)”

Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories | 1994

While living across the street from Ethan Hawke, Lisa Loeb became friends with the actor, who frequently attended Loeb's shows. During filming for Reality Bites, Hawke thought this cute-sounding song — written while Loeb was going through a breakup — would make a nice addition to the soundtrack. The film didn't fare so well, but the single became a surprise chartbuster for Loeb, who didn't even have a record deal at the time. "It was a shock," Loeb said. "I mean, it's always a dream come true to have success, to not worry about having a job and just be a musician."

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“Rumble”
Link Wray | 1958
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“Tutti-Frutti”
Little Richard | 1955

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Song Stories

“Everyday People”

Sly and the Family Stone | 1968

"Everyday People" managed to trailblaze in two different ways -- it was one of the first pop hits to deal with the subject of racial harmony, and it utilized Larry Graham's "slap" technique on the bass guitar, which would soon be copied by countless other bassists. Graham once said about his pulsating style, "I'd never done that before … that's where the freedom of creativity came in for the band, that we'd be allowed to do that." In 1978, the song's line "Different strokes for different folks" would be borrowed for the title of the hit television show Diff'rent Strokes.

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