Liner Notes

Those tiny scratches near the label aren’t random. Here’s how to read your records’ dead wax and spot a true first pressing.

A sitar, bagpipes, a mandolin and a guitar that talks: here are ten classic rock songs that got their magic from instruments you'd never expect.

Every record starts as a sound wave and ends up pressed into plastic. Here's how records are made, how splatter vinyl gets its look, and why vinyl keeps growing.

Remember camping out for concert tickets? Here's how ticket buying went from lawn chairs to bots and hidden fees, and why a 2026 jury verdict could change it again.

Sold-out shows and millions of streams don't always add up to big paychecks. Here's how music money actually flows, and the fine print most fans never see.

Thriller, Back in Black, Rumours and more: here's the countdown of the best-selling albums ever made, and how many of them are probably already on your shelf.

Before playlists, there was the mixtape. Here's a look back at racing the DJ, dubbing on double decks and why a tape made by hand still means so much.

One perfect song and then gone: here are ten of the biggest one-hit wonders in pop history, from "Funkytown" and "Mickey" to "Macarena."

Pops and crackle driving you crazy? Here's a simple, gentle way to clean your vinyl records at home, plus the mistakes that can damage your collection.

Some songs sound like love letters until you listen closely. Here are ten rock ballads and slow songs with a genuinely creepy side, from The Police to Pearl Jam.