Grunge

When Carole King became explosively popular with the release of her 1971 album "Tapestry," that success wasn't overnight or sudden: She'd been working as a songwriter for more than a decade, and since she was a teenager. In fact, before she became a headlining musician who sold millions of albums in the 1970s, Carole King wrote a slew of well-crafted and well-known tunes, along with writing partner Gerry Goffin, that went on to be recorded by a number of famous acts of the 1960s.

The 1980s were known for many things, especially the stellar tunes from all kinds of genres that still remain popular today. But if nothing else, the decade knew how to throw a wild party. Though pop culture often depicts the '70s as the most rambunctious decade — in part thanks to a handful of movies that nail what it was like to be a classic rock fan then — the '80s were right on par.

The first surfing-themed song to become a No. 1 single in the U.S. was Jan and Dean's beach-party jam "Surf City," which on July 18, 1963, was spending its first week on top of the Hot 100. While many of the songs that captured what '60s surf rock was all about evoked the feel and sound of surfing, other popular surf rock tunes of the era depicted the subculture, tropes, and rituals of the Southern California surfing scene.

Sometimes it seems like everything Bob Dylan ever said is quote-worthy. Writer of some of the most legendary songs of all time, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016, and prolific musician with 125 million albums sold across 40 studio albums, Dylan has come a long way from his childhood in the Minnesota mining town of Hibbing.

Everyone knows that, in addition to their own hits, the Bee Gees wrote music for other artists. But a lesser-known fact is that they actually contributed a great deal toward building the Coca-Cola brand back in the 1960s. It all started early in the decade, when Coca-Cola started a worldwide campaign titled "Things Go Better with Coke." The slogan was created by Bill Backer, and the initiative recruited several high-profile artists and bands. Of course, the Bee Gees were among them.

Love songs ruled the airwaves in 1962, with romantic ballads such as "Johnny Angel" and "I Can't Stop Loving You" climbing the charts that spring and summer. But for sheer, old-school romance, nothing beats Bobby Vinton's dreamy chart-topper, "Roses Are Red." Vinton's career-making hit conquered the Billboard Hot 100 the week of July 14, 1962, and stayed there until Neil Sedaka came along with the stone-cold classic "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" four weeks later.

Born on January 19, 1946, in East Tennessee, Dolly Parton was the fourth of 12 children. Her parents didn't have much, sharing a one-room cabin, but there was love in the home. Dolly Parton's childhood mountain upbringing also featured another ever-present: music. Thanks to her mother and grandfather's influences, music surrounded the Parton family household.

Van Morrison is one of the most legendary vocalists and songwriters of the 20th century, who incorporated a wide range of disparate elements from Christian mysticism to American folk tales in his work, as well as a huge sonic palette that took in a range of genres from folk to jazz.

There's something magical about the songs that hit it big during the summer months. No matter what time of the year you hear them, you can't help but think of sweltering days, lazy afternoons, and restless — albeit short — nights. Few songs capture those summertime nights quite like Bobby Lewis' "Tossin' and Turnin'," which first hit No. 1 on July 10, 1961, and stayed at the top of the charts for a whopping seven weeks. It wasn't exactly an overnight success.

Born in 1932 during the Great Depression, Johnny Cash would eventually rise from his rural Arkansas beginnings to become a towering legend in country music. Despite his success, Cash managed to remain honest and true to himself, both in his life and through his music. Cash's life was no simple rags-to-riches story, though, and certainly not without its blemishes.