In 1985, Tipper Gore’s Filthy 15 list sparked Senate hearings, rock star testimony, and the birth of the Parental Advisory sticker. Set against the backdrop of the Satanic Panic, it was a defining moment in music’s fight for free expression.

Portrait of W. A. Mozart by Barbara Krafft Once heard, it lingers. The soaring high C, often a rite of passage for boy trebles, has...

James Jamerson in the studio There are bass players, and then there’s James Jamerson. You might not know his name off the top of your head, but chances are you’ve danced, swayed, or sobbed to his work. From the irresistible snap of “I Was Made to Love Her” to the bottomless groove of “What’s Going On,” Jamerson’s playing formed the foundation of the Motown sound, one of the most enduring forces in 20th-century popular music. He was, in many ways, the secret sauce. The glue. T