OFFBEAT BRILLIANCE

The first music critic was a guy who said “needs more cowbell” and never stopped.

✗ FAKE
The cowbell line comes from a 2000 Saturday Night Live sketch with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken, spoofing Blue Öyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper. It's a comedy sketch, not the first critic.

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The Grammy Awards began in 1959 to honor musical excellence. Excellence, occasionally debatable.A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance, and they dance to bond socially. Nature invented choreography first.“A cappella” started because the instruments didn’t show up. The singers called it minimalism.The first “key signature” was invented to stop musicians from freelancing too hard. It did not stop them.The first chorus that “goes hard” was created by a drummer who took it personally.Listening to classical music can temporarily boost IQ, called the Mozart Effect. Results may vary by playlist.See all Offbeat Brilliance facts →

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