Bursting onto the scene in 1975, "Jaws" became the first blockbuster film. Much of the film's success comes from John William's score -- but why is the music so scary? Tune in as John and Mark figure it out in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

Stage names are a common practice in the world of entertainment. An alter ego is more complex, and can take over an entertainer's life. Learn more about the fascinating lives of musicians -- and their alter egos -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

Blue Note is one of the most famous recording labels in history. This legendary jazz label has been home to the icons of music, from Miles Davis to Thelonious Monk. Learn how Blue Note was born in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

Although they may not all listen to the same genres, cultures across the world prize music. In modern times, this reverence translates into that most elusive of qualities -- coolness. Learn what makes music cool in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

Music is an ancient human enterprise, and cultures across the world have played music since the dawn of civilization -- but which instrument came first? Tune in as Mark and John try to figure it out in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

As the world reels after the death of Michael Jackson, fans across the planet pay tribute to the King of Pop. Join Mark and John as they ask why Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is the world's best-selling album in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

The formal, technical titles of classical music tunes are often hard to decipher -- so why do we use them? Tune in as Mark and John explain the method behind the jargon of classical titles in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

A woman in Minnesota was recently convicted of downloading songs illegally and ordered to pay $80,000 per song. Tune in as John and Mark investigate how -- and if -- a song can be worth this much money in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

Dave Brubeck is a legendary American jazz pianist known for his use of unorthodox time signatures. Tune in as Mark and John take a closer look at the work of this unique jazz icon in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

In the late 80s, mixed tapes ruled the musical world -- and a company called Personics became the first on-demand, custom music service. Learn more about this early cassette version of iTunes in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.