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Coldplay is one of the best-selling bands in the world. In spite of its success, the band has a nagging problem: charges that it plagiarized not one, but three other artists to write its recent hit, "Viva La Vida." Yusuf Islam, aka Cat Stevens, is the latest accuser.

Children will always dance at parties, but the music they choose is bound to evolve with the tastes of each new generation. Or is it? Pose a question to Mrs. Kushnir's third-grade class at Lafayette Elementary School in Washington, D.C. — "Which music makes you dance around?" — and you'll hear a laundry list of trends from the '50s onward.

Everybody loves Cole Porter. But most jazz musicians really love Cole Porter. Singers love his lyrics, which showcase great wit, amazing rhymes and beautiful imagery. Instrumentalists love his elegant melodies and sophisticated song structures. Celebrate Porter's birthday with Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Nellie McKay and more.

Some people are said to "follow a path" in their creative life, but a path is not enough for bassist Charlie Haden. For more than 50 years, he's been building his own musical freeway. To follow him down that freeway is one of the richest experiences in American music. It's Haden's birthday this week, so here's a chance to celebrate with five of his best songs.

No matter how you're going to spend your time by the pool, you're going to need musical accompaniment -- preferably something that steers clear of the typical Jimmy Buffett and Beach Boys mix. How about some jazz? Not the heady stuff, unless you're aiming to clear the decks. Instead, get yourself some deep '70s jazz; the kind that leaves a funk aroma and washes off easily when you take the plunge.

Best known in the U.S. for his hit "Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus," Gainsbourg's career as a film composer has long remained a small footnote to his massive discography. Digging into his collection of Gainsbourg 7s", Egon offers five notable tracks from films like Le Pancha and Cannabis.

Lovey-dovey romantic types get all the attention on Valentine's Day. But not everyone wants to be in love right about now, and some relationships just happen to be hitting their expiration date this very minute. Listen to five songs that are perfect for those looking to break someone's heart.

Jazz and beer are natural companions, so we asked the Washington City Paper's "Beerspotter" to pair bottles with records by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra and more.

Nothing nourishes the road warrior quite like heavy-metal music. It awakens the primitive conqueror within. Epic highway battles can be fought on Black Sabbath and Slayer alone, but here are five more warrior-friendly head-bashers, each set to tear the road apart.

Broadway musicals of the 1960s were surprisingly good at explaining complicated economic matters. Before tourists took over the Great White Way, the "tired businessman" was the target audience. These four songs are particularly illustrative of the kind of vaudeville mixed with corporate-speak that the businessman favored.