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One of the catchiest yacht rock hits of the early 1980s became one of the singer’s biggest commercial successes, but its bubblegum pop sound ultimately left him feeling like a sellout.

Paul Davis, who had hits with the now-classic Yacht Rock songs "I Go Crazy," "Cool Night," and "Sweet Life," recorded "65 Love Affair" in 1982. However, after the latter became his highest-charting hit, the singer/songwriter reportedly felt like a sellout.

According to Songfacts, Davis wasn’t a fan of “65 Love Affair,” which marked a sharp departure from his soulful, country-driven sound and leaned heavily into bubblegum pop. He also felt the track represented a step away from the style of music he had previously recorded.

That shift in style likely helped propel the song to his greatest commercial success, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard charts in 1982. It also went on to become the highest-selling single of his career and a standout track on his LP "Cool Night."

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Although the song was titled to reflect the 1960s, there was nothing remotely present in the lyrics that reflected the decade. It was initially titled "'55 Love Affair," but his record company wanted the song to appeal to younger listeners and the title was changed.

RELATED: 1977 Country Rock Anthem Dubbed an ‘Afterthought’ Became a Chart-Dominating Hit

In an interview with Classic Bands, Davis said of songwriting, "Most of the time I have to work pretty hard at it. I don't write a lot of songs. Generally, I record everything I write."

"If I'm gonna cut ten songs, I don't have fifteen or sixteen songs to choose from. I'd be lucky if I have eight, because I take a long time to write. '65 Love Affair' came really fast. There's something magical and inspirational about the discovery of what was the beginning of rock 'n' roll. The songs were simple, and they weren't really complicated. It was just fun back then, and much simpler, easier to understand."

Reportedly, after recording the song, Davis stopped recording. He moved to Nashville in the mid-1980s and reinvented himself solely as a songwriter, reported the Nashville Songwriters Foundation. He later wrote songs for Tanya Tucker, Paul Overstreet, Marie Osmond, and Dan Seals.

The Nashville Songwriters Foundation said of Davis, "His skillful arrangements on his song demo tapes were frequently copied note for note by singing stars and their producers. Ronnie Milsap, for instance, reportedly merely replaced Davis' voice with his own on the Davis demo recording of "Turn That Radio On" to create his hit record of the song."

Paul Davis died on April 22, 2008. He was 60.

Related: 1981 Pop Classic, Runner Up for ‘Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs by Women,’ Remains a Sizzling Hit 45 Years Later

In 1995, the Smashing Pumpkins went big with the release of “Bullet With Butterfly Wings.” The lead single from the 28-track, double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was an anguished and defiant anthem at the height of the grunge era.

“Bullet” featured distorted guitars and screams from frontman Billy Corgan. It became Smashing Pumpkins’ first Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1996, and won the band a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. Thirty years later, it remains the band’s second-highest top-charting song, bested only by  “1979” from the same album.

Amazingly, songwriter Corgan didn’t think “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” would succeed on the radio. In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rockpublished in May 2026, Corgan, 59, admitted he was against releasing the song as the album’s first single.

“[With] Mellon Collie, you know, there was a sort of planned idea for singles, but ‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings’ came out first,” he told the outlet. “I fought it, and kind of eventually gave in.”

“I wasn't sure that ‘Bullet’ was going to be a successful radio song,” the music icon added. “Back then, I really didn't think about it much. I just tried to write the best songs I could. …So the entire time I was writing ‘Bullet,’ I wasn't thinking, ‘Oh, I've got to make this part shorter or longer, because of the radio stations,’  I didn't think about it at all, and I was convinced 'Jellybelly' was going to be the first single off of Mellon Collie, and it never even became a single at all."

Corgan previously explained that he was surprised when a Virgin Records executive insisted on releasing “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” as a single.

“I didn't get it at the time,” Corgan said during a 2025 appearance on Joe Rogan Experience. “I actually had to be talked into it. We were putting out our double album, it was this big pressure moment, '95, and I wanted a different song to be the first song. And the guy from the record company called, who's now passed away, his name was Phil Quartararo, lovely guy. And he literally did the thing on the phone, ‘Kid, it's a smash, you've got to trust me.’ And I trusted him. I thought he was crazy.”

Decades after releasing the career-defining hit, Corgan noted that fans still reference him via the song’s lyric, “Despite all the rage, I am still just a rat in a cage.”

In a May 2026 episode of his podcast, The Magnificent Others, Corgan told guest Barry Williams, “I’m the rat in the cage guy. That's what I get in airports, you know, because my one song, you know. ‘So like you're the rat in the cage guy, right?’”

Sticking to that theme, in fall 2026, Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins will hit the road for The Rats in a Cage Tour to celebrate 30 years of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness.

Corgan told Ultimate Classic Rock he has no regrets over how things ended up with the Smashing Pumpkins singles 30 years ago. “I can't complain, because with hindsight, you look at it more like, ‘Well, did it all kind of work out?’“ he said. “Certainly, with that album, it worked out.”

Related: 1993 One-Hit Wonder Became an Era-Defining Classic, Despite Never Hitting No. 1

Barry Manilow has opened up about the damage his early critics had on his state of mind.

The 82-year-old told The Guardian in a new interview that his critics did get him down, despite having a loyal following of Fanilows. Over the years, Barry has been criticised for her overly sentimental songs, but that hasn't stopped him releasing 13 platinum and six multi-platinum albums.

“It was as if I'd hurt somebody in their family. It lasted for so long — from putting me down for the songs, and then putting me down for what I looked like,” the singer told the British newspaper. “If you wanted to get a big laugh, you would mention my name. It was 15 years of relentless, horrible reviews.”

Asked how the negative reviews made him feel, the "Mandy" song replied: "I would stupidly read some of this stuff and I would go into my self-pity, and I’d pull the covers over my head. And then I would get dressed and go to the sound check, and that was that. Because I didn’t agree with them."

Despite a career spanning more than six decades, Manilow still doesn't feel entirely comfortable in the spotlight. "It’s just not who I am. I’ve figured out how to do it. And the way to do is to be honest with these audiences. Because I don’t know how to not be honest on that stage."

Manilow has recently been forced to cancel a number of his shows due to his stage 1 lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. “I'm still waiting for the strength that I lost to come back,” he explained, per People.

“I'm still going through it, but I'm pulling myself back together. I'm not even sure I can go to the next level yet. My body doesn't want to take me there. It's not even doctor's orders, it's my body's orders — it won't let me do it,” he added.

Related: Barry Manilow Announces First New Album In Nearly 15 Years

If you're currently navigating Walt Disney World or scrolling through your travel feeds, you’ve probably noticed a massive, collective wave of déjà vu hitting the Disney community.

Walt Disney World officially announced a major expansion to its new Airport Luggage Transfer service. Starting this season, domestic travelers flying into Orlando International Airport (MCO) on American Airlines and United Airlines can have their checked bags piped directly between the airport and their resort hotel, joining Southwest Airlines in the popular program.

The internet's general response? "Wait a minute... didn't we used to have this?"

Related: Disney World Just Dropped a Major Free Entry Perk for Resort Guests

For veteran Disney travelers, the announcement feels less like a brand-new update and a lot more like Disney slowly rebuilding the skeleton of a legendary, deeply missed perk. Before it was controversially discontinued in 2022, the complimentary Disney's Magical Express shuttle service was famous for its yellow baggage tags. You would step off your plane in Orlando, completely bypass MCO's notoriously chaotic baggage claim carousels, and head straight to a theme park while a dedicated luggage tram delivered your suitcases directly to your hotel room.

While this new iteration—officially operated by a third-party vendor called BagCheck—doesn't include the free bus ride back to the property, it does officially bring back that exact, hands-free checked baggage magic.

Related: The Smarter Way to Do Disney: Essential Theme Park Packing Hacks

The announcement has sparked a hilarious wave of nostalgia and playful side-eyes across social media. As Instagram follower neverland.knots put it, "I’m crying at this 'expanding'—guys, this used to be the norm. They had cutie little luggage trams that looked like suitcases." Another reader, duffs2darts, echoed the sentiment, joking, "I love it when a company takes something away then brings it back like it’s a new idea!"

The comments are a direct nod to how much fans missed that seamless, luggage-free arrival. Seeing even a piece of that travel ease return has sparked major celebration. "WOOOOW!!!! This is AMAAAAAZING!!! Now let’s get that Magic Express back!" shared valerielivingmagically.

The service allows arriving domestic travelers to skip the baggage lines entirely upon touchdown, meaning you can jump right into a rideshare or onto a resort shuttle and head straight into the theme parks to check out the newest rides. Your checked bags are securely delivered directly to your hotel property within roughly four hours. On your departure day, the process works in reverse: you complete your online airline check-in, drop your heavy suitcases with Luggage Assistance in your resort lobby between 4 and 24 hours before takeoff, and you don’t have to lay a finger on them again until you land at your home airport's baggage claim.

Currently, Disney is keeping the service locked inside a strict testing phase exclusively for guests staying at its "Value" resort tier, including:

• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resorts

To use the service, you just need to jump into Disney's online BagCheck portal to register your flight details and resort confirmation number between 30 days and 24 hours before you fly. If you set it up more than a week out, they will even mail dedicated routing tags straight to your house to attach before you head to your local gate.

While Disney notes that they fully intend to continue expanding both the airline lineup and the resort roster over time, this growing perk is quickly becoming the ultimate vacation hack. Whether you view it as a brilliant new upgrade or the welcome return of a classic hotel favorite, leaving the heavy lifting to the luggage team is the smartest move you can make to maximize your park time.

Related: 15 Free Things You Can Do at Walt Disney World Without Entering the Parks

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Solar lights are an easy and practical way to illuminate your backyard, garden, or patio for all your spring and summer gatherings. If you're looking for a way to add some ambient lighting to your outdoor space, Walmart'sSzrsth Solar Fence Lights 6-Pack is a top-rated option that's currently on sale for over 60% off.  

For a limited time, the popular set is available for just $33, down from $100. Equipped with energy-efficient reflective lenses, these lights feature three different modes that are suitable for all your outdoor activities: warm white for a soft glow, neutral white for daily tasks, and cool white when you need brighter lighting.  

Courtesy of Walmart

No matter which mode you choose, these solar lights will help brighten up your yard, creating a cozy atmosphere wherever you place them. Their sleek and modern design is versatile enough to use in a range of outdoor spaces, including patios, gardens, garages, driveways, stairs, and more. You can enjoy hassle-free operation wherever you place them, thanks to the auto feature that turns the lights on at sunset and off at sunrise. 

With an IP65 waterproof rating, these solar lights are built to withstand all types of weather conditions, including rainy or snowy days. Plus, they're easy to install; you can mount them with either screws or adhesive, both of which come included in the set. Once fully charged, the lights can stay on for up to 10 hours. 

Related: Walmart’s 'Cute' $13 Belt Bag Is 'Perfect for Travel' and 'Big Enough for Essentials'

Shoppers praised this six-pack set for its overall quality. One reviewer said the lights deliver "just the right brightness" to their garden, while another noted that they bring a "beautiful and peaceful vibe" to their backyard. 

This flash deal won't last long, so if you've been considering solar lights for your outdoor space, now's your chance to score a great bargain. Snag this top-rated six-pack for under $40 at Walmart while you can. 

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s curated selection of discounts and sales, twice a week.

Anne Hathaway spent her thirties under intense movie-set lights while her vision was quietly falling apart. On Popcast, the 43-year-old actor dropped a bombshell: an early-onset cataract had completely clouded her left eye, destroying her sight during her most high-profile years in Hollywood.

"This is maybe too much information," Hathaway said. "I was half blind for 10 years."

Her admission revealed the spatial awareness necessary to hit marks on the studio floor, which requires actors to bypass moving equipment to deliver a believable performance. The process of navigating that world with diminished vision was stressful.

"I've calmed down since then," the Devil Wears Prada 2 star admitted. "I didn't realize it was actually taxing my nervous system." Because the deterioration happened to Hathaway in slow motion, the star adapted to the dark. She normalized her lack of eyesight before she sought a surgical solution.

"It impacted my vision so much that I was basically legally blind out of my left eye, and I wound up getting surgery," she explained.

The procedure brought the physical world back into sharp focus. Colors shifted. The blur vanished. "And I didn't realize how bad it had gotten until I could finally see the full spectrum," she said.

For Hathaway, the sudden clarity changed her. Surviving that decade in the fog turned daily sight into an appreciation of modern medical technology. It even changed how she views the act of opening her eyes in the morning.

"I appreciate vision because I literally feel like every day, I wake up, and I get to see the way that I do, it's a miracle," she reflected. "I actually am like, 'Oh, two generations back, that wouldn't have been an option for someone like me.' So, I actually do feel very connected to that kind of a miracle."

For anyone tracking her career, the timeline retroactively re-colors a decade of her film history. All of it happened while her brain was working overtime to see. While she was reciting her lines, Hathaway was secretly mapping the room to avoid the cords. It turns those performances into something entirely different.

Retirement is the culmination of years of work, when you finally get to take back your time and start your “third chapter,” but the lack of routine can actually cause significant stress and anxiety. Research suggests that you can avoid all this by creating a routine and rediscovering your joy.

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Many people feel a loss of self or a sense of purpose when they retire. It makes sense. You’ve spent decades of your life in a single career, or even possibly trying new careers, and now there’s no job structure or routine. It can feel daunting. 

In a piece written for the Stanford Center on Longevity, Annie Coleman, an advisor for CEOs and senior leaders who are leaving long, successful careers, suggests creating a “purpose portfolio” to help you reignite that sense of routine. 

Related: Buying These 6 Items Will Help Boost Your Retirement Portfolio

“‘Retire’ means to withdraw, to step back, to retreat from relevance. It’s an utterly inadequate concept for the vibrant, purpose-driven chapter that my clients envision for themselves,” Coleman says in the piece. She notes that your third chapter should have several key points. 

A study from Cornell University posits that aging destabilizes circadian rhythms, so Coleman’s suggestion for structure can help regulate that delicate system. Coleman equates it to an investment portfolio with suggestions on how to find your next purpose.

1. Productive Assets - This refers to all the skills and talents you’ve acquired in your lifetime. Consider what aspects of your job or hobbies you loved and what you’d like to let go. Ask what energizes you. Think about what skills you want to learn. Your third chapter should include lifelong learning to help keep you active and engaged.
2. Vitality Assets - Consider the people in your life. Who brings you joy and who brings stress?  What people are adding value to your life? Also, what activities are boosting your health? What activities can you engage in now to help maintain or improve your mental and physical health over the next few decades?
3. Transformation Assets - In addition to what you can do and for how long, you should also consider why it matters and who it serves. Are you engaging in activities you feel obligated to maintain? Or are there activities that will bring you back to the person you really want to be?

Related: The Little-Known Secret to Avoiding the Dreaded Third Year Retirement Slump Completely

The combination of these three pillars of the Purpose Portfolio will help you discover your passions and goals. Once you know how you want to spend your time, you can then begin building the life you want. Now that your career is behind you, the real fun can begin. 

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

In 1982, radio playlists were packed with rock, pop, and country hits, but one emotional song stood above the rest. Its massive crossover success helped turn a one-named artist into one of the biggest stars in music.

Sylvia Jane Hutton, known professionally as Sylvia, had a blockbuster hit with a tune written about a cheating lover. "Nobody" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country Music Chart and No. 15 on the Hot 100, becoming her signature song.

However, Sylvia's success didn't come overnight. It took several popular country hits before becoming a crossover success, including “You Don’t Miss a Thing,” “Drifter,” “Tumbleweed,” “The Matador,” and “Heart on the Mend.”

Despite a string of successful releases, Sylvia still hadn’t found the one song that truly defined her career. That changed with “Nobody,” the emotional crossover hit that became her signature anthem and dominated radio airwaves.

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Listed as one of the Best '80s Country Songs by Holler, it was called a "classic country heartbreak anthem" and broke new ground for Sylvia as a crossover artist. Country Chatter reported that "Nobody" was awarded BMI “Song of the Year” for receiving the most radio airplay in 1983.

In an interview on the Tony Pruitt Show, Sylvia shared her recollections of the song's massive success and its legacy in country music. "I had a hunch," she began.

"I heard it the day I recorded it," Sylvia explained. "We had more songs than we needed, and we whittled it down to the 10 that were on the record [Just Sylvia]."

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"Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan popped into the office and said, 'You've got to hear this song, we just finished it.' They hadn't put it down on paper, but it was taped. They played it live for me, and by the time the chorus came around, I was singing it with them."

"It was really special. It felt really special," she concluded.

Sylvia was named Female Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in 1982 and was Grammy-nominated for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1983.

The song continues to resonate with listeners. As recently as 2022, artist Breland sampled "Nobody" for the song "County Line."

Sylvia is currently a certified life and career coach, per her official website.

Related: 1983 Nostalgic No. 1 Country-Pop Duet Still Feels Like a Warm Memory 43 Years Later

There's a quiet revolution taking place in the leisure travel market, and it is being driven almost entirely by solo female travelers. Far from the outdated stereotypes of the isolated backpacker or the rigid, box-checking tour bus group, modern female travelers are aggressively seeking out deeply meaningful, transformative experiences that prioritize both personal sanctuary and authentic human connection.

"I think women 50 plus really control about 70 to 80% of leisure travel decisions," notes Evelina Chiang, co-founder of the luxury lifestyle membership Vantage X. "Now they're empty nesters, maybe they're recently divorced, whatever the situation is. There's fewer child care constraints, they have more time and more ability to prioritize those experience compared to kind of the younger demographic."

Whether traveling solo in their 20s, 30s, or navigating a new chapter in midlife, women are completely rewriting the rules of the road. To pinpoint the ultimate vacation for a solo female traveler looking for an unforgettable itinerary, we sat down with three distinct travel industry founders and experts. Despite running entirely different operations—spanning bespoke global itineraries, luxury rewards networks and young professional group adventures—they all independently pointed to the exact same structural solution: small-ship boutique cruising and private, localized boat expeditions.

For women looking to satisfy a deep sense of wanderlust without inheriting a massive mental load, here's why this unexpected style of travel has become the ultimate industry sweet spot.

Related: The Rise of Solo Social Travel: Expert Tips & Best Destinations

For many women, the biggest barrier to booking a solo getaway isn’t a lack of adventurous spirit—it’s sheer decision fatigue. Managing daily logistics, coordinating safe transit and vetting independent dinner spots can quickly turn a restorative vacation into a second project-management job. Small-ship cruising offers a brilliant counterpoint, acting essentially as a floating boutique retreat where the logistics evaporate the moment you step on deck.

"I think luxury and expedition cruising is exploding in that age group because it's so easy and it's mindless, right?" Chiang explains. "You unpack once and from a convenience standpoint and then you're able to stop at so many different destinations, safety is almost guaranteed, you're in a large group and you always come back to the ship as a home base at the end of the evening."

This focus on effortless execution is completely shifting the definition of high-end travel. Luxury is no longer about ostentatious displays; it is about the ultimate premium commodity: peace of mind.

"I think luxury nowadays is less about showing off and more about feeling taken care of and that my needs are being seen," Chiang adds.

Related: 6 Luxe 2026 Travel Destinations Women Over 50 Will Love

Traveling solo shouldn't have to mean traveling lonely. One of the most powerful elements of small-scale water itineraries is the way they naturally foster deep, unforced social connections among groups of women who start out as total strangers. Unlike massive commercial cruise liners carrying thousands of passengers, smaller vessels establish a familiar, neighborhood-like environment.

"A small ship is like a small floating boutique hotel," says Graham Carter, founder of Unforgettable Travel and Cruise Croatia. "When you've got your smaller vessels up to 200 passengers... we've seen that in the last three years, there's been a big movement for single women in their 50s and 60s traveling. I think it's because you've got women whose husbands have passed away, sadly, or they're divorced or they just haven't found the right person and they still want to travel. They still want to travel in an environment where it feels familiar, it feels safe and they can feel like they're in a community."

The intimate layout of a small yacht allows social connections to happen organically, bypassing the awkwardness often found on standard structured group trips.

"We have 36 guests on board, and often we'll get groups of 12, 14, or 16 women," Carter shares. "The great thing is they get on board as complete strangers. Throughout the week, they get to know each other while doing excursions and going out to dinner together. By the end of the week, everyone is exchanging emails or connecting on Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp. You then have people coming back to say, 'Hey, we've met these friends. Can we do another cruise with you? Can we go to a new destination?' Small-ship cruising has that very personalized feel."

Ultimately, this structure answers a fundamental human craving that modern solo travelers are actively seeking out on the open water. "I think the big thing is that we all want to feel like we belong," Carter notes. "I think we all want to feel like we're part of a community."

A New Survey Reveals Where Solo Travelers Want to Go Most in 2026

The magic of a small boat is that it isn't reserved exclusively for multi-week international yacht charters. Even within land-based group itineraries, integrating dedicated private water days is proving to be the highlight that sells out trips for modern travel operators.

"Solo travel at any age can be life-changing," agrees Tara Cappel, founder of FTLO Travel, whose company, FTLO Travel, curates small group adventures specifically for professionals in their 20s and 30s. "Honestly, I would say most people associate an FTLO trip with a boat day because we know everyone loves a boat day and a lot of our trips have a boat day and it's always a private boat."

Cappel's signature strategy relies on a clever "high-low" budgeting blend. By choosing charming, locally-owned and modest accommodations on land, travelers preserve their vacation funds to splurge heavily on private, hyper-exclusive experiences out on the water. This allows solo adventurers to access pristine, hidden geographic pockets that are completely cut off from traditional overland tourists.

"In one of the towns we stay in called Cala Gonone, on the east coast [of Sardinia], it's so beautiful… but we stay at a more modest hotel," Cappel explains. "It affords us the budget to have private boats for the day. So, our time there includes a private boat excursion with wine and lunch out on the water, going to these coves that no one else can access—that you can only access by boat."

Related: Why The 'Fluxury' Trend Is The Smartest New Way To Travel This Summer

If you're ready to book a meaningful solo escape that balances rich culture with effortless execution, the experts point to a few key regions dominating the destination pipeline. While wider Japan and traditional Italian multi-city rail trips remain highly popular, Portugal has emerged as an absolute powerhouse for independent female travelers.

"Portugal is one of the fastest growing destinations that we're seeing," Chiang points out. "A lot of it's driven by walkability, safety as I mentioned. And then value compared to an Italy or France per se."

Carter agrees completely, noting that the country is perfectly built for an immersive, deeply authentic itinerary. "People have been to Italy and France many times, and I think they are looking for somewhere that feels a bit new and different," Carter concludes. "With Portugal, you have the Douro Valley, the incredible wine, and some really nice boutique winery experiences. It’s also a destination that is quite easy to get to—it's safe, it's got good food, and it's fairly compact in terms of getting around."

Related: Holland America Just Solved the Biggest Problem With Solo Cruising

If you're ready to transition from dreaming about an island escape to actually securing your spot on deck, these three insider-backed opportunities offer the perfect launchpad for a solo, stress-free getaway.

• FTLO Travel’s Portugal Expedition (Ages 25–39): Specially curated for independent women and young professionals in their 20s and 30s, this seven-day group itinerary takes the pressure off planning. The trip kicks off with an orientation in Lisbon before whisking travelers away via private ground transfers to the stunning Algarve coast. The definitive highlight of the trip is a private sailing experience along the golden cliffs and hidden grottoes of Lagos, featuring dedicated time for paddleboarding and swimming. By anchoring the trip in stylish, locally-owned hotels, the itinerary blends authentic neighborhood exploration with plenty of built-in free time.
• Cruise Croatia’s Solo-Friendly Yacht Charters: For women looking to travel in a secure, community-forward environment, Cruise Croatia operates intimate, 170-foot custom yachts limited to just 36 passengers. Their popular seven-night Split-to-Dubrovnik route island-hops down the breathtaking Dalmatian coast, docking directly in smaller, charming historic ports like Hvar, Vis, Korčula and Pomena (the gateway to Mljet National Park.) Solo travelers can book private single cabins or choose a twin-bed shared cabin configuration, spending their days dropping anchor in quiet bays to swim off the back of the yacht before gathering for a massive onboard Captain's dinner at the end of the week.
• The Vantage X Luxury Lifestyle Membership: If you prefer to engineer your own custom solo itinerary but still want a major premium upgrade, Chiang’s Vantage X offers a luxury, rewards-based alternative. Operating similarly to a high-end credit card benefits program, members receive immediate, all-digital access to over 300 affiliate brand perks. For a solo female traveler, this unlocks exclusive discounts on private transfers, luxury resort stays and commercial flights. Additionally, a built-in partnership with Confirmed 360 secures VIP, front-row access to major global concerts and live entertainment events, while integrated Resort Pass deals allow solo travelers to seamlessly book day-access to five-star saunas, pools and wellness rituals worldwide.

Related: Lisbon Is the Perfect European Escape for Solo Women Over 50—and Here’s Why

British rock icon Paul Weller has turned 68, marking another milestone in a music career that has stretched across nearly five decades. 

Born on May 25, 1958, in Woking, Surrey, Weller became one of the most important figures in British rock music through his work with The Jam, The Style Council and as a solo artist.

Known to fans as the “Modfather,” Weller built a reputation for blending rock, soul, punk, jazz and pop into a sound that shaped generations of British musicians. Over the years, he scored six UK No. 1 albums and earned 24 Top 10 albums in the United Kingdom. His long-running success has made him one of the most respected names in British music history.

Weller first rose to fame in the late 1970s as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of The Jam alongside Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. The band quickly became one of the leading groups of the mod revival movement. Their rise was fast, beginning with the 1977 single “In the City,” which reached the UK Top 40.

By 1979, The Jam broke into the UK Top 10 with “The Eton Rifles.” One year later, the band earned its first No. 1 single with “Going Underground.” The group later added more chart-toppers, including “Town Called Malice” and “Beat Surrender.”

Even while The Jam was at its peak, Weller decided to move in a new direction. In 1982, he announced the band would split. 

Reflecting on the decision years later, Weller said to Billboard: “Before the Jam split up, I just felt it was time for me to move on, just artistically and creatively. I needed to find something different and different kind of avenues to make music, and a different way of making music.”

After leaving The Jam, Weller formed The Style Council with keyboardist Mick Talbot in 1983. The group allowed him to experiment with jazz, soul, pop and electronic music. 

Songs such as “My Ever Changing Moods” and “You’re the Best Thing” helped the duo find success outside the United Kingdom, including on the American charts.

The Style Council also became known for mixing politics with music during the 1980s. Weller strongly opposed many of the era's political issues and later helped launch the Red Wedge movement, which united musicians behind left-wing causes.

Despite early success, The Style Council’s popularity slowed by the end of the decade. The group split in 1989 after their record label refused to release their final studio album.

Weller returned in the early 1990s with a solo career that revived his commercial success. His self-titled 1992 album introduced fans to a more mature sound, while 1993’s “Wild Wood” became a critical breakthrough. His biggest solo success arrived with the 1995 album Stanley Road, which reached No. 1 in the UK and became the best-selling album of his career.

The album included hit songs such as “The Changingman” and “You Do Something to Me,” both of which became major UK singles. During the Britpop era, Weller also became closely linked to bands such as Oasis. Noel Gallagher even appeared on Weller’s music, while Weller contributed guitar work to Oasis songs.

Weller’s music career has continued well into his late 60s. In recent years, he released albums including On Sunset, Fat Pop (Volume 1), 66 and the 2025 covers album Find El Dorado.

His 2020 album On Sunset gave him No. 1 albums across five consecutive decades. That achievement placed him alongside John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Earlier this year, Weller announced Weller At The BBC Vol. 2, a 48-track collection featuring BBC radio session recordings from 2008 through 2024. The compilation includes songs from his solo catalog along with updated performances connected to The Jam and The Style Council.

Outside music, Weller also made his feature film debut in Blitz in 2024.

Throughout his career, Weller has received four Brit Awards, including three wins for Best British Male. He also earned the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award in 2006.

Now at 68, Paul Weller continues to tour, release musi  and remain active in the industry that he helped shape since the late 1970s.

Related: 1973 Rock Classic, Written in 15 Minutes, Became a Timeless Party Anthem

In 1972, Deep Purple released a hard rock track with a spacey, sci-fi theme. The song, “Space Truckin’,” featured distorted guitar and organ riffs and high-pitched screams from lead singer Ian Gillan as it told the nonsensical tale of a wild ride in outer space. The closing track from Deep Purple’s most commercially successful studio album, the iconic Machine Head, “Space Truckin’” became a road-trip anthem that continues to take fans on a cosmic journey 54 years later.

“Space Truckin’” was written by bandmates Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice, but it was Blackmore who came up with the song’s signature cosmic riff. The guitar legend was playing around with a musical exercise modeled after a 1960s TV theme song composed by Neal Hefti and performed by session musicians, the Wrecking Crew.

“In those days, there was a show called Batman, and I thought that the theme song was so symmetrical,” Blackmore once told Classic Albums of the TV opener, per Far Out magazine. “[The riff] originally began as a finger exercise that I was using to play with my thumb.”

Blackmore originally thought the riff to “Space Truckin'” was too simple.

“It was almost like a thumb exercise,” Blackmore recalled, per Rock and Roll Garage. “It could be played with a thumb, and I took to Ian Gillan. I said, ‘Ian, I had this idea, but it is so ridiculous. It’s so silly and simple that I don’t think we can use it’."

Gillan listened to the riff and told him, "No, I think we can use it.”

Gillan added the vocals to Blackmore’s music, and his screams of “yeah, yeah, yeah, Space Truckin’” are reminiscent of the “Batman” phrase that’s sung 11 times in the theme song for the classic Adam West, Burt Ward superhero series.

Not only is it the ultimate hard rock jam through the Milky Way, but “Space Truckin’” ranks as one of Gillan’s greatest vocal performances.

Goldmine magazine described the song as  “rifftastic” and added, “The tune features powerful lead vocals – and plenty of melodic screaming – from Ian Gillan.” The outlet also noted that a nearly 20-minute version of the track was included on Deep Purple’s 1973 live album, Made in Japan.

But if you’re trying to make sense of the lyrics, don’t waste your time.  Gillan once told Songfacts that the references to “the Pony Trekker" and other oddities mean nothing.

“It’s not literal – nothing in that song is literal,” the Deep Purple legend said. “It’s all a play on words, like, 'We'd move to the ‘Canaveral moonstop,' and ‘Pony Trekker,'  and 'Borealice.' It’s all nonsense.”

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