10 Misconceptions in Music History

Music history is full of legendary moments—but it’s also packed with half-truths, exaggerations, and stories that refuse to die. From misunderstood lyrics to rivalries that weren’t quite what they seemed, some of the most widely repeated “facts” in music are simply not true.

Part of the problem is how easily a good story spreads. A dramatic anecdote or ironic coincidence is far more memorable than a nuanced explanation. Once a myth takes hold, it can persist for decades—even when the people involved try to correct it. In some cases, these misconceptions were fueled by the media. In others, they were the result of misinterpretation, speculation, or even outright jokes that were taken seriously.

Here are 10 misconceptions in music history that have proven surprisingly difficult to shake.

Related: 10 Musicians Who Were Actually Two-Hit Wonders

10 Cass Elliot’s Death

Lead singer of The Mamas & the Papas, Cass Elliot was widely reported to have died choking on a ham sandwich in 1974. According to her daughter, Owen, who was seven years old at the time, “there was a ham sandwich, but she didn’t eat it, and she didn’t choke on it.”

In her book, Owen revealed that she has been trying to dispel this myth for decades, especially because it is often used to mock her mother’s body size. It has been reported that Elliot’s manager, Allan Carr, helped spread the story and encouraged a Hollywood Reporter writer to publish it to distance Elliot from other rock stars who had died from drugs and alcohol. The true cause of death was a heart attack at age 32.

While Owen believes Carr created the story to protect Elliot from worse rumors, many believe it was simply a way to sensationalize her passing. The persistent claim that she died eating a ham sandwich remains one of the most well-known misconceptions in music history.^[1]

9 Altamont’s Infamous Moment

In 1969, the Altamont Free Concert had begun to descend into chaos. Though there were multiple reasons for this, one of the most infamous was the hiring of the motorcycle gang, the Hells Angels, as security (allegedly in exchange for $500 worth of beer). The gang reacted poorly to rowdy crowd members, going so far as to violently beat multiple concertgoers.

During the Rolling Stones’ performance, 18-year-old Meredith Hunter, armed with a revolver and approaching the band, was stabbed to death by a security guard. While the Hells Angels have maintained they felt Hunter meant to hurt them, most agree he was carrying the gun for protection against the increasingly volatile environment. Either way, legend has it that the crime occurred while the Stones were playing “Sympathy for the Devil,” making the moment a poignant and ironic moment in music history.

However, footage from the documentary Gimme Shelter shows the stabbing clearly taking place during the song “Under My Thumb,” not “Sympathy for the Devil.” This correction is often overlooked, even though Altamont is widely considered the symbolic end of the 1960s counterculture era.^[2]

8 Mozart’s Burial

In the 18th century, families who could not afford private burial plots often interred their loved ones in common graves. These were burial sites without permanent headstones, sometimes mistakenly associated with paupers or the destitute.

For centuries, the myth that classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was buried in a pauper’s grave has persisted. It is often used as a cautionary tale about financial mismanagement, suggesting that even a genius of Mozart’s stature died in poverty and obscurity.

However, research has shown that Mozart was most likely buried in a common grave, not a pauper’s grave. This type of burial was standard practice in Vienna at the time due to reforms under Emperor Joseph II. Mozart would have been placed in a wooden coffin and buried alongside others, with a simple marker rather than a grand monument. While less elaborate than modern expectations, this was typical for middle-class citizens of the period.^[3]

7 “Edelweiss” Origins

The Sound of Music is full of iconic songs—”Do-Re-Mi,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” and, of course, “The Sound of Music” itself. One song from this 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical has taken on a meaning far beyond its original context.

In the show, “Edelweiss” is sung by Captain von Trapp as a sentimental farewell to Austria as he prepares to flee the Nazis. The song was deliberately written to sound like a traditional Austrian folk tune—and it does such a convincing job that many people believe it actually is one.

Despite its old-fashioned style and timeless lyrics, “Edelweiss” was written specifically for the musical, more than a decade after World War II. It has never been Austria’s national anthem, nor has it ever held any official national status. Notably, it was also the final song written by Oscar Hammerstein II before his death.^[4]

6 The Monkees Sales Claim

Throughout the last fifty years, reputable outlets such as Rolling Stone, Vice, the Daily Mail, and even The Washington Post have repeated the claim that in 1967, the Monkees outsold both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in record sales.

In 2015, band member Mike Nesmith revealed that he was the original source of this “totally bogus, class-A mendacity lie.” During a 1977 interview, Nesmith intentionally misled a reporter, stating he would lie “because I didn’t trust the press… I didn’t expect him to tell the truth, so neither would I.”

Nesmith later explained that he had hoped journalists would fact-check his claim. Instead, the statement was printed as fact the very next day and continued to circulate for decades. While the Monkees were undeniably successful during their peak, the idea that they outsold both of those legendary bands in 1967 is simply not true.^[5]

5 Salieri and Mozart

For years, one of the most persistent myths in classical music has been that Antonio Salieri murdered Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart out of jealousy. This idea was popularized by the play and film Amadeus, which depicts Salieri as a bitter rival driven to poison the young genius.

In reality, there is no credible historical evidence to support this claim. While Salieri and Mozart were professional contemporaries, there is little to suggest they were enemies. In fact, Salieri later taught Mozart’s son and was a respected composer and teacher in his own right.

The rumor of poisoning appears to have originated shortly after Mozart’s death and was fueled by speculation and gossip. Over time, it grew into one of the most famous misconceptions in music history, despite being widely debunked by historians.^[6]

4 “Puff, the Magic Dragon”

Since its 1963 release by Peter, Paul, and Mary, “Puff, the Magic Dragon” has been widely interpreted as a song about drug use. Many listeners believed the lyrics were filled with coded references to marijuana, pointing to words like “puff,” “dragon,” and “paper” as supposed evidence.

However, the song’s origins are far more innocent. It was based on a poem written in 1959 by Leonard Lipton, a college student who later collaborated with Peter Yarrow to turn it into a song. The lyrics tell a nostalgic story about childhood imagination and the inevitable loss of innocence that comes with growing up.

Both Lipton and Yarrow have consistently denied any drug-related meaning, explaining that the song is simply about the transition from childhood to adulthood. Despite these clear explanations, the drug interpretation remains one of the most enduring misconceptions in popular music.^[7]

3 The 27 Club

The so-called “27 Club” refers to a group of famous musicians who died at the age of 27, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse. The idea that 27 is a uniquely dangerous age for musicians has become deeply embedded in popular culture.

Many people believe there is something mysterious or even supernatural about this pattern. However, studies have shown that there is no statistical evidence to support the idea that musicians are more likely to die at 27 than at any other age. One notable study published in the British Medical Journal found no significant spike in deaths at that age.

Instead, the perception of the “27 Club” appears to be a case of selective attention. Because several high-profile deaths happened to occur at the same age, the pattern became exaggerated over time. In reality, musicians face increased risks throughout their 20s and 30s, not just at 27.^[8]

2 Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight”

Few songs have inspired as many rumors as Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight.” One of the most persistent claims is that the song was written about Collins witnessing a man fail to save someone who was drowning—or even about a real-life crime that Collins later confronted at a concert.

In reality, Collins has repeatedly stated that the song has no such dramatic backstory. He wrote it during a difficult period in his life following his divorce, and the lyrics were largely improvised in the studio.

The haunting tone and ambiguous lyrics have made the song ripe for interpretation, but the popular stories attached to it are entirely fictional. Despite Collins addressing the rumor in multiple interviews, the myth continues to circulate widely.^[9]

1 Yoko Ono and the Beatles

Yoko Ono is often blamed for breaking up the Beatles, with many fans believing her presence caused irreparable tension within the band. This narrative has persisted for decades, making her one of the most misunderstood figures in music history.

However, the breakup of the Beatles was the result of multiple factors, including business disagreements, creative differences, and the death of manager Brian Epstein in 1967. By the time Ono became a constant presence in the studio, the band was already experiencing significant internal strain.

Recent releases like Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back have further challenged this myth, showing that Ono’s presence was far less disruptive than previously believed. In fact, John Lennon had already made the decision to leave the band before the official breakup was announced. The idea that Ono single-handedly caused the split is a dramatic oversimplification of a far more complex situation.^[10]