Lisztomania

This was the lead single and opening track of French rock band Phoenix's fourth studio album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a composer and pianist, who in the mid- 19th century was the most famous music performer in Europe. The flamboyant Hungarian pianist would begin a concert by tossing his long blonde hair and throwing his green gloves to the floor. He then would proceed, with hair flopping over his eyes, to thump his piano to pieces. Women worshipped him, fought over him and collapsed in orgasmic swoons while he played. The German romantic literary figure Heinrich Heine coined the term "Lisztomania" to describe the massive public response to Liszt's piano performances.

Phoenix singer Thomas Mars told the Washington DC free newspaper Express about this song: "We liked the idea that it's just a mash-up, that our songs bring in influences from everywhere. I think that Franz Liszt was one of them; there were other things, visuals. And maybe it was the fact that we grew up in Versailles and we were surrounded by historical things. Maybe they came back that way."