Massachusetts Avenue, the four-and-a-half-mile corridor of life that runs from the Charles to the Alewife Brook Parkway, has seen a lot in its time. Imagine if that old cow path could talk.

PM on November 9, 1965, the Tuesday rush hour was in full bloom outside the studios of WABC in Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Melissa Etheridge has lit up airwaves and arenas across the world for more than two decades with instant classics like “I'm the Only One,” ...