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Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia

What makes a song a smash? Talent? Luck? Timing? All that?and more. Chris Molanphy, pop-chart analyst and author of Slate?s ?Why Is This Song No. 1?? series, tells tales from a half-century of chart history. Through storytelling, trivia and song snippets, Chris dissects how that song you love?or hate?dominated the airwaves, made its way to the top of the charts and shaped your memories forever.

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Episodes

Gotcha Covered Edition Part 1

Cover songs once had a simple playbook: Artists would faithfully rerecord a song?note for note and word for word. They might modernize the instrumentation. If they were feeling radical, they?d punch up the vocals a bit. Now it?s hard to say what a cover is anymore. If Ariana Grande turns ?My Favorite Things? into ?7 Rings,? does that qualify? When Drake says he?s ?Way 2 Sexy,? is he covering Right Said Fred? The recent chart success of ?Fast Car??country star Luke Combs? very traditional take on Tracy Chapman?s folk classic?has reinvigorated interest in cover songs. Sometimes, isn?t just remaking the song as-is enough? Join Chris Molanphy as he explains the chart considerations and artistic motivations that rebooted the cover song, and whether a straight-up remake will ever top the Hot 100 again. We?re long past the days of ?Twist and Shout,? ?Venus? and ?I?ll Be There.? Podcast production by Olivia Briley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2024-03-16
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Hello, Gorgeous Edition Part 2

Barbra Streisand: star of stage and screen. Oscar-winner, film director and TV producer. Culture warrior and meme generator. Yes, all that?but don?t get it twisted: Barbra?s legend rests in her catalog of hit songs?and that voice. Even as culture vultures consume her recent doorstop of a memoir My Name Is Barbra, what?s getting overlooked are Streisand?s awesome musical benchmarks, especially on the Billboard charts. All of those records Taylor Swift has been setting on the album chart, and Billie Eilish on the Grammys? Babs got there first. At a time when rock was ascendant and showtunes were on the wane, Streisand set her own pop agenda, scoring brassy hits that weren?t trendy but topped the charts anyway. She became a pop star, Broadway legend and box-office commander practically simultaneously. Join Chris Molanphy as he tells the story of the original Queen of All Media and explains how she racked up all those hits your mom loved (be honest, you know them too) and made ?memories, like the corners of [your] mind.? Trust us: It?ll be like buttah. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2024-02-24
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Hello, Gorgeous Edition Part 1

Barbra Streisand: star of stage and screen. Oscar-winner, film director and TV producer. Culture warrior and meme generator. Yes, all that?but don?t get it twisted: Barbra?s legend rests in her catalog of hit songs?and that voice. Even as culture vultures consume her recent doorstop of a memoir My Name Is Barbra, what?s getting overlooked are Streisand?s awesome musical benchmarks, especially on the Billboard charts. All of those records Taylor Swift has been setting on the album chart, and Billie Eilish on the Grammys? Babs got there first. At a time when rock was ascendant and showtunes were on the wane, Streisand set her own pop agenda, scoring brassy hits that weren?t trendy but topped the charts anyway. She became a pop star, Broadway legend and box-office commander practically simultaneously. Join Chris Molanphy as he tells the story of the original Queen of All Media and explains how she racked up all those hits your mom loved (be honest, you know them too) and made ?memories, like the corners of [your] mind.? Trust us: It?ll be like buttah. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2024-02-10
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And the Grammy Goes to? Edition Part 2

Do you watch the Grammy Awards every year and groan, or even yell at the screen? Hit Parade host Chris Molanphy sure does. But he has a weird hot take: The Grammys are better off not trying to be cool. They should reward the popular stuff?especially younger people?s music. Where the Recording Academy actually goes wrong is rewarding the old stuff?legendary artists long past their prime, from Frank Sinatra to Eric Clapton, Steely Dan to Beck. The Grammy wins remembered most fondly are artists at the peak of their chart prowess: Carole King. Stevie Wonder. Michael Jackson. George Michael. Lauryn Hill. Adele. Taylor Swift (and more Taylor?and more Taylor?and more?). When did the Grammys get it most right?and wrong? (Was the Toto win really so bad?) And how can they become more relevant? (Hint: much more rap.) Join Chris Molanphy as he offers a chart nerd?s take on the Recording Academy and offers guidelines for good Grammy governance, just before the 2024 awards. It?s an episode right in the Nick of Time. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2024-01-27
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And the Grammy Goes to? Edition Part 1

Do you watch the Grammy Awards every year and groan, or even yell at the screen? Hit Parade host Chris Molanphy sure does. But he has a weird hot take: The Grammys are better off not trying to be cool. They should reward the popular stuff?especially younger people?s music. Where the Recording Academy actually goes wrong is rewarding the old stuff?legendary artists long past their prime, from Frank Sinatra to Eric Clapton, Steely Dan to Beck. The Grammy wins remembered most fondly are artists at the peak of their chart prowess: Carole King. Stevie Wonder. Michael Jackson. George Michael. Lauryn Hill. Adele. Taylor Swift (and more Taylor?and more Taylor?and more?). When did the Grammys get it most right?and wrong? (Was the Toto win really so bad?) And how can they become more relevant? (Hint: much more rap.) Join Chris Molanphy as he offers a chart nerd?s take on the Recording Academy and offers guidelines for good Grammy governance, just before the 2024 awards. It?s an episode right in the Nick of Time. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2024-01-13
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Second-Chance Hits Edition Part 2

In 2023, several hits from years ago?sometimes decades?made it to No. 1 on Billboard?s pop charts after falling short the first time: Taylor Swift?s ?Cruel Summer.? The Weeknd?s ?Die for You.? Miguel?s ?Sure Thing.? And, most improbably but delightfully, Brenda Lee?s 65-year-old holiday bop ?Rockin? Around the Christmas Tree.? What?s going on here? A lot of it has to do with the ways streaming, YouTube and TikTok have changed the charts. But the truth is, the second-chance hit is as old as the charts themselves From David Bowie to Prince, Sonny and Cher to Guns n? Roses, the Miracles to the Moody Blues, there are certain songs the music biz won?t give up on. To say nothing of all those holiday perennials, from ?Monster Mash? to ?Last Christmas.? Join Chris Molanphy as he explains why certain songs keep coming back and counts down a dozen favorite second-chance hits. If it first they don?t succeed, chart, chart again. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-12-30
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Second-Chance Hits Edition Part 1

In 2023, several hits from years ago?sometimes decades?made it to No. 1 on Billboard?s pop charts after falling short the first time: Taylor Swift?s ?Cruel Summer.? The Weeknd?s ?Die for You.? Miguel?s ?Sure Thing.? And, most improbably but delightfully, Brenda Lee?s 65-year-old holiday bop ?Rockin? Around the Christmas Tree.? What?s going on here? A lot of it has to do with the ways streaming, YouTube and TikTok have changed the charts. But the truth is, the second-chance hit is as old as the charts themselves From David Bowie to Prince, Sonny and Cher to Guns n? Roses, the Miracles to the Moody Blues, there are certain songs the music biz won?t give up on. To say nothing of all those holiday perennials, from ?Monster Mash? to ?Last Christmas.? Join Chris Molanphy as he explains why certain songs keep coming back and counts down a dozen favorite second-chance hits. If it first they don?t succeed, chart, chart again. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-12-16
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Ride ?til I Can?t No More Edition Part 2

When it crash-landed on the charts in 2019, Lil Nas X?s ?Old Town Road? felt new and old at the same time: a savvy, TikTok-fueled viral hit that summarized a century of cross-cultural collisions between R&B, rap and country. It was also unexpectedly huge?a record 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100?and controversial, as Billboard magazine pulled the song from its Hot Country Songs chart, prompting a reckoning on race and the very definition of country music. ?Old Town Road? wasn?t just a reckoning?it was a culmination. As a hard-to-categorize hit, it called back to cross-genre experiments by everyone from Ray Charles and the Rappin? Duke to Bubba Sparxxx and even Jason Aldean. As a viral smash, its antecedents date back to ?The Twist,? right through ?Crank That (Soulja Boy)? and ?Harlem Shake.? In honor of his new book Old Town Road (now in bookstores!) join Chris Molanphy as he walks through the many predecessors to ?Old Town Road? and explains why can?t nobody tell Lil Nas X nothin?. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-11-24
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The Bridge: Can?t Tell Me Nothin?

In this special mini-episode of Hit Parade, recorded live on at Housing Works bookstore in New York City, host Chris Molanphy is joined by Dan Charnas?author of the New York Times bestseller Dilla Time, The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, and the acclaimed The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop. They discuss Chris?s new book Old Town Road?how he came to write it, what made the song exceptional, and how decades of chart and genre history led to Lil Nas X?s breakthrough. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-11-18
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Ride ?til I Can?t No More Edition Part 1

When it crash-landed on the charts in 2019, Lil Nas X?s ?Old Town Road? felt new and old at the same time: a savvy, TikTok-fueled viral hit that summarized a century of cross-cultural collisions between R&B, rap and country. It was also unexpectedly huge?a record 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100?and controversial, as Billboard magazine pulled the song from its Hot Country Songs chart, prompting a reckoning on race and the very definition of country music. ?Old Town Road? wasn?t just a reckoning?it was a culmination. As a hard-to-categorize hit, it called back to cross-genre experiments by everyone from Ray Charles and the Rappin? Duke to Bubba Sparxxx and even Jason Aldean. As a viral smash, its antecedents date back to ?The Twist,? right through ?Crank That (Soulja Boy)? and ?Harlem Shake.? In honor of his new book Old Town Road (now in bookstores!) join Chris Molanphy as he walks through the many predecessors to ?Old Town Road? and explains why can?t nobody tell Lil Nas X nothin?. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-11-11
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This Ain?t No Party?! Edition Part 2

HEY! HO! LET?S GO!! Is this chant: (a) a movement of disaffected hipsters, (b) walkup music for a baseball player, or (c) a really catchy bop? How about all of the above? The legendary New York nightclub CBGB was the birthplace of punk. But it was also the future of pop: the Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Blondie. To varying degrees, these acts either became hitmakers, tried to reshape their music for the charts, or influenced generations of future multiplatinum stars. Honestly? Their music was pretty infectious from the jump, even if it was too advanced for the ?70s hit parade. The music we called punk contained multitudes: the improvisatory jazz-rock of Television. The demented anthems of the Ramones. The quirky funk of Talking Heads. The stylistic eclecticism of Blondie?who scored four No. 1 hits in four different genres. Join Chris Molanphy on a journey back to New York?s dirty days to try to answer: When did CBGB punk morph into chart pop? Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-10-28
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This Ain?t No Party?! Edition Part 1

HEY! HO! LET?S GO!! Is this chant: (a) a movement of disaffected hipsters, (b) walkup music for a baseball player, or (c) a really catchy bop? How about all of the above? The legendary New York nightclub CBGB was the birthplace of punk. But it was also the future of pop: the Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Blondie. To varying degrees, these acts either became hitmakers, tried to reshape their music for the charts, or influenced generations of future multiplatinum stars. Honestly? Their music was pretty infectious from the jump, even if it was too advanced for the ?70s hit parade. The music we called punk contained multitudes: the improvisatory jazz-rock of Television. The demented anthems of the Ramones. The quirky funk of Talking Heads. The stylistic eclecticism of Blondie?who scored four No. 1 hits in four different genres. Join Chris Molanphy on a journey back to New York?s dirty days to try to answer: When did CBGB punk morph into chart pop? Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-10-14
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Insert Lyrics Here Edition Part 2

If an instrumental tops the charts, it?s probably an earworm: ?Tequila.? ?Wipeout.? ?Dueling Banjos.? ?The Hustle.? ?Feels So Good.? ?Chariots of Fire.? ?Axel F.? You can probably whistle or hum several of those from memory. But do you remember the artists? All were one-hit wonders. By and large, instrumental hits throughout chart history were flukes. But there were exceptions: a trumpet player from Los Angeles who pretended to be Latin, made up a fake mariachi band, put sexy models on his album covers and topped the charts almost as much as the Beatles. Or, a try-hard, perm-headed soprano saxophone player from Seattle, who turned holding his breath while playing dizzying runs of notes into an athletic feat. How do songs without words become hits? Why were Herb Alpert and Kenny G so good at it? Why did instrumentals fall off the charts after the ?80s?and who is bringing them back? (Hint: think oontz-oontz-oontz.) Join Chris Molanphy as he throws away the lyric sheet and explains how a catchy melody can be worth a thousand words. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-09-29
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Insert Lyrics Here Edition Part 1

If an instrumental tops the charts, it?s probably an earworm: ?Tequila.? ?Wipeout.? ?Dueling Banjos.? ?The Hustle.? ?Feels So Good.? ?Chariots of Fire.? ?Axel F.? You can probably whistle or hum several of those from memory. But do you remember the artists? All were one-hit wonders. By and large, instrumental hits throughout chart history were flukes. But there were exceptions: a trumpet player from Los Angeles who pretended to be Latin, made up a fake mariachi band, put sexy models on his album covers and topped the charts almost as much as the Beatles. Or, a try-hard, perm-headed soprano saxophone player from Seattle, who turned holding his breath while playing dizzying runs of notes into an athletic feat. How do songs without words become hits? Why were Herb Alpert and Kenny G so good at it? Why did instrumentals fall off the charts after the ?80s?and who is bringing them back? (Hint: think oontz-oontz-oontz.) Join Chris Molanphy as he throws away the lyric sheet and explains how a catchy melody can be worth a thousand words. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-09-16
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Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture Edition Part 2

Talk about ?90s rap, and most music fans will throw around the word ?gangsta? and talk about the East Coast?West Coast feud that tragically brought down Biggie and Tupac. But one rap group, OutKast, quite literally rose above the fray: At the 1995 Source Awards, while East and West were bickering with each other, OutKast?s André Benjamin took the mic and told the rap faithful that hip-hop?s future was in the South. For the next quarter century, he was proved indisputably correct. OutKast brought about this sea change by conceiving of hip-hop as everything music: funk, soul, pop, club, even country and indie all found their way into André and Big Boi?s music. By the time of their final studio album, they had pulled away almost fully from pure rap?and were rewarded with their biggest hits ever, a No. 1 smash each for Big Boi and André. Including that immortal jam that taught you, the fellas and the ladies?including all Beyoncés and Lucy Lius?what?s cooler than being cool. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch and Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-08-25
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Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture Edition Part 1

Talk about ?90s rap, and most music fans will throw around the word ?gangsta? and talk about the East Coast?West Coast feud that tragically brought down Biggie and Tupac. But one rap group, OutKast, quite literally rose above the fray: At the 1995 Source Awards, while East and West were bickering with each other, OutKast?s André Benjamin took the mic and told the rap faithful that hip-hop?s future was in the South. For the next quarter century, he was proved indisputably correct. OutKast brought about this sea change by conceiving of hip-hop as everything music: funk, soul, pop, club, even country and indie all found their way into André and Big Boi?s music. By the time of their final studio album, they had pulled away almost fully from pure rap?and were rewarded with their biggest hits ever, a No. 1 smash each for Big Boi and André. Including that immortal jam that taught you, the fellas and the ladies?including all Beyoncés and Lucy Lius?what?s cooler than being cool. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch and Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-08-12
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Lenny on Mars Edition Part 2

What do Lenny Kravitz, a hitmaker primarily in the ?90s and ?00s, and Bruno Mars, a 2010s?20s hitmaker, have in common? It turns out, a lot: Each man has a wide-ranging ethnic and musical background, with early exposure to unusual sides of showbiz. Each has scored hits in a variety of styles. They are admirers of each other?s work and have even performed live together. But the main thing Lenny and Bruno have in common is their skill?some might say habit?of borrowing tropes and styles from hitmakers of the past. Kravitz from the very start of his career emulated the rock stylings of his heroes, like John Lennon and Sly Stone. And Bruno Mars?talk about an Unorthodox Jukebox: His career has been a parade of hits whose sound has spanned from the Police to Rick James to Michael Jackson. Are they cultural appropriators, or genius style chameleons? Join Chris Molanphy as he chronicles two premier pop stylists of the last 30 years who wore genres like costumes and rebooted oldies into modern hits. Don?t believe them? Just watch. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-07-29
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Lenny on Mars Edition Part 1

What do Lenny Kravitz, a hitmaker primarily in the ?90s and ?00s, and Bruno Mars, a 2010s?20s hitmaker, have in common? It turns out, a lot: Each man has a wide-ranging ethnic and musical background, with early exposure to unusual sides of showbiz. Each has scored hits in a variety of styles. They are admirers of each other?s work and have even performed live together. But the main thing Lenny and Bruno have in common is their skill?some might say habit?of borrowing tropes and styles from hitmakers of the past. Kravitz from the very start of his career emulated the rock stylings of his heroes, like John Lennon and Sly Stone. And Bruno Mars?talk about an Unorthodox Jukebox: His career has been a parade of hits whose sound has spanned from the Police to Rick James to Michael Jackson. Are they cultural appropriators, or genius style chameleons? Join Chris Molanphy as he chronicles two premier pop stylists of the last 30 years who wore genres like costumes and rebooted oldies into modern hits. Don?t believe them? Just watch. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-07-14
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Yes We Can Can Edition Part 2

Today, the Pointer Sisters are mostly remembered for their flurry of ?80s hits, especially the ?Excited? one about losing control and liking it. But their musical history is far more varied: jazz standards? Civil rights?era funk? Country music? Yacht rock? The Pointers applied their impeccable sibling harmonies to all of it. Billboard ranks the Pointer Sisters behind only the Supremes, TLC, and Destiny?s Child among hitmaking girl groups. Yet their versatility has gone relatively unheralded?from the Grammy they won in a country category, to the Bruce Springsteen demo they turned into a smash, to the kiddie bop they recorded for Sesame Street. How did the Pointers score so many hits in so many idioms? Join Chris Molanphy as he gives the Pointer Sisters their due as harmonizing innovators and genre-defying hitmakers. Here at Hit Parade, we jump (for their love). Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy?s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-07-01
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Yes We Can Can Edition Part 1

Today, the Pointer Sisters are mostly remembered for their flurry of ?80s hits, especially the ?Excited? one about losing control and liking it. But their musical history is far more varied: jazz standards? Civil rights?era funk? Country music? Yacht rock? The Pointers applied their impeccable sibling harmonies to all of it. Billboard ranks the Pointer Sisters behind only the Supremes, TLC and Destiny?s Child among hitmaking girl groups. Yet their versatility has gone relatively unheralded?from the Grammy they won in a country category, to the Bruce Springsteen demo they turned into a smash, to the kiddie bop they recorded for Sesame Street. How did the Pointers score so many hits in so many idioms? Join Chris Molanphy as he gives the Pointer Sisters their due as harmonizing innovators and genre-defying hitmakers. Here at Hit Parade, we jump (for their love). Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy?s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-06-17
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Champagne Supernova Edition Part 2

In the ?90s, U.K. rock was by Britons, for Britons. The music of the U.K. indie, Madchester and shoegaze scenes fused together into a new wave of guitar bands with punk energy, laddish lyrics and danceable grooves. They called it Britpop. In the motherland, Britpop set the charts alight: Blur faced off against Oasis. Pulp poked fun at the class system. Suede sold androgyny, and Elastica repackaged ?70s art-punk as ?90s pop. But with rare exception, these hits didn?t translate in America. There was no Third British Invasion in the ?90s?with the exception of that one inscrutable Oasis song about a ?Wonderwall.? Why did Britpop fire up Old Blighty and flop with the Yanks? Join Chris Molanphy as he tries to define Britppop?was it a scene? a sound? a movement??and explains how the music boomed and busted faster than a cannonball. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy?s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-05-27
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Champagne Supernova Edition Part 1

In the ?90s, U.K. rock was by Britons, for Britons. The music of the U.K. indie, Madchester and shoegaze scenes fused together into a new wave of guitar bands with punk energy, laddish lyrics and danceable grooves. They called it Britpop. In the motherland, Britpop set the charts alight: Blur faced off against Oasis. Pulp poked fun at the class system. Suede sold androgyny, and Elastica repackaged ?70s art-punk as ?90s pop. But with rare exception, these hits didn?t translate in America. There was no Third British Invasion in the ?90s?with the exception of that one inscrutable Oasis song about a ?Wonderwall.? Why did Britpop fire up Old Blighty and flop with the Yanks? Join Chris Molanphy as he tries to define Britppop?was it a scene? a sound? a movement??and explains how the music boomed and busted faster than a cannonball. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy?s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-05-13
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The British Are Charting Edition Part 2

Before 1964, British bands couldn?t get anywhere on the U.S. charts. Then suddenly, after a certain Fab Four broke, they were everywhere. By 1965, they had locked down our Top 10. In 1981, a new generation of U.K. acts armed with synthesizers were largely shut out of the Hot 100 once again. But then a new video channel called MTV changed the game?helped by some very pretty men in dapper suits. By 1983, half of the U.S. Top 40 had a British accent. What did these two movements have in common, besides screaming fans and impressive hair? Join Chris Molanphy as he dissects these two bloodless coups that rebooted our hit parade. These Invasions were about as easy as a nuclear war. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy?s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-04-28
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The British Are Charting Edition Part 1

Before 1964, British bands couldn?t get anywhere on the U.S. charts. Then suddenly, after a certain Fab Four broke, they were everywhere. By 1965, they had locked down our Top 10. In 1981, a new generation of U.K. acts armed with synthesizers were largely shut out of the Hot 100 once again. But then a new video channel called MTV changed the game?helped by some very pretty men in dapper suits. By 1983, half of the U.S. Top 40 had a British accent. What did these two movements have in common, besides screaming fans and impressive hair? Join Chris Molanphy as he dissects these two bloodless coups that rebooted our hit parade. These Invasions were about as easy as a nuclear war. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy?s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-04-15
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Raise Your Glass Edition Part 2

Alecia Moore was so fearless, they put an exclamation point in her name. Pink?a.k.a. P!nk?was full of bravado from the moment she broke at the turn of the millennium, singing a frothy style of teen pop&B. She was promoted as ethnically ambiguous and sold to white and Black audiences as a sassy Total Request Live starlet. She even joined an all-star remake of ?Lady Marmalade.? But Pink felt misrepresented, even Missundaztood?so she recorded an album by that name, fusing rock guitar, dance beats and filter-free lyrics. She called out shiftless boyfriends, other pop stars, even the president of her record label in the lyrics of her hits, becoming the pop fan?s rock star. Join Chris Molanphy as he explains how Pink defined her own genre fusing punk attitude and soaring melodies into 21st-century self-empowerment music. She made herself into a rock star, simply by calling herself one. Who knew? Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Make an impact this Women?s History Month by helping Macy?s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-03-25
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Raise Your Glass Edition Part 1

Alecia Moore was so fearless, they put an exclamation point in her name. Pink?a.k.a. P!nk?was full of bravado from the moment she broke at the turn of the millennium, singing a frothy style of teen pop&B. She was promoted as ethnically ambiguous and sold to white and Black audiences as a sassy Total Request Live starlet. She even joined an all-star remake of ?Lady Marmalade.? But Pink felt misrepresented, even Missundaztood?so she recorded an album by that name, fusing rock guitar, dance beats and filter-free lyrics. She called out shiftless boyfriends, other pop stars, even the president of her record label in the lyrics of her hits, becoming the pop fan?s rock star. Join Chris Molanphy as he explains how Pink defined her own genre fusing punk attitude and soaring melodies into 21st-century self-empowerment music. She made herself into a rock star, simply by calling herself one. Who knew? Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Make an impact this Women?s History Month by helping Macy?s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-03-11
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A Little Love and Some Tenderness Edition Part 2

One of the most improbable blockbuster successes of the ?90s was Hootie and the Blowfish: a South Carolina bar band fronted by a Black lead singer that played jangly alt-pop. That singer, Darius Rucker, built a career that?s one of a kind. Rucker?s tastes growing up were eclectic, as were the influences on his young bandmates. Their Cracked Rear View album took a year to catch on, but then it dominated the charts. The story gets more interesting after Hootie fell off: Darius Rucker?s career is a prime example of how chart success is a product of musical trend. First, Rucker tried to become a neo-soul star. Then he tried his hand at country music, even though Nashville had not produced a major Black solo star since Charley Pride. Join Chris Molanphy as he traces this improbable journey?the role Rucker?s band played in mainstreaming alt-rock, Rucker?s effort to find a genre to call home, and how he finally became a chart-conqueror again.. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy?s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-02-25
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A Little Love and Some Tenderness Edition Part 1

One of the most improbable blockbuster successes of the ?90s was Hootie and the Blowfish: a South Carolina bar band fronted by a Black lead singer that played jangly alt-pop. That singer, Darius Rucker, built a career that?s one of a kind. Rucker?s tastes growing up were eclectic, as were the influences on his young bandmates. Their Cracked Rear View album took a year to catch on, but then it dominated the charts. The story gets more interesting after Hootie fell off: Darius Rucker?s career is a prime example of how chart success is a product of musical trend. First, Rucker tried to become a neo-soul star. Then he tried his hand at country music, even though Nashville had not produced a major Black solo star since Charley Pride. Join Chris Molanphy as he traces this improbable journey?the role Rucker?s band played in mainstreaming alt-rock, Rucker?s effort to find a genre to call home, and how he finally became a chart-conqueror again.. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy?s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-02-11
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Thinking About Tomorrow Edition Part 2

The story of Fleetwood Mac is an oft-told rock n? roll tale: British blues-rock band sells poorly until two Americans join, bringing California vibes and lots of drama. Everybody fights, cheats, drugs, and boozes. Out pops Rumours and tons of hits. It?s more complicated than that. Those two Americans?Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham?got all the media coverage and wrote many great songs. But the quiet lady behind the keyboards, Christine McVie, actually wrote more of the hits: ?Don?t Stop.? ?Say You Love Me.? ?Hold Me.? ?Little Lies.? ?Everywhere.? They were all Christine compositions. Join Chris Molanphy as he remembers Christine McVie, who died in late 2022 at age 79, and restores her rightful place as the glue that held Fleetwood Mac together. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-01-28
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Thinking About Tomorrow Edition Part 1

The story of Fleetwood Mac is an oft-told rock n? roll tale: British blues-rock band sells poorly until two Americans join, bringing California vibes and lots of drama. Everybody fights, cheats, drugs and boozes. Out pops Rumours and tons of hits. It?s more complicated than that. Those two Americans?Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham?got all the media coverage and wrote many great songs. But the quiet lady behind the keyboards, Christine McVie, actually wrote more of the hits: ?Don?t Stop.? ?Say You Love Me.? ?Hold Me.? ?Little Lies.? ?Everywhere.? They were all Christine compositions. Join Chris Molanphy as he remembers Christine McVie, who died in late 2022 at age 79, and restores her rightful place as the glue that held Fleetwood Mac together. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2023-01-14
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Hits of the Year Edition Part 2

Sam the Sham over the Rolling Stones? The Knack over Donna Summer? Wilson Phillips over Mariah Carey? Glass Animals over Harry Styles? On Billboard?s year-end Hot 100, upsets are quite common. Songs that seemed to dominate the chart all year are defeated by stealthily ubiquitous earworms. Sometimes the obvious song takes the prize: ?Hey Jude,? ?Every Breath You Take? or ?I Will Always Love You.? And then sometimes it?s a one-hit wonder: Domencio Mudugno, Daniel Powter, Gotye, Glass Animals?all won the year-end Hot 100 prize. Join Chris Molanphy as he explains the secrets behind having the hit of the year?and why it doesn?t always go to a superstar. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-12-31
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Decoder Ring: The New Age Hit Machine

Today, we?re excited to share an episode from Slate?s Decoder Ring that we think you?re going to love. For this episode, a story from Slate senior producer Evan Chung about how Yanni, John Tesh and a number of other surprising acts made it big in the 1990s. It?s a throwback to a simpler time? when musicians struggled to find their big break, but discovered it was possible with a telephone, a television, and our undivided attention. This story originally aired in 2019 on Studio 360 from PRX. We hear from George Veras, Pat Callahan, and John Tesh. This episode was written and produced by Slate?s Evan Chung. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Slate?s Executive Producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-12-26
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Hits of the Year Edition Part 1

Sam the Sham over the Rolling Stones? The Knack over Donna Summer? Wilson Phillips over Mariah Carey? Glass Animals over Harry Styles? On Billboard?s year-end Hot 100, upsets are quite common. Songs that seemed to dominate the chart all year are defeated by stealthily ubiquitous earworms. Sometimes the obvious song takes the prize: ?Hey Jude,? ?Every Breath You Take? or ?I Will Always Love You.? And then sometimes it?s a one-hit wonder: Domencio Mudugno, Daniel Powter, Gotye, Glass Animals?all won the year-end Hot 100 prize. Join Chris Molanphy as he explains the secrets behind having the hit of the year?and why it doesn?t always go to a superstar. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-12-16
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Angry Young Men Edition Part 2

Punk was meant to be angry. But the so-called Angry Young Men of the late ?70s U.K. scene were secret sophisticates in punk clothing. They delivered withering lyrics and snarling attitude over melodies a pop fan could love. In so doing, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson and Graham Parker helped transform a slew of back-to-basic styles?pub-rock, power-pop, post-punk?into the catchall category New Wave. It would take over the charts at the turn of the ?80s. But the launch of the MTV era forced these sardonic troubadours to adjust their songwriting for a New Romantic age. Join Chris Molanphy as he chronicles the history of three men who wrote the book on alternative rock before it had a name. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-12-03
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Angry Young Men Edition Part 1

Punk was meant to be angry. But the so-called Angry Young Men of the late ?70s U.K. scene were secret sophisticates in punk clothing. They delivered withering lyrics and snarling attitude over melodies a pop fan could love. In so doing, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson and Graham Parker helped transform a slew of back-to-basic styles?pub-rock, power-pop, post-punk?into the catchall category New Wave. It would take over the charts at the turn of the ?80s. But the launch of the MTV era forced these sardonic troubadours to adjust their songwriting for a New Romantic age. Join Chris Molanphy as he chronicles the history of three men who wrote the book on alternative rock before it had a name. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-11-19
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Give Up the Funk Edition Part 2

In the ?70s, funk was pop?the cutting edge of Black music and the way listeners got their groove on, before disco and hip-hop. After James Brown taught a generation a new way to hear rhythm, and George Clinton tore the roof off with his P-Funk axis, nothing would be the same. Rising alongside blaxploitation at the movies, funk took many forms: Curtis Mayfield?s superfly storytelling. War?s low-riding grooves. Kool & the Gang?s jungle boogie. Earth, Wind and Fire?s jazzy crescendos. But when funk began fusing with rock and disco took over the charts, would these acts have to give up the funk? Join Chris Molanphy as he traces the history of funk?s first big decade. You?ll ride the mighty, mighty love rollercoaster and get down just for the funk of it. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-10-29
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Give Up the Funk Edition Part 1

In the ?70s, funk was pop?the cutting edge of Black music and the way listeners got their groove on, before disco and hip-hop. After James Brown taught a generation a new way to hear rhythm, and George Clinton tore the roof off with his P-Funk axis, nothing would be the same. Rising alongside blaxploitation at the movies, funk took many forms: Curtis Mayfield?s superfly storytelling. War?s low-riding grooves. Kool & the Gang?s jungle boogie. Earth, Wind and Fire?s jazzy crescendos. But when funk began fusing with rock and disco took over the charts, would these acts have to give up the funk? Join Chris Molanphy as he traces the history of funk?s first big decade. You?ll ride the mighty, mighty love rollercoaster and get down just for the funk of it. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-10-15
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At Last, My Legacy Has Come Along Edition Part 2

What do you call a song that bombed on the charts back in the day, that now booms out of radios and streaming apps nationwide? Chris Molanphy has a name for these songs: legacy hits. Elton John?s ?Tiny Dancer.? Etta James?s ?At Last.? The Romantics? ?What I Like About You.? Peter Gabriel?s ?In Your Eyes.? Talking Heads? ?Once in a Lifetime.?   Many catalysts can change a song?s trajectory, from movie scenes to stadium singalongs, wedding DJs to evolving tastes. Sometimes the hivemind just collectively decides that this Whitney Houston hit, not that one, is her song for the ages.   Join Chris as he explains how the charts sometimes get it wrong, and how legacy hits correct the record?and counts down 10 of his favorite flops-turned-classics.   Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Merritt Jacob. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-09-30
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At Last, My Legacy Has Come Along Edition Part 1

What do you call a song that bombed on the charts back in the day, that now booms out of radios and streaming apps nationwide? Chris Molanphy has a name for these songs: legacy hits. Elton John?s ?Tiny Dancer.? Etta James?s ?At Last.? The Romantics? ?What I Like About You.? Peter Gabriel?s ?In Your Eyes.? Talking Heads? ?Once in a Lifetime.?   Many catalysts can change a song?s trajectory, from movie scenes to stadium singalongs, wedding DJs to evolving tastes. Sometimes the hivemind just collectively decides that this Whitney Houston hit, not that one, is her song for the ages.   Join Chris as he explains how the charts sometimes get it wrong, and how legacy hits correct the record?and counts down 10 of his favorite flops-turned-classics.   Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Merritt Jacob. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-09-17
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Still Billy Joel to Me Part 2

So, sure?Billy Joel?s first Top 40 hit, way back in 1974, was ?Piano Man,? and the nickname stuck. But for a guy who became famous sitting behind 88 keys, few of his biggest hits are really piano songs. In fact, on all three of his No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, keyboards are not the primary instrument. The truth is, Joel isn?t the Piano Man, he?s the pastiche man. He has openly admitted to borrowing genre tropes, vocal styles, and even specific song hooks from his Baby Boom-era heroes, from Ray Charles to the Beatles to the Supremes. He?s been a jazzy crooner, a saloon balladeer, an anthem rocker, even a pseudo-punk. And on his most hit-packed album, he literally tried on a different song mode on every single?and was rewarded for it. This month, Hit Parade breaks down the uncanny success of pop magpie Billy Joel, the guy who would try anything for a hit: the next phase, new wave, dance craze, any ways. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch and Kevin Bendis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-08-26
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Still Billy Joel to Me Part 1

So, sure?Billy Joel?s first Top 40 hit, way back in 1974, was ?Piano Man,? and the nickname stuck. But for a guy who became famous sitting behind 88 keys, few of his biggest hits are really piano songs. In fact, on all three of his No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, keyboards are not the primary instrument. The truth is, Joel isn?t the Piano Man, he?s the pastiche man. He has openly admitted to borrowing genre tropes, vocal styles, and even specific song hooks from his Baby Boom-era heroes, from Ray Charles to the Beatles to the Supremes. He?s been a jazzy crooner, a saloon balladeer, an anthem rocker, even a pseudo-punk. And on his most hit-packed album, he literally tried on a different song mode on every single?and was rewarded for it. This month, Hit Parade breaks down the uncanny success of pop magpie Billy Joel, the guy who would try anything for a hit: the next phase, new wave, dance craze, any ways. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch and Kevin Bendis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-08-12
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Point of No Return Part 2

After the so-called-but-not-really ?death? of disco, dance music in the 1980s moved to its own beat. There was synthpop, electro, hi-NRG and house. But the scrappy genre that seemed to pull it all together was called freestyle?a breakbeat-tempo, Latin-flavored genre fortified with dizzying, proudly synthetic beats. Freestyle grew out of the clubs and streets of New York and Miami and briefly dominated ?80s dance-pop. Freestyle?s flagship artists were only medium-level stars: Shannon. Exposé. Lisa Lisa. Stevie B. Nu Shooz. Sweet Sensation. But these acts?most especially their yearning, floridly romantic, rhythmically hectic songs?punched above their weight on the charts and even affected the hits of superstars from Madonna to Duran Duran, Whitney Houston to Pet Shop Boys. Join Chris Molanphy as he defines the byways of this bespoke dance genre and traces how it bridged the disco era into the hiphop era. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-07-30
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Point of No Return Part 1

After the so-called-but-not-really ?death? of disco, dance music in the 1980s moved to its own beat. There was synthpop, electro, hi-NRG and house. But the scrappy genre that seemed to pull it all together was called freestyle?a breakbeat-tempo, Latin-flavored genre fortified with dizzying, proudly synthetic beats. Freestyle grew out of the clubs and streets of New York and Miami and briefly dominated ?80s dance-pop. Freestyle?s flagship artists were only medium-level stars: Shannon. Exposé. Lisa Lisa. Stevie B. Nu Shooz. Sweet Sensation. But these acts?most especially their yearning, floridly romantic, rhythmically hectic songs?punched above their weight on the charts and even affected the hits of superstars from Madonna to Duran Duran, Whitney Houston to Pet Shop Boys. Join Chris Molanphy as he defines the byways of this bespoke dance genre and traces how it bridged the disco era into the hiphop era. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-07-16
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A Deal with the TV God Part 2

For decades, British alt-pop goddess Kate Bush had never had a Top 10 hit in America. Now, in 2022, she finds herself in the Hot 100?s Top Five?and television got her there. Her classic ?Running Up That Hill? is featured prominently in the latest season of Netflix?s hit ?80s horror fantasy show Stranger Things. This puts Bush in a long lineage of hits spawned or made bigger by TV, dating all the way back to Davy Crockett and Peter Gunn, through Hawaii Five-O and Happy Days, and peaking in the ?80s with Miami Vice and Family Ties. Join host Chris Molanphy as he walks through more than six decades of hits from the so-called boob tube and reveals why?thanks to our streaming age?Kate Bush?s hit might be the biggest TV tune of all. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-07-02
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A Deal with the TV God Part 1

For decades, British alt-pop goddess Kate Bush had never had a Top 10 hit in America. Now, in 2022, she finds herself in the Hot 100?s Top Five?and television got her there. Her classic ?Running Up That Hill? is featured prominently in the latest season of Netflix?s hit ?80s horror fantasy show Stranger Things. This puts Bush in a long lineage of hits spawned or made bigger by TV, dating all the way back to Davy Crockett and Peter Gunn, through Hawaii Five-O and Happy Days, and peaking in the ?80s with Miami Vice and Family Ties. Join host Chris Molanphy as he walks through more than six decades of hits from the so-called boob tube and reveals why?thanks to our streaming age?Kate Bush?s hit might be the biggest TV tune of all. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-06-18
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Flip It and Reverse It Part 2

What was in the water in Virginia Beach? Starting in the ?90s and peaking in the ?00s, Pharrell Williams, Timothy ?Timbaland? Mosley and Missy Elliott?friends and family from the Tidewater Region?made nerdy pop normal on the charts. Their productions whirred, gurgled, pinged and rumbled?the handiwork of studio geeks?while their lyrics embraced the freaky: Missy demanding that you work it?Pharrell declaring he?s a hustler, baby?Timbaland bringing sexy back. Join host Chris Molanphy as he explains how these three supa-dupa fly Virginia Beach geniuses helped us get our freak on. For over two decades, they never left you without a dope beat to step to. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-05-27
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Flip It and Reverse It Part 1

What was in the water in Virginia Beach? Starting in the ?90s and peaking in the ?00s, Pharrell Williams, Timothy ?Timbaland? Mosley and Missy Elliott?friends and family from the Tidewater Region?made nerdy pop normal on the charts. Their productions whirred, gurgled, pinged and rumbled?the handiwork of studio geeks?while their lyrics embraced the freaky: Missy demanding that you work it?Pharrell declaring he?s a hustler, baby?Timbaland bringing sexy back. Join host Chris Molanphy as he explains how these three supa-dupa fly Virginia Beach geniuses helped us get our freak on. For over two decades, they never left you without a dope beat to step to. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-05-21
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Decoder Ring: "We Got Ourselves a Convoy"

In the 1970s, a song about protesting truckers topped the music charts in multiple countries, and kicked off a pop culture craze for CB radios. In early 2022, that same song became an anthem for a new trucker-led protest movement in Canada and the US. How did C.W. McCall?s ?Convoy? come to exist, and what had it been trying to say?  For this episode, which was inspired by a listener?s question, we?ve updated a story that originally aired in 2017, but that could not be more relevant today. Slate producer Evan Chung is going to take us through the history of this bizarre number-one smash, an artifact from a time when truckers were also at the center of the culture. It touches on advertising, hamburger buns, and speed limits but also global conflict, sky-rocketing gas prices, and aggrieved, protesting truck drivers.  Some of the voices you?ll hear in this episode include Bill Fries, advertising executive; Chip Davis, singer and songwriter; and Meg Jacobs, historian and author of Panic at the Pump. This episode of Decoder Ring was written and produced by Evan Chung and Willa Paskin with help from Elizabeth Nakano. Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our Technical Director. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at [email protected]. If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you get ad-free podcasts, bonus episodes, and total access to all of Slate?s journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-05-13
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I Got Five on It Part 2

Five years ago this month, Hit Parade launched on the Slate podcast network. What have we learned in that half-decade? And what episodes did you love the most? We asked you to vote?and the results may surprise you. Sure, you enjoyed our shows about Madonna, Nirvana, Whitney, Mariah, Bruce, Stevie and Janet. But even more than that, you loved our nerdy deep dives about the producers behind ?Le Freak??the rules for One-Hit Wonders?the college-rockers from Athens, Ga.?the man behind Meat Loaf?the smooth players behind Yacht Rock?and that explainer about why you had to pay top dollar for CDs in the ?90s with only one good song. Join host Chris Molanphy as he shares his founding principles for Hit Parade, and counts down your 20 favorite shows. Happy fifth birthday to us! We?re finally old enough for kindergarten. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-04-30
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I Got Five on It Part 1

Five years ago this month, Hit Parade launched on the Slate podcast network. What have we learned in that half-decade? And what episodes did you love the most? We asked you to vote?and the results may surprise you. Sure, you enjoyed our shows about Madonna, Nirvana, Whitney, Mariah, Bruce, Stevie and Janet. But even more than that, you loved our nerdy deep dives about the producers behind ?Le Freak??the rules for One-Hit Wonders?the college-rockers from Athens, Ga.?the man behind Meat Loaf?the smooth players behind Yacht Rock?and that explainer about why you had to pay top dollar for CDs in the ?90s with only one good song. Join host Chris Molanphy as he shares his founding principles for Hit Parade, and counts down your 20 favorite shows. Happy fifth birthday to us! We?re finally old enough for kindergarten. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2022-04-16
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