Who is the biggest Diva of them all? The U.S. National Anthem, which borrows its melody from a historic British drinking song, has undergone enormous musical change in the hands of pop music vocalists. Famously, José Feliciano, Marvin Gaye and Whitney Houston each changed the meaning of "The Star Spangled Banner" by finding new approaches to the performance. ... Show More
Apr 17
Ten years of "Alaska": Maggie Rogers on going viral and singing for 200,000 protestors
Ten years ago, Maggie Rogers was a senior at NYU, scrambling to finish a song for a music production class she was close to failing. The guest critic that week happened to be Pharrell Williams. She played him "Alaska," a track she'd written in about fifteen minutes. It is a bit o ... Show More
37m 36s
Apr 14
Learning to Love Train: "Drops of Jupiter" is back in the atmosphere
Train is the kind of band that some people love to hate. Songs like "Meet Virginia" and "Hey Soul Sister" gave the band huge hits, and no small amount of snark. And then there's "Drops of Jupiter." Released in 2001, the song is almost impossible not to love, no matter how many ly ... Show More
47m 25s
Nov 2024
Pop News Grab Bag: Sabrina Carpenter, Beyoncé, and Gracie Abrams
Nora and Nathan talk about a mix of pop music news from the week, including the end of the U.S. leg of Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet tour (1:00), the news that Beyoncé will perform at the halftime show during a Christmas Day NFL game and whether this is the start of her Gram ... Show More
1h 7m
Dec 2024
This Moment in Music History for 12-25-2024
On December 25, 1954, the iconic song "White Christmas" by Irving Berlin became the first single in history to reach 30 million sales. The song, originally recorded by Bing Crosby in 1942, quickly became a holiday classic and has been covered by numerous artists over the years.<b ... Show More
2m 14s
May 2025
This Moment in Music History for 05-28-2025
On May 28th in music history, one significant event took place in 1977 when the iconic British punk rock band Sex Pistols released their highly controversial single "God Save the Queen." The song, which was a scathing critique of the British monarchy and the state of the nation, ... Show More
1m 53s
Dec 2018
"Single Ladies" by Beyoncé
<p>On this episode, Kirk dives into one of the greatest pop songs of all time.</p><p>Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is arguably the defining song of the last decade, but it's far from your average pop tune. With its unusual tensions and unstoppable groove, it defies ... Show More
26m 22s
<p>It's hard to underestimate <a href="https://consequenceofsound.net/artist/whitney-houston/" rel="nofollow">Whitney Houston</a>’s stardom.</p>
<p>For better and for worse, the world knows so much more about the late diva than we do about most artists from her era. Houston&# ... Show More
