The Slate Music Club is back, in a special edition of Hit Parade – “The Bridge”! Our year-end panel of critics—NPR Music’s Ann Powers, Hearing Things’ Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Slate’s own Carl Wilson and Hit Parade host Chris Molanphy—discuss their favorite albums and singles and the trends that shaped the year in pop, rap, country, Latin and global music ... Show More
Aug 15
The White and Nerdy Edition Part 1
Sped-up voices. Wacky instruments. Songs about cavemen, bathtubs, bikinis, and mothers-in-law. From the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll through the 1970s—the age of streaking, CB radios, disco and King Tut—novelty songs could be chart-topping hits. But by the corporate ’80s, it was harder ... Show More
49m 40s
Jul 2024
A Summer Pop Mailbag | Every Single Album
Nora and Nathan open up the mailbag to answer a few questions about our year in pop music so far. They make some predictions about who will win the Big Four Grammy Awards (Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year) (1:00), discuss Kamala Harris' ... Show More
1h 16m
Aug 2024
But What About Pop Boy Summer? | Every Single Album
In a spring and summer that has been dominated by female artists, Nora and Nathan talk about some of the male artists that have managed to break through on the charts: Post Malone, Zach Bryan, and Eminem. They discuss Post Malone's forthcoming country album and what it tells us a ... Show More
1h 20m
Jul 2024
Is country the new hip hop?
For decades, hip hop has been the most successful genre on the charts. Then, in 2023, a shift occurred. For the first time, the country songs outnumbered hip hop songs on the year end charts. Last year, country’s boom was led by hyper-partisan hits like Jason Aldean’s “Try That I ... Show More
35m 39s
Oct 2024
LL COOL J “Murdergram Deux (feat. Eminem)”
In this episode, Joe and Toby are joined by special guest Brandon Terry to explore the lasting legacy of LL Cool J, discussing his recent album drop and his impact on hip hop. They dive into the evolution of LL's music, his role in coining the term "GOAT," and the cultural signif ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2024
Breaking Through: Doechii, Mk.gee, Rosé
Three artists quietly reshaped pop music in 2024, though you might not know it from your Spotify Wrapped. As listeners question the accuracy of their year-end streaming stats, we explore the innovative sounds bubbling up just below the algorithmic radar. Tampa's "Swamp Princess" ... Show More
42m 41s
Sep 2024
Introducing 60 Songs That Explain the '90s: The 2000s
We are so back! Join us on another musical journey through a new decade as Rob Harvilla digs through the biggest songs of the 2000s like only he can. The Strokes, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Arcade Fire, Missy Elliott, Kanye West, and many more are on table. New episodes every Wedne ... Show More
1m 8s
Mar 2024
Amy Coddington, "How Hip Hop Became Hit Pop: Radio, Rap, and Race" (U California Press, 2023)
How Hip Hop Became Hit Pop: Radio, Rap, and Race (U California Press, 2023) examines the programming practices at commercial radio stations in the 1980s and early 1990s to uncover how the radio industry facilitated hip hop's introduction into the musical mainstream. Constructed p ... Show More
51m 43s