logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2015
33m 37s

Mark Ronson: Funk Politics

Vulture
About this episode
Did you know the melody to the Star Spangled Banner was once a British drinking song? In preparation for the Super Bowl, we uncover how the national anthem has been co-opted and reinterpreted by mega pop-stars. Our understanding of how this song sounds has been shaped by sporting events and the spin pop artists put on it has altered our conception of the nat ... Show More
Up next
Jan 13
Audrey Hobert says the quiet part out loud
Two years ago, Audrey Hobert had never written a song. She was a staff writer on a Nickelodeon series and had recently moved in with her childhood friend Gracie Abrams in Los Angeles. About six months later, a phrase spoken by a heartbroken acquaintance caught their attention; Ho ... Show More
55m 16s
Jan 6
2026 Pop Predictions: big beat, animated avatars, and Bruno Mars
It’s a brand new year, and what better way to ring it in than with the second annual Switched On Pop bingo? Like last year, Charlie, Nate, and Reanna polish their crystal balls and play Popstradamus, each throwing out eight outlandish pop predictions for the coming months. This t ... Show More
58m 47s
Dec 30
The Sound of Silence from Unexplainable
A scientist asked people to sit in a silent room for 15 minutes. Almost half of them decided to give themselves a painful electric shock instead. What is it about our brains that makes our relationship with silence so strange? And should we learn how to listen to it? This is the ... Show More
30m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2016
The Star-Spangled Banner
America's national anthem was written by a lawyer, Francis Scott Key, after watching the British navy bombing Fort McHenry in 1814. It was set to an English social men's club song and recognized as the national anthem in 1889. Notoriously difficult to sing, and traditionally play ... Show More
27m 11s
Jul 2019
American Anthem
The Star-Spangled Banner is the official anthem for the United States, but there are plenty of songs that have become informal American anthems for millions of people. This week, we share three stories from NPR Music's American Anthem series that highlight the origins of songs th ... Show More
26m 18s
Nov 2020
Afrobeats’ Global Takeover
Over the last several years, American listeners have grown more and more attuned to the sounds of West African pop music—also known as Afrobeats–whether it’s the swaggering Nigerian Afro-fusion of Burna Boy, the playfully genre-bending anthems of Ghanaian-American singer Amaarae, ... Show More
51m 9s
Jul 2022
Oh Say Can You Sing ... the National Anthem?
America's national anthem “The Star Spangled Banner” was written by a white lawyer who owned slaves but fought for Black freedom in court. That contradiction captures the controversy embedded in the song. It is a song that can inspire patriotic fervor and ignite passionate protes ... Show More
55m 52s
Mar 2021
March 10th - Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak's Silk Sonic Added to Grammy Line-Up, Beyoncé's Supportive Message to Meghan Markle & U.S. Congress' #FreeBritney Request
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak get their Grammy wish, the United States Congress attempts to intervene in the #FreeBritney movement and Beyoncé sends Meghan Markle a special message. This is Billboard News Now, rounding out the top music news for Wednesday, March 10th. Learn more ... Show More
3m 35s
Jun 2023
Hitting Euroclub: Saying goodbye to Eurovision 2023
Every year, on that special Saturday night, hundreds of people gather in a club to dance the night away for one last time. Euroclub is the place where you’re comparing accreditation badges, catching up with tired delegations, watching backing dancers stumbling around and making p ... Show More
53m 34s
May 2011
Country Music : World War II
Country Hits from the war years. Songs include: There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere, Roses in the Snow, Born to Lose, Banjo Pickin Girl and Night Train to Memphis. Performers include: Roy Acuff, Cindy Walker, Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, Cowboy Copas and the Coon Creek Gir ... Show More
42m 40s
Feb 2021
BIG ENCHILADA 152: Murder Hornet Melodies
It’s been almost a year since we were warned about the evil murder hornets about to invade, stinging us, murdering us and stealing our daughters. It never happened. … just as the evil hornet masters wanted. And now that nobody seems worried about the impending buzzing onslaught, ... Show More
1 h