December 2018 - Chris Molanphy

Drake with awards. Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by David Becker/Getty Images.

The Music Club, 2018

24 December 201820 February 2019

Entry 6: Will Drake’s reign ever end? Happy Festivus, my Kikis who will never, ever leave me: As part of its year-in-review package, Billboard published a calendar of everything Drake did every day of 2018. When I saw this a few days ago, I plaintively—desperately?—asked my social media feed: This is it, right? This means [...] Read more

Hit Parade Slate

Hit Parade: The Christmas Is All Around Edition

21 December 201810 February 2019

Listen to Episode 19 of Slate’s Hit Parade: Get More Hit Parade Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcasts—and much more. Sign up today and try it free for two weeks. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to Hit Parade Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For [...] Read more

Hit Parade Slate

Music Trivia: The Christmas Music Edition

14 December 201825 April 2019

Slate’s music-history podcast is here to quiz you on holiday hits. Get More Hit Parade Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcasts—and much more. Sign up today and try it free for two weeks. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to Hit Parade Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy [...] Read more

Slate Why Is This Song No. 1?

Does Travis Scott Deserve His First No. 1, or Is He Just a Master of Chart Gimmicks?

6 December 20184 October 2020

Why “Sicko Mode” sits atop the Hot 100. In early 1984—as Michael Jackson’s Thriller was nearing the end of its epic run at No. 1, about 15 months after its release—a non-album single appeared on the radio that sounded like a Jackson bonus track. It was clearly Michael’s voice, singing the chorus, sounding paranoid about [...] Read more