Sam Cooke was a hit-maker, soul pioneer, label boss … and a social activist, well before that One Night in Miami. <iframe title="Don’t Know Much About History Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT1346097821&amp;light=true" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%" ></iframe> <iframe title="Don’t Know Much About History Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT8149266298&amp;light=true" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%" ></iframe> Advertisement Listen & Subscribe Choose your preferred player: [...] Read more

Chris Molanphy talks to Slate’s own Jack Hamilton about misunderstood soul legend Sam Cooke. View Transcript Get More Hit Parade Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcasts—and much more. • Exclusive episodes of Slow Burn, Hang Up and Listen, and Trumpcast. • Members-only series like Dana Stevens’ Flashback and Chris Molanphy’s Hit [...] Read more

From Back in Black to Born This Way, follow-up albums often do better on the charts than more-loved classics. <iframe title="The AC/DC Rule Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT2926526396&amp;light=true" class="slate-megaphone__megaphone-player" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%" ></iframe> View Transcript <iframe title="The AC/DC Rule Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT2959441166&amp;light=true" class="slate-megaphone__megaphone-player" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%" ></iframe> View Transcript Quick, what was the only No. 1 album [...] Read more

Chris Molanphy talks to hip-hop journalist Mosi Reeves about Chic, the Sugarhill Gang, and disco and rap’s parallel histories. Get More Hit Parade! Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcasts—and much more. • Exclusive episodes of Slow Burn, Hang Up and Listen, and Trumpcast. • Members-only series like Dana Stevens’ Flashback and [...] Read more

How the sleek disco group Chic spawned hip-hop and new wave and shaped acts from Diana Ross to Duran Duran. <iframe title="These Are the Good Times Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT7951580838&amp;light=true" class="slate-megaphone__megaphone-player" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%" ></iframe> View Transcript <iframe title="These Are the Good Times Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT3492624205&amp;light=true" class="slate-megaphone__megaphone-player" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%" ></iframe> View Transcript How can you [...] Read more

Chris Molanphy talks to veteran chart analyst Geoff Mayfield about the Billboard charts he oversaw in the early SoundScan era. <iframe title="The Bridge: Radio-Friendly Unit Shifters" src="" class="slate-megaphone__megaphone-player" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe> View Transcript Get More Hit Parade Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcasts—and much more. • Exclusive episodes of Slow Burn, [...] Read more

How Christmas brought about Nirvana’s chart victory over Michael Jackson—and invented a holiday sales strategy. <iframe title="Smells Like Christmas Spirit Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT2702552065&amp;light=true" class="slate-megaphone__megaphone-player" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe> <iframe title="Smells Like Christmas Spirit Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT1571457329&amp;light=true" class="slate-megaphone__megaphone-player" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe> Advertisement Listen & Subscribe Choose your preferred player: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts TuneIn Spotify Stitcher Overcast [...] Read more

Chris Molanphy talks to Billboard’s Melinda Newman, frequent Garth Brooks interviewer, about the country king’s career. <iframe title="The Bridge: Ropin’ the Charts" src="" class="slate-megaphone__megaphone-player" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe> View Transcript Get More Hit Parade Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcasts—and much more. • Exclusive episodes of Slow Burn, Hang Up and [...] Read more

How Garth Brooks became the biggest-selling musician of the ’90s, making pop fans come to his side of the fence. <iframe title="Friends in Low Places Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT8832433334&amp;light=true" class="slate-megaphone__megaphone-player" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe> View Transcript <iframe title="Friends in Low Places Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT7780827665&amp;light=true" class="slate-megaphone__megaphone-player" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe> View Transcript Country music is forever wrestling with its [...] Read more

Chris Molanphy talks to Todd Rundgren biographer Paul Myers about Todd’s work on a smash Jim Steinman–Meat Loaf LP. <iframe title="The Bridge: Producer by the Dashboard Light" src="" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe> Get More Hit Parade Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcasts—and much more. • Exclusive episodes of Slow Burn, Hang [...] Read more