Does the Recording Academy ever get it right? And how closely should the Grammys follow the charts?” Do you watch the Grammy Awards every year and groan, or even yell at the screen? Hit Parade host Chris Molanphy sure does. But he has a weird hot take: The Grammys are better off not trying to [...] Read more

Billboard writer/editor Andrew Unterberger says in the TikTok era, labels and even artists follow the wisdom of crowds. View Transcript In this mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by Andrew Unterberger, Billboard’s digital deputy editor, for a discussion of second-chance hits and how modern-day fans tell the artists and labels what the [...] Read more

From Brenda to Bowie, Taylor to Smokey, sometimes hit songs need multiple tries to scale the charts.” View Transcript View Transcript In 2023, several hits from years ago—sometimes decades—made it to No. 1 on Billboard’s pop charts after falling short the first time: Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer.” The Weeknd’s “Die for You.” Miguel’s “Sure Thing.” [...] Read more

Live in New York City, Chris Molanphy discusses his book Old Town Road with fellow author Dan Charnas. In this special mini-episode of Hit Parade, recorded live on at Housing Works bookstore in New York City, host Chris Molanphy is joined by Dan Charnas—author of the New York Times bestseller Dilla Time, The Life and [...] Read more

The country-rap collisions and viral meme hits that culminated in Lil Nas X’s record-breaking “Old Town Road” When it crash-landed on the charts in 2019, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” felt new and old at the same time: a savvy, TikTok-fueled viral hit that summarized a century of cross-cultural collisions between R&B, rap and [...] Read more

Author and New York venues historian Jesse Rifkin says CBGB spawned punk because it let bands make mistakes. View Transcript Listen & Subscribe Choose your preferred player: Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Stitcher Amazon Music Overcast TuneIn RSS Feed For questions about subscriptions or your Slate Plus feed, check our FAQ. Please enable javascript to [...] Read more

How the first wave of CBGB punks became Billboard popstars, reshaping their knotty thrash into catchy bops. View Transcript View Transcript Advertisement Listen & Subscribe Choose your preferred player: Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Stitcher Amazon Music Overcast TuneIn RSS Feed For questions about subscriptions or your Slate Plus feed, check our FAQ. Please enable [...] Read more

Blogger and pop historian Tom Nawrocki says instrumentals were the ultimate novelty hits. Listen & Subscribe Choose your preferred player: Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Stitcher Amazon Music Overcast TuneIn RSS Feed For questions about subscriptions or your Slate Plus feed, check our FAQ. Please enable javascript to get your Slate Plus feeds. All Slate [...] Read more

How instrumental hits topped the charts from the ’50s through the ’70s and why they fell off—well, except for Kenny G. If an instrumental tops the charts, it’s probably an earworm: “Tequila.” “Wipeout.” “Dueling Banjos.” “The Hustle.” “Feels So Good.” “Chariots of Fire.” “Axel F.” You can probably whistle or hum several of those from [...] Read more

How OutKast rose above the ’90s rap feud between East and West by redirecting the music South. View Transcript This episode was released in May 2020 exclusively for Slate Plus listeners. As of August 2023, it’s available for non-subscribers. Talk about ’90s rap, and most music fans will throw around the word “gangsta” and talk [...] Read more