Hit Parade: Blame It on the Feign Edition
Deceitful as they were, Milli Vanill’s blend of rap and dance-pop topped the charts and made a lasting impression. Read more
Why the Weeknd Had to Use an Old Trick to Score His New No. 1
The singer’s previous chart-topper is so huge that it’s actually become a problem for him. Stories about how DJs have turned underdog records into smash hits are legion, but few hitmaking radio pros have as long a legacy as Gary Guthrie. In 1978, when Guthrie was the program director for Louisville pop station WAKY, he [...] Read more
All Polo G’s “Rapstar” Needed to Reach No. 1 Was One Great Hook
The song’s riff alone threatened to eclipse the rapper’s entire last album. Imagine if TikTok had existed in the late ’60s: Maybe Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” would’ve been a hit sooner. Zep bassist John Paul Jones has claimed that the band’s guitar god Jimmy Page had the immortal riff for their biggest-ever pop hit [...] Read more
The Bridge: You Said You Needed “Space”—WHAT?!
Chris Molanphy and Brittany Spanos discuss Taylor Swift’s enduring appeal for fans of all ages. Listen & Subscribe Choose your preferred player: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts TuneIn Spotify Stitcher Overcast RSS Feed Get Your Slate Plus Feed Copy your ad-free feed link below to load into your player: copy link copied! For questions about subscriptions [...] Read more
Hit Parade: Taylor’s Version of Country Edition
At the turn of the ’10s, Taylor Swift pulled off a masterful country-to-pop crossover, ruling two genres at once. <iframe title="Taylor’s Version of Country Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT8513901857&light=true" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%" ></iframe> View Transcript <iframe title="Taylor’s Version of Country Edition" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=SLT6004911516&light=true" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%" ></iframe> View Transcript Taylor Swift’s new album is a reboot of [...] Read more
“Montero” Is the Gayest No. 1 Single in Billboard History
Lil Nas X once again proves he’s a master memester. Plus, he gives great lap dances. In the fall of 2018, when Montero Lamar Hill stumbled across the beat he would turn into “Old Town Road,” the 19-year-old built the track as a meme as much as a song. Everything was devised for virality: the [...] Read more
The Bridge: Tuesday Night Trivia Club
Chris Molanphy hosts a remote pop quiz about pop, exclusively for Slate Plus members. In this special episode of Hit Parade’s “The Bridge,” it’s like you’re sitting at the end of the bar for the ultimate pop-music pub quiz: On Tuesday night, March 30, host Chris Molanphy quizzed eight different Slate Plus listeners on trivia questions [...] Read more
Why It Took the Grammys to Send Cardi B Back to No. 1
“Up” is the rapper’s fifth chart topper, but this time it took a Grammy Bump to put the superstar back on top. When I watch the Grammys every year, I like to play a chart-nerd parlor game I call “Grammy Bump.” It doesn’t happen every time, but in many years, a song, an album, or [...] Read more
Hit Parade: Don’t Know Much About History Edition
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&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&light=true" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%" ></iframe> Advertisement Listen & Subscribe Choose your preferred player: [...] Read more
The Bridge: Another Saturday Night in Miami
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