Hit ParadeSlate

Hit Parade: Lenny on Mars Edition

Stylistic chameleons from different generations, Lenny Kravitz and Bruno Mars emulated their heroes to generate hits. What do Lenny Kravitz, a hitmaker primarily in the ’90s and ’00s, and Bruno Mars, a 2010s–20s hitmaker, have in common? It turns out, a lot: Each man has a wide-ranging ethnic and musical background, with early exposure to [...] Read more
Hit ParadeSlate

The Bridge: So Excited and Breaking Out

Interviewer and Pointer Sisters expert Christian John Wikane says all the Pointers were vocal titans, which gave them an edge. 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 [...] Read more
Hit ParadeSlate

Hit Parade: Yes We Can Can Edition

The Pointer Sisters sang it all—pop, funk, rock, jazz, country, even kids’ music—with gusto. What got them so excited? Today, the Pointer Sisters are mostly remembered for their flurry of ’80s hits, especially the “Excited” one about losing control and liking it. But their musical history is far more varied: jazz standards? Civil rights–era funk? [...] Read more
Hit ParadeSlate

The Bridge: Still a Rock Star

Critic and author Annie Zaleski says Pink tries everything because her voice can do anything. In this mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by widely published critic Annie Zaleski, the author of several books including a forthcoming biography of Pink. Zaleski says Pink contains multitudes, with a voice capable of many genres [...] Read more