SlateWhy Is This Song No. 1?

Kendrick Lamar’s New No. 1 Proves He’s Not Just Our Greatest Rapper. He’s One of Our Biggest Pop Stars.

He’s now calling himself “Kung Fu Kenny.” But who knew the greatest rapper alive would pull a Carl Douglas and actually hit the top of the pops? It’s not like Kendrick Lamar made it easy on himself—he didn’t rely on the usual performance-enhancing tricks of a dance craze or a viral gimmick to propel “Humble” [...] Read more
Hit Parade

Hit Parade: The Rogue DJ Edition

A new podcast about how that song you love—or hate—became a smash. Neil Diamond performs in 1976. Jessie Eastland/Wikipedia https://megaphone.link/PPY8123266549 In this debut episode, Chris Molanphy tells the story of “Red Red Wine,” a song written in the 1960s by a certain journeyman singer-songwriter who loves a Hot August Night. Improbably, it became a reggae song, [...] Read more
SlateWhy Is This Song No. 1?

Could Anti-Trump Americans Make “FDT (F— Donald Trump)” the No. 1 Song in the Country?

Here’s how the United States could have its own “God Save the Queen” moment. In May of 1977, a punk quartet from London called the Sex Pistols released a single titled “God Save the Queen.” The song’s name was plagiarized from the British national anthem, and the record released to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II’s [...] Read more
SlateWhy Is This Song No. 1?

Why the New Song From Ed Sheeran, the Ned Flanders of Pop, Is the Biggest in the Country

A digital marimba intro that’s so close to Sia’s “Cheap Thrills,” she should probably demand credit. Lyrics about hitting the bar to find a date that would sound more natural coming from Pitbull. Syncopated rhythms that could have come from producer and previous collaborator Pharrell. Multitracked falsetto harmony vocals straight from Justin Timberlake’s bag of [...] Read more
Slate

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours

Stevie Wonder’s hit songs written for others are so wide-ranging, you might not see his fingertips. At Motown’s 1966 Christmas party, the story goes, Smokey Robinson was handed a near-complete instrumental track and invited to finish it. Robinson, perhaps Motown’s greatest songwriter, typically worked alone. He was the sole writer-producer of such chart-toppers as 1964’s [...] Read more