A smash remake of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” has reminded us of the power of cover songs. But why are hit covers so rare today? Cover songs once had a simple playbook: Artists would faithfully rerecord a song—note for note and word for word. They might modernize the instrumentation. If they were feeling radical, they’d [...] Read more

New York Times critic-at-large Wesley Morris interviewed Barbra Streisand about her memoir and her versatile career. 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 [...] Read more

Barbra Streisand was the Taylor Swift of her era—a self-powered Queen of All Media who set major chart records. And she might not be done. Barbra Streisand: star of stage and screen. Oscar-winner, film director and TV producer. Culture warrior and meme generator. Yes, all that—but don’t get it twisted: Barbra’s legend rests in her [...] Read more

Billboard awards editor Paul Grein says Grammy voters do their best—but they could use some help narrowing the field. 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 [...] Read more

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