The Slate Culture Gabfest has recently treated listeners to monthly episodes of a new podcast, Hit Parade. In Hit Parade, Slate music critic Chris Molanphy analyzes a moment in the history of the Billboard’s Hot 100.
The first episode dove deep into the history of one of the most overplayed songs of 1988: UB40’s “Red Red Wine.” It was one of those songs that you might enjoy the first few times you hear it, but if, for instance, you spend a weekend painting your dorm room, and the radio station you are listening to keeps playing it, you lose your taste for the song. So it’s saying something that I listened to the first episode of Hit Parade all the way through with interest. I can even tolerate hearing “Red Red Wine” again, simply because I now know so much more about the song’s history.
The second episode has been my favorite to date. In it, Molanphy explores how the Beatles landed the top five slots on the Hot 100 one week in 1964. It’s a fascinating story, and it taught me a lot about how the Beatles broke into the American market. (Hint: It wasn’t as easy for them as you might think.)
The most recent episode compares the careers of Elton John and George Michael. While the episode supposedly focuses on a week in 1988 when they were rivals on the Hot 100, it covers so much territory that the week in question feels like an afterthought. That said, as I listened I developed a deeper appreciation for Elton John, whose music I already liked.
What makes all of these podcasts wonderful is Molanphy’s deep knowledge of popular music. He tells you things about songs and their history that you’d never think to ask about, and you feel richer for it.
As far as I can tell, you can’t subscribe to this podcast on its own. You can download individual episodes, or you can get the podcast when you subscribe to the Slate Culture Gabfest or the Slate Daily Feed. I do recommend the Slate Culture Gabfest, so you may want to subscribe that way.
If you want to learn more about current popular songs, read Molanphy’s series, Why Is This Song No. 1? Like his podcast, this series takes a deep dive into the stories behind No. 1 songs. From just one article, I’ve learned about Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, reggaetόn, and the history of past Spanish-language hits that made it to the Hot 100’s top spot.
Thank you, Chris Molanphy.