Hit Parade | Music History and Music ...
What makes a song a smash? Talent? Luck? Timing? All that—and more. Chris Molanphy, pop-chart analyst and author of Slate’s “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series, tells tales from a half-century of chart history. Through storytelling, trivia and song snippets, Chris dissects how that song you love—or hate—dominated the airwaves, made its way to the top of the charts and shaped your memories forever.
76
Blame It on the Feign, Part 1
Deceitful as they were, Milli Vanill’s blend of rap and dance-pop topped the charts and made a lasting impression.
54 min
77
Taylor’s Version of Country, Part 2
Chris Molanphy's analysis of Taylor Swift's masterful country-to-pop crossover, continued.
49 min
78
Taylor’s Version of Country, Part 1
At the turn of the ’10s, Taylor Swift pulled off a masterful country-to-pop crossover, ruling two genres at once.
50 min
79
Don’t Know Much About History, Part 2
Another installment of Hit Parade on Sam Cooke's influences and legacy.
49 min
80
Don’t Know Much About History, Part 1
Sam Cooke was a hit-maker, soul pioneer, label boss … and a social activist, well before that One Night in Miami.
47 min
81
The AC/DC Rule, Part 2
From AC/DC to Lady Gaga, follow-up albums often do better on the charts than more-loved classics.
73 min
82
The AC/DC Rule, Part 1
From AC/DC to Lady Gaga, follow-up albums often do better on the charts than more-loved classics.
42 min
83
These Are the Good Times, Part 2
How the sleek disco group Chic spawned hip-hop and new wave and shaped acts from Diana Ross to Duran Duran.
78 min
84
These Are the Good Times, Part 1
How the sleek disco group Chic spawned hip-hop and new wave and shaped acts from Diana Ross to Duran Duran.
52 min
85
Smells Like Christmas Spirit, Part 2
In Part 2 of this episode of Hit Parade, we continue the story of how Nirvana’s Nevermind ousted Michael Jackson’s Dangerous from the top of the Billboard album chart,
46 min
86
Smells Like Christmas Spirit, Part 1
This month, Chris Molanphy examines the chart dynamics that not only ushered in the grunge era but also invented a new music sales strategy, the post-Christmas album
29 min
87
Friends in Low Places, Part 2
Brooks took on chart competitors from Guns n’ Roses to Madonna to Mariah Carey and bested them all … until he tried taking on the Beatles.
38 min
88
Friends in Low Places, Part 1
Today your Hit Parade marches to the week ending October 27th, 1990, when “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks was in its fourth week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles and Tracks
76 min
89
Turn Around, Bright Eyes, Part 2
Chris Molanphy continues the story of how Steinman moved on from Meatloaf to emerge as a hitmaker for other artists like Bonnie Tyler with "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and Celine Dion with “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”.
52 min
90
Turn Around, Bright Eyes, Part 1
Forever’s gonna start tonight.
49 min
91
One and Done, Part 2
In part two of our one-hit wonders show, we propose three rules to identify a one-hit wonder, which is not as easy as it sounds
48 min
92
One and Done, Part 1
What makes a one-hit wonder? On this episode of Hit Parade we explore the history and context of the one-hit wonder.
48 min
93
The Bridge: Yacht Or Nyacht?
Chris Molanphy talks to the coiners of Yacht Rock about how they define the genre they invented.
49 min
94
Wednesday Night Live: Music Trivia
Chris tries to stump your favorite Slatesters.
3 min
95
What a Fool Believes Edition
This is the story of Yacht Rock.
8 min
96
The Bridge: Lilith’s Winding Road
7 min
97
Building a Herstory Edition
Sarah McLachlan harnessed this energy into an all-woman tour she dubbed Lilith Fair. Its string of sellouts from 1997 to ’99 affirmed women’s clout in the decade of grunge-and-gangsta.
7 min
98
The Bridge: Many Ways to be OutKasted
Chris Molanphy talks to OutKast expert Dr. Regina Bradley about what they meant to Southern hip-hop.
4 min
99
Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture Edition
Outkast is inarguably one of the most important acts in hip hop and pop music history, but their impressive chart runs, and the brand of Atlanta hip hop they championed, was far from inevitable.
7 min
100
The Bridge: Piano Man, Everyman
Chris Molanphy talks to special musical guest Julian Velard about Billy Joel’s singular authenticity.
3 min