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.
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Coming Soon: Hit Parade, Live in Seattle!
Saturday, April 13th at the Museum of Pop Culture
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127
The Everybody Say YEAH! Edition
Stevie Wonder’s legendary songbook started when he was a “Little” young man. How a semi-improvised live recording became his first, and least likely, No. 1 hit.
65 min
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The Bridge: Cover Queens and The Boy Wonder
20 min
129
The Bad Moon on the Rise Edition
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an eternal chart bridesmaid—a record number of No. 2’s—and the No. 1’s holding them back weren’t all classics
59 min
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The Bridge: R. Kelly and Music's #MeToo Reckoning
22 min
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The Gaga is Born Edition
Lady Gaga may be about to pivot from Grammy-winner to Oscar-winner. How did A Star Is Born both reflect and reboot her decade-long career?
66 min
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Music Trivia: Grammys and Gaga Edition
21 min
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The Christmas is All Around Edition
The annual derby for UK Christmas No. 1 is the world’s most hotly contested pop-chart contest. But can the competition survive in the streaming age?
70 min
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Music Trivia: The Christmas Music Edition
23 min
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The Give Me a Sign Edition
How an introverted Swedish producer and a showbiz kid from Louisiana made the late 1990s’ most influential No. 1 hit
71 min
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Music Trivia: ’90s Teen-Pop Edition
19 min
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The Oh. My. God. Becky Edition
What finally got hip-hop to the top of the Billboard charts? Whether conscious or gangsta, trippy or lascivious, rap’s early ’90s arrival at No. 1 started a party—but some rappers literally bum-rushed the show.
81 min
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Music Trivia: The '90s Hip-Hop Edition
21 min
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The Nights on Broadway Edition
How did the Bee Gees survive the fall of disco—the falsettos? The white suits? It was the songs—from ’60s British Invasion, to ’70s R&B, to ’80s country, even ’90s hip-hop.
88 min
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Music Trivia: The Aretha Franklin Edition
25 min
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Madonna: The Veronica Electronica Edition (Encore)
In 1998, at a crossroads, Madonna rebooted her career by fusing electronics with matters of the heart—and turned digital music into viable pop.
72 min
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The Feat. Don’t Fail Me Now Edition
The featured-artist credit has gone from a rare anomaly to a staple of the charts. How did guest rappers change the way supporting performers are credited across popular music?
70 min
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The Deadbeat Club Edition, Part Two
How the two leading bands from Athens, Georgia transformed themselves from college-rockers in the ’80s to hitmakers by the ’90s
54 min
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The Deadbeat Club Edition, Part One
The story of how two very different bands came to define the boundaries of New Wave rock from the college town of Athens, Georgia
60 min
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Music Trivia: The MTV and Alt-Rock Edition
18 min
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The Twerking and Chatrouletting Edition
Even before the launch of MTV, the music video has been making pop songs buzzworthy.
63 min
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Music Trivia: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Edition
Hit Parade, Slate’s music history podcast, is here to quiz you with some trivia.
19 min
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Hit Parade: The You Give Rock a Bad Name Edition
Over the objections of critics, Bon Jovi entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this month. What is the band’s legacy? Like it or not, they do have one.
69 min
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Music Trivia: Welcome to Hit Parade—The Bridge
Welcome to The Bridge
10 min
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Hit Parade: The Veronica Electronica Edition
In 1998, at a crossroads, Madonna rebooted her career by fusing electronics with matters of the heart—and turned digital music into viable pop.
71 min