All my thanks to #HitParadePod listeners & subscribers for enjoying my labor of love in 2025 (+a special shoutout to the @slate.com Plus community). As always, we covered a lot—spanning genres and decades. Now’s a good time to catch up on any Hit Parade episodes you missed! slate.com/podcasts/hit...

Sure, today’s #NYTStrands is fun for my fellow Billboard nerds but be warned: • Think “Top 20 *in* 2025” not “Top 20 *for all of* 2025” • Proper names don’t count (e.g., no "Luther”)…but… • To my surprise, a certain Sabrina-related word *is* a dictionary word. Strands #667 “2025 Top Twenty” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵

Some buried news at the bottom of this week’s @billboard.com report on the new #Hot100 …yes the all-Xmas top 24 is a big deal but to me the bigger news is HUNTR/X’s “Golden” finally reaching No1 on the Radio chart—Kpop’s 1st time topping the all-format airplay list. www.billboard.com/lists/mariah...

You know together we're glowing: Now live in your @slate.com podcast feed @carlzoilus.bsky.social takes over #HitParadePod –The Bridge to host a year-end Slate Music Club w/guests @jawnita.bsky.social @lindsayzoladz.bsky.social & me. We talk ’25 from Bad Bunny & Rosalía to Gaga & KPop Demon Hunters.

Troubling—YouTube & Billboard at war over inclusion of YT data on the BB charts so YT is pulling out in January. Hard to say what impact this will have—left-field video-driven hits on the #Hot100 tapered off in the ’20s after Billboard eliminated user-driven content. But YT is still massive, so…

First scene in his first movie, he parodies the self-regard of a hack director. And then in real life, he goes on this insane run: 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘐𝘴 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘯̈𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘢𝘱. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺… 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘺. 𝘈 𝘍𝘦𝘸 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘯. In a row! To START his career! Not a dud in the bunch.

Laugh about it, shout about it: new #HitParadePod on @slate.com is about the chart history of soundtracks—from Bing&Judy to Barbie&Huntr/x. How did The Graduate reboot movie music in the ’60s, Flashdance in the ’80s? Will KPop Demon Hunters spark a soundtrack comeback? Come to this place for magic.

Just for the record, before @billboard.com drops their year-end charts Tuesday…I’ll be happy w/any—ANY— #Hot100 result up to&including A.Warren’s “Ordinary” being 2025’s top song—as long as Teddy Swims doesn’t take it a 2nd year in a row w/his unkillable hit. But…we should brace for that possibility

ICYMI: Several Eurovision hopefuls tend to be lumped into the category of “joke entries.” We explore some examples and try to “get it” in terms of what might be happening under the hood of these songs with @cmolanphy.bsky.social from Slate’s Hit Parade www.eurowhat.com/284

🤪 NEW EPISODE 🤪 Several Eurovision hopefuls tend to be lumped into the category of “joke entries.” We’ll explore some examples and try to “get it” in terms of what might be happening under the hood of these songs with @cmolanphy.bsky.social from Slate’s Hit Parade www.eurowhat.com/284

On a new #HitParadePod –The Bridge, now live on @slate.com, my guest, Nashville journalist @brianmansfield.bsky.social, says Mutt Lange & Shania Twain reinvented ’90s country music twice—pumping it up, then crossing it over. Plus…trivia—and a next-episode preview that’s hooked to the silver screen.

Your friendly chart nerd—on video! I had a blast w/musicians & fellow record nerds Peter Martin & Adam Maness on their video+audio podcast #YoullHearIt dissecting Stevie Wonder’s masterwork 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦. How did Wonder integrate funk+jazz+pop? How was it a chart phenom? Feel it all over.

I enjoyed talking to @jmkarmstrong.bsky.social for her Substack #TheMinistryofPopCulture, about how I invented my charts&criticism beat and launched #HitParadePod. We had such a good chat she issued it in 2 parts. Here’s part 1, including the story of how the podcast got longer than a feature film.

A fast machine, kept his motor clean: My new #HitParadePod on @slate.com is about superproducer “Mutt” Lange, mystery man of arena-rocking überpop. Mutt’s anthemic sound worked across genres—AC/DC to the Cars, Foreigner to Billy Ocean, Def Leppard to Shania. Let the magic man pour some sugar on you.

On a new #HitParadePod –The Bridge—now live on @slate.com—my guest @gedge1.bsky.social, author of an upcoming book on the Police, says the surprise isn’t how briefly but how long the skilled trio stayed together. Plus trivia—& a next-episode preview that pours some sugar & shakes you all night long.

Keep it💯on the land…thе sea…the sky—2wks into Taylor’s latest Era my @slate.com series #WhyIsThisSongNo1? considers“The Fate of Ophelia.” We were promised ‘Showgirl’ bangers but the song adapts Swift’s broody ’20s mode for the return of Max. Plus…the album’s chart feats+an asterisk on besting Adele.

The big #Hot100 news isn’t that Tay’s “Ophelia” is No1 a 2nd week—it’s at the end of the story where @billboard.com announces a big change to the chart’s recurrent rule that I expected. Bottom line, songs will pulled sooner & I say thank heaven—& bye “Lose Control” which shoulda been gone eons ago.

He’ll be earworming you: My new #HitParadePod on @slate.com is about Sting, the jazzy pop-generator who keeps getting paid. In the Police he blended reggae+new wave. Solo, he tried jazz, classical, funk, rap…even Raï. Whether on your radio or getting sampled, every little thing Sting tries is magic.

It’s hard to put into words what it means to lose D’Angelo. Not just the man, but the sound, the feeling, the very essence of soul that he embodied.

On a new #HitParadePod –The Bridge—now live on @slate.com —my guest Chris Dalla Riva, author of ‘Uncharted Territory,’ says songs that debut@No1 usually have an extra-musical X-factor. But the song is the song—whether good Drake or bad Drake. Plus, trivia & a next-episode preview sending out an SOS.

Just a sweet sweet fantasy: My new #HitParadePod at @slate.com is on the history of No1 debuts. How do songs score a fast pass to the penthouse? They’re not always classics—Idol coronations…rap beefs…boy-band soloists…superstar throwaways. For every “Fantasy” “Hello” or “Vampire” there’s a “Trollz.”

On the latest episode of #BeyondYachtRock2000 I join @jdryznar.bsky.social, @hollywoodsteve.bsky.social & Dave Lyons for a countdown of some of the oddest videos from MTV’s first day. From the Buggles (no…not that one) to Pete Townshend…Kate Bush to Todd Rundgren…it’s an all-new way to #KeeptheFire.

Hey @augetoffmygold.bsky.social —this is an entertainingly debatable ranking (eg if you weren’t gonna give PG No1 I’d have flipped your 1 & 3).But my big quibble: You mention the Cars’ shadow from defeated “Thriller” but the same goes for VH beating Nirvana. I’d put “Right Now” lower for that alone.

I spoke w/Dane Haiken for his Substack interview series #HowWeRead, focusing on how I research episodes of my @slate.com podcast #HitParadePod —from Billboard chart books to memoirs by Nile Rodgers, John Fogerty & Phil Collins. Also, my origin story a la Paul McCartney’s apocryphal “Scrambled Egg.”

I spoke w/Russ Martin for a @theglobeandmail.com article on why US/Canada had no galvanizing #SongoftheSummer this year. I distinguished charts-based vs cultural SoS’s—but @annkpowers.bsky.social had the best quote, on the problem w/SoS ’25 winner “Ordinary” by Alex Warren: “It doesn’t effervesce.”

Going up…UP…UP!!! The latest in my @slate.com series #WhyIsThisSongNo1? is about “Golden” by fictional trio Huntr/x—the “Sugar,Sugar” of 2025. The 1st No1 by a girl group in 20+years, “Golden” &the KPDH soundtrack are rescuing the 2020s’ dullest pop summer. Forget demons—they’re slaying Alex Warren.

Hear me blush at a lewd AI country song! (Don’t make me repeat its title.) Srsly this is a fun #WhatNextTBD episode from @slate.com. Thx to @lizzieohreally.bsky.social for a diverting, ominous game (+shoutout @charlieharding.bsky.social + @neatsloan.bsky.social for spoiling me on“Dust on the Wind”).

I’m back on the #CultureGabfest on @slate.com for our cherished annual hot-weather tradition, Summer Strut! Julia Turner, Dana Stevens & Steve Metcalf cull the list + I demystify the bops. This year we jam to Lola Young…Bad Bunny…Haim…Diana Ross & Del tha Funkee Homosapien. slate.com/podcasts/cul...

I appreciate folks who call me “pop-chart maestro.” ☺️ But srsly @chrisdeville.bsky.social’s Substack on Alex Warren et al. is a good read. Back in June in my @slate.com piece on “Ordinary” I called the Swims/Boone/Warren wave ‘Guys Who Really Mean It, Man.” Chris is more succinct—These F&#%ing Guys.

On a new #HitParadePod –The Bridge—now live on @slate.com —my guest @dancharnas.bsky.social says beef has always been part of rap’s culture of competition—& sometimes, grammar matters! (Shout-out Chino XL+2Pac.) Plus, trivia…and a next-episode preview that debuts at the toppermost of the poppermost.

#RIP #TomLehrer —Cold War comic+a formative building block of my sense of humor (alongside Python). Honestly my all-time TL jam is “Vatican Rag” followed closely by “Pollution,” “A Christmas Carol” &“Who’s Next?” But given this weekend’s sad news this is really the only selection to remember him by.

I not only enjoyed but empathized w/this @lindaholmes.bsky.social piece reflecting on the HBO Billy Joel doc & how it reflects our uncool childhood fandom. As an outerborough New Yorker in the ’70s–’80s, I grew up w/Joel’s music unquestioningly & I related to Holmes’s take on why this doc hits hard.

You probably think this pod is about you—my new #HitParadePod from @slate.com is a history of diss records, which predate hip-hop+even rock. From Eddie Cantor bitching about “Bananas” to Carly Simon puncturing vanity…an army of Roxanne,Roxannes or K-dot ethering Drake…beef on wax has served up hits.

On a new #HitParadePod —The Bridge, my guest @barrywalters.bsky.social says LGBTQ hitmakers have long expressed queerness through their art & on the dancefloor, whether or not they were nominally “out.” Plus, trivia…and a next-episode preview that’s trying to strike a chord & it’s probably D-minor.

Mighty Real: my new #HitParadePod on @slate.com celebrates #LGBTQ+ hitmakers who shaped how pop sounds, signifies, shimmies+shakes. How’d queer artists navigate the charts while coming out? We salute titans from Little Richard to Lil Nas X…Dusty Springfield to Sylvester…Boy George to Chappell Roan.🏳️‍🌈

’Til we're dead and buried: My new @slate.com #WhyIsThisSongNo1? article considers the social-media-spawned Alex Warren & his wedding-ready smash “Ordinary.” How did the last year of Teddy Swims & Benson Boone domination help Warren scale the #Hot100? Is this the Jelly Roll–indication of the charts?

Stellar column from @rossonradio.com dissecting 30yrs of #Hot100 No1 debuts & which endure as radio hits. Love Sean’s comparison of UK & US No1 debuts—they do have quirks in common. I was already planning to do something like this on #HitParadePod so I appreciate his insights informed by hard data.

@tombreihan.bsky.social I imagine you will give this side-eye, but here…posted w/o comment: www.billboard.com/pro/lizzo-se... (You didn't post about your Lizzo #NumberOnes entry on Monday, right? Good article, even if I like the song a lot more than you.)

On a new #HitParadePod —The Bridge my guest @harvilla.bsky.social recalls his ’90s youth when alt-rock was a shadow Top 40 & told him what was cool. Nirvana, obviously, but…maybe also STP? And maybe Alanis was coolest of all? Plus, trivia…and a next-episode preview that makes you feel (mighty real).

I’m just catching up w/this article by my @slate.com colleague @lukewinkie.bsky.social about the odd persistence of Disturbed’s cover of “Sound of Silence.” I talked to Luke about what its long chart run means & how acts can be reduced to one improbable song. Talk about a vision softly creeping! ✌🏼🤘🏼🎸

What else should we be? My new #HitParadePod on @slate.com covers ’90s alt-rock from Cobain to Creed. How did GenX bring the left of the dial to the middle of the road & make Modern Rock our bizarro Top 40? How’d grunge become post-grunge & the new pop? Come as you are—back when Losers were winners.

On a new #HitParadePod —The Bridge my guest @jawnita.bsky.social says Rihanna’s discriminating taste & trend intuition led to both quantity & quality at her hitmaking peak…which might explain the long wait for a new LP. Plus trivia…& a preview that’s got Radio-Friendly Unit Shifters (all apologies).

Enjoyed this feature from @augetoffmygold.bsky.social, @jasonlipshutz.bsky.social et al—part of @billboard.com’s 2005 lookback. I humbly offer my alternate deep cuts: •Madonna,“Forbidden Love” •Beck,“Black Tambourine” •LCD,“Too Much Love” •Sufjan,“Casimir Pulaski Day” •Bloc Party,“Positive Tension”

Find love in a hopeless place…listen to my new #HitParadePod on @slate.com, about Rihanna—the millennium’s top hitmaker before she bowed out of the game. Rih dropped more music in a decade as most acts do in 2—rebooting the old Motown model for a new age. ’20s got you down? Stand under her umbrella.

Out today! An “Expanded Edition” of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙆𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙡 by @euny.bsky.social w/new chapters on BTS, SquidGame & Parasite (I make a cameo in the BTS chapter). A decade ago Euny chronicled S.Korea’s cultural takeover. This new edition captures how right she was.🇰🇷📕 us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

On a new #HitParadePod —The Bridge my guest @andyzax.bsky.social says the ’60s were full of pop ephemera & identifies one more song category: Vietnam-adjacent hits, from SSgt.Sadler to “Little Becky’s Christmas Wish.” Plus trivia…& a preview that lets you stand under our umbrella (ella, ella…eh…eh).

I’m on this week’s #CultureGabfest on @slate.com, talking about the new #LadyGaga album 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘩𝘦𝘮. We talk about Gaga as comeback queen, as dancing queen, as pastiche queen—including that uncanny Taylor–Yaz mashup—and how she is reheating her own damn nachos. slate.com/podcasts/cul...

@jazzorion.bsky.social I’m Latino, for the record. But thanks for reading!

If this world were his: My @slate.com series #WhyIsThisSongNo1? takes on Kendrick Lamar’s “Luther,” which has spent 4wks on top—longer than his smash Drake diss “Not Like Us.” What does this mellow Vandross-sampling duet with SZA mean for Kdot’s pop profile? After beating Drake, has he become Drake?

It’s life’s illusions we recall: new #HitParadePod episode on @slate.bsky.social is about forgotten ’60s hits from the Singing Nun to Jeannie C Riley. I identify 5 categories of forgotten hits—like easy listening, instrumentals &bubblegum—from a Boomer decade that was more ‘Mad Men’ than ‘Big Chill’