A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work mag...
Writing The Who’s ‘My Generation' With Pete Townshend
The Who's "My Generation" wasn't born from inspiration—it was commissioned. In a rare interview, Pete Townshend reveals how six fans at London's Goldhawk Club in 1965 directly asked him to write an anthem for their post-war generation. This conversation uncovers how a simple request transformed into rock's definitive youth statement, complete with its rebellious stutter and blues foundations. As Townshend releases his solo anthology during our own era of generational flux, the story behind rock's most famous declaration of youth proves more relevant than ever.
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Songs Referenced
"My Generation" by The Who
"Can't Explain" by The Who
"Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" by The Who
"Smokestack Lightning" by Howlin' Wolf
"For Your Love" by The Yardbirds
"Pinball Wizard" by The Who
"I'm a Boy" by The Who
"Pictures of Lily" by The Who
"I Can See for Miles" by The Who
"Stuttering Blues" by John Lee Hooker
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54:12
Lady Gaga's Monster Return
In 2022, Lady Gaga embarked on The Chromatica Ball – a stadium tour featuring a stage that Gaga herself referred to as her "museum of brutality." Three years later, this idea of a brutalist enshrining of all things Monster can come to represent her new studio album MAYHEM.
Over the course of fourteen tracks, Gaga is "unafraid to reference or not reference," invoking not just the pop weirdos of a past era like Prince and Bowie, but also her contemporaries, in this gothic and chaotic web of a record. This episode of Switched On Pop, Little Monster-in-residence Reanna takes Charlie and Nate on a tour through the Gaga-seum, showcasing Gaga's ability to pay tribute to her inspirations, her imitators, and her biggest icon: herself.
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SONGS DISCUSSED
Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande – Rain On Me
Lady Gaga – Disease
Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein – Killah
David Bowie – Watch That Man
David Bowie – Fame
Queen – Killer Queen
Prince – Kiss
Prince – Sign O' The Times
Talking Heads – Psycho Killer
Nile Rodgers, CHIC, Lady Gaga – I Want Your Love
Lady Gaga – Perfect Celebrity
Lady Gaga – Paparazzi
Lady Gaga – The Fame
Lady Gaga – Applause
Nine Inch Nails – Closer
Depeche Mode – Mercy in You
Lady Gaga – Vanish Into You
Chappell Roan – Good Luck, Babe!
The Weeknd – In Your Eyes
Lady Gaga – How Bad Do U Want Me
Taylor Swift – Style
Taylor Swift – Gorgeous
Yaz – Only You
Lady Gaga – Zombieboy
Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl
Lady Gaga – Summerboy
Lady Gaga – Beautiful, Dirty Rich
Lady Gaga – Shadow Of A Man
Lady Gaga – Nothing On But the Radio
Lady Gaga – Garden of Eden
Lady Gaga – Bad Romance
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Lady Gaga – Government Hooker
Lady Gaga – Bloody Mary
Lady Gaga – Swine
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53:26
How Missy Elliott and Timbaland Freaked the World
When the song “Get Ur Freak On” hit radio in 2001, it set the world of popular music on fire. Missy Elliott and Timbaland’s first crossover hit sounded nothing like the chart-topping bluesy rock of Aerosmith or Lenny Kravitz, or the smooth R&B of Joe or Jagged Edge. It was a song that compelled you to dance - literally, with Missy issuing repeat commands to “get ur freak on” and encouraging crowds to gather ‘round in what we’ve only ever experienced as a hot slick mess of bodies, cheering and vibing as one pretzeling mass. But this song was years in the making. Timbaland and Missy had been hard at work on the sound for nearly a decade before “Get Ur Freak On” was heard by anyone.
This week, in yet another segment of our Modern Classics miniseries, our guest host and former producer Megan Lubin shares the story of the sound that made “Get Ur Freak On” a pop music phenomenon, and transformed Timbaland into one of the most ubiquitous producers of the aughts.
Songs Discussed
Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On
Tweet - Oops (Oh My)
Jay-Z - Dirt off Your Shoulder
Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around... Comes Around
2Pac - Me Against The World
TLC - Creep
Ginuwine - Pony
Aaliyah - One in a Million
Jay-Z ft. UGK - Big Pimpin’
Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
Justin Timberlake - Cry Me a River
Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous
Justin Timberlake ft. T.I. - My Love
Timbaland ft. One Republic - Apologize
Sports Car - Tate McRae
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36:27
Playing "Hide and Seek" with Imogen Heap
It may be hard to believe it in this technology-driven day and age, but one of the most pervasive sounds in popular music came about when a computer STOPPED working. In 2005, artist and innovator Imogen Heap released "Hide and Seek," a mysterious and emotional song featuring just her voice and a digital harmonizer. In this episode, Nate and Reanna dissect a song that launched a thousand memes and gave the world one of the defining sonic textures of our time.
Songs Discussed
Imogen Heap - Headlock
Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
Daft Punk - Around the World
Imogen Heap - Getting Scared
Frou Frou - Let Go
Jason Derulo - Whatcha Say
Bon Iver - Woods
Coldplay - Hurts Like Heaven
Kacey Musgraves
gracias a la vida
Frank Ocean - Close To You
Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey - The Middle
Caroline Polachek - So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings
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35:11
The Umbrella Effect: How Rihanna’s Breakout Hit Changed Pop Music Forever
In 2007, a 19-year-old Barbadian pop singer released the lead single off her third album. By doing so, she didn't just give us a timeless, undeniable banger -- she changed the way pop music is made, and became the global superstar that we know Rihanna to be today. In this episode we go back in time to unearth the origins of "Umbrella," and how the song blossomed as a result of many shifting currents in the music industry, the democratization recording technology, and the persistence of Rihanna and her team to record the song instead of the artist for whom it was intended.
SONGS DISCUSSED
James Brown "Funky Drummer"
Funkadelic "Get Off Your Ass and Jam"
Soft Cell "Tainted Love"
N.W.A. "100 Miles and Runnin"
Mya "Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do?)"
Britney Spears featuring Madonna "Me Against the Music"
Nine Inch Nails "The Hand That Feeds"
Rihanna "Pon de Replay"
Rihanna "S.O.S."
Shakira "Hips Don't Lie"
Rihanna "Umbrella"
Justice "Stress"
Usher "Love in This Club"
Childish Gambino "Bonfire"
A$AP Rocky featuring Skepta "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)"
Asher Monroe "Synergy"
Justin Bieber & Lil Dicky "Running Over"
Sabrina Carpenter "Espresso"
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A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work magic on our ears & our culture. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.