Chris Molanphy
@cmolanphy.bsky.social
Chart analyst/pop critic. Host of podcast #HitParadePod. Writer of Slate's #WhylsThisSongNo1? Author of book #OldTownRoad. Feet on the ground, reaching for the stars. (Pronouns—he/him/his.)
When you noted Dishwalla’s used-bin-clogging CD I had to Google to remember its generic cover. I feel like we should coin a mini-genre for this alt-band era: Clip Art Rock—when a band was so nondescript the label’s art dept created a cut-n-paste CD cover for them. Even Radiohead briefly fell victim.
January 12, 2026 at 8:57 PM
When you noted Dishwalla’s used-bin-clogging CD I had to Google to remember its generic cover. I feel like we should coin a mini-genre for this alt-band era: Clip Art Rock—when a band was so nondescript the label’s art dept created a cut-n-paste CD cover for them. Even Radiohead briefly fell victim.
My lowkey favorite on the album after the singles: m.youtube.com/watch?v=UW5R...
Pretty
YouTube video by The Cranberries - Topic
m.youtube.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:43 AM
My lowkey favorite on the album after the singles: m.youtube.com/watch?v=UW5R...
Oh, his life is changing every day, in every possible way.
Also: he’s so pretty the way he is.
Also: he’s so pretty the way he is.
January 12, 2026 at 2:28 AM
Oh, his life is changing every day, in every possible way.
Also: he’s so pretty the way he is.
Also: he’s so pretty the way he is.
It’s playing in a double feature with ‘The Rural Juror.’
January 12, 2026 at 2:23 AM
It’s playing in a double feature with ‘The Rural Juror.’
Thx for capturing how this Zoomer-core emo wreck of a song sucks in people much older. When it hit No1 I was in the presence of many Zoomers (my then-stepkids, their friends) & was moved by how much it moved them. Then 1½yrs later I went through a breakup myself & it hit different/spoke to me anew.
January 5, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Thx for capturing how this Zoomer-core emo wreck of a song sucks in people much older. When it hit No1 I was in the presence of many Zoomers (my then-stepkids, their friends) & was moved by how much it moved them. Then 1½yrs later I went through a breakup myself & it hit different/spoke to me anew.
Dolly Parton - 9 To 5 (Official Video)
YouTube video by DollyPartonVEVO
www.youtube.com
January 4, 2026 at 1:10 AM
😂 I sincerely hope you’re kidding.
P.S. Despite containing a No1 song the ‘3 Musketeers’ soundtrack flopped—No101 on the BB200. The soundtracks episode was more about albums than singles. So even if I hadn’t namechecked that crap song in 2 consecutive shows there’d be no reason to cover it in Dec.
P.S. Despite containing a No1 song the ‘3 Musketeers’ soundtrack flopped—No101 on the BB200. The soundtracks episode was more about albums than singles. So even if I hadn’t namechecked that crap song in 2 consecutive shows there’d be no reason to cover it in Dec.
December 31, 2025 at 11:31 PM
😂 I sincerely hope you’re kidding.
P.S. Despite containing a No1 song the ‘3 Musketeers’ soundtrack flopped—No101 on the BB200. The soundtracks episode was more about albums than singles. So even if I hadn’t namechecked that crap song in 2 consecutive shows there’d be no reason to cover it in Dec.
P.S. Despite containing a No1 song the ‘3 Musketeers’ soundtrack flopped—No101 on the BB200. The soundtracks episode was more about albums than singles. So even if I hadn’t namechecked that crap song in 2 consecutive shows there’d be no reason to cover it in Dec.
You mean our Oct (Sting), Nov (Mutt) & Dec (soundtracks) episodes? You must not have been listening very closely, because I mentioned “All for Love” in the Sting and Mutt episodes, in extensive detail (even though I was pretty sick of covering it by November).
December 31, 2025 at 11:20 PM
You mean our Oct (Sting), Nov (Mutt) & Dec (soundtracks) episodes? You must not have been listening very closely, because I mentioned “All for Love” in the Sting and Mutt episodes, in extensive detail (even though I was pretty sick of covering it by November).
December 2025: Hooked to the Silver Screen Edition—a history of movie 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. #HitParadePod @slate.com
For Nearly a Century, Hollywood Has Left Its Mark on the Pop Charts
Movie soundtracks have sometimes eclipsed the films that inspired them in the first place.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:37 PM
December 2025: Hooked to the Silver Screen Edition—a history of movie 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. #HitParadePod @slate.com
November 2025: Pour Some Sugar on Me Edition—how superproducer “Mutt” Lange, the mystery man of arena-rocking überpop, built an anthemic sound across genres: AC/DC to the Cars, Foreigner to Billy Ocean, Def Leppard to Shania Twain. A fast machine, Mutt kept his motor clean. #HitParadePod @slate.com
The Reclusive Producer Who Shook the Charts All Night Long
Mutt Lange avoided the spotlight while crafting some of the loudest, catchiest, and bestselling records of all time.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:36 PM
November 2025: Pour Some Sugar on Me Edition—how superproducer “Mutt” Lange, the mystery man of arena-rocking überpop, built an anthemic sound across genres: AC/DC to the Cars, Foreigner to Billy Ocean, Def Leppard to Shania Twain. A fast machine, Mutt kept his motor clean. #HitParadePod @slate.com
October 2025: If You Love Sting, Set Him Free Edition—how Sting became the jazzy pop-generator who kept getting paid. In the Police he blended reggae+new wave. Solo, he tried classical, funk, rap…even Raï. On your radio or as a sample, every little thing Sting does is magic. #HitParadePod @slate.com
Every Breath Sting Takes, Every Hit Sting Makes—We’ve Been Watching Him.
Everyone knows "Every Breath You Take"—but Sting's legacy is built on hits from the unexpected genres.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:36 PM
October 2025: If You Love Sting, Set Him Free Edition—how Sting became the jazzy pop-generator who kept getting paid. In the Police he blended reggae+new wave. Solo, he tried classical, funk, rap…even Raï. On your radio or as a sample, every little thing Sting does is magic. #HitParadePod @slate.com
September 2025: Toppermost of the Poppermost Edition—a 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” or “Vampire,” there’s a “Trollz.” #HitParadePod @slate.com
The Odd Alchemy That Sends a Brand-New Song to the Top of the Charts
For decades, No. 1 debuts were unheard of in America. Then the record labels and digital music hacked the Hot 100.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:36 PM
September 2025: Toppermost of the Poppermost Edition—a 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” or “Vampire,” there’s a “Trollz.” #HitParadePod @slate.com
August 2025: White and Nerdy Edition—in honor of Weird Al’s summer tour, an encore of our beloved HP history of novelty, parody & comedy hits. From the early rockers about cavemen, bathtubs, bikinis & mothers-in-law thru 21st-c. memes, hilarious hits have brought the funny. #HitParadePod @slate.com
The History of Novelty Songs on the Charts, From the Big Bopper to Tiny Tim to Weird Al
Parodists and stand-ups were big record sellers at rock’s birth, and comedy helped spawn rap … and the career of one accordion-playing weirdo.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:35 PM
August 2025: White and Nerdy Edition—in honor of Weird Al’s summer tour, an encore of our beloved HP history of novelty, parody & comedy hits. From the early rockers about cavemen, bathtubs, bikinis & mothers-in-law thru 21st-c. memes, hilarious hits have brought the funny. #HitParadePod @slate.com
July 2025: Here’s the Beef Edition—a history of diss tracks, which predate hip-hop, even rock. From Eddie Cantor bitching about “Bananas” to Carly Simon puncturing that “Vain” dude…an army of Roxanne,Roxannes or K-dot ethering Drake…beef on wax has served up piping-hot hits. #HitParadePod @slate.com
From Beatles to Biggie, Carly to Kendrick, Diss Records Are a Pop Fixture
They weren’t always called diss tracks, but pop stars have been trading insults since Tin Pan Alley.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:35 PM
July 2025: Here’s the Beef Edition—a history of diss tracks, which predate hip-hop, even rock. From Eddie Cantor bitching about “Bananas” to Carly Simon puncturing that “Vain” dude…an army of Roxanne,Roxannes or K-dot ethering Drake…beef on wax has served up piping-hot hits. #HitParadePod @slate.com
June 2025: Mighty Real Edition—how queer artists navigated the charts while navigating the closet. We celebrate #LGBTQ+ hitmakers who shaped how pop sounds, signifies, shimmies+shakes—Little Richard to Lil Nas X, Dusty Springfield to Sylvester, Boy George to Chappell Roan. 🏳️🌈 #HitParadePod @slate.com
LGBTQ Music Has Long Been Coded and Even Denied, Yet Never Absent From the Pop Charts for Long.
Queer artists have continually redefined pop even when the culture wouldn't let them do so openly.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:35 PM
June 2025: Mighty Real Edition—how queer artists navigated the charts while navigating the closet. We celebrate #LGBTQ+ hitmakers who shaped how pop sounds, signifies, shimmies+shakes—Little Richard to Lil Nas X, Dusty Springfield to Sylvester, Boy George to Chappell Roan. 🏳️🌈 #HitParadePod @slate.com
May 2025: All Apologies Edition—how Generation X brought the left of the dial to the middle of the road and made ’90s alternative rock our bizarro Top 40, from Cobain to Creed. How did grunge become post-grunge and the new pop? Come as you are—back when Losers were winners. #HitParadePod @slate.com
From Cobain to Creed, How Alt-Rock Went Mainstream in the ‘90s
Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam led an explosion in alt-rock that brought the underground to the surface.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:34 PM
May 2025: All Apologies Edition—how Generation X brought the left of the dial to the middle of the road and made ’90s alternative rock our bizarro Top 40, from Cobain to Creed. How did grunge become post-grunge and the new pop? Come as you are—back when Losers were winners. #HitParadePod @slate.com
April 2025: Only Girl in the World Edition—how Rihanna became the millennium’s most prolific hitmaker before she bowed out of the game. Rih dropped more music in a decade than most acts do in two, rebooting the old Motown model for a new age. Find love in a hopeless place. #HitParadePod @slate.com
Rihanna Was a 21st Century Chart-topper Before (Maybe?) Bowing Out of the Game
The Barbadian singer bombarded the charts in the 2000s and 2010s, recalling the heyday of prolific hit machines like the Supremes.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:34 PM
April 2025: Only Girl in the World Edition—how Rihanna became the millennium’s most prolific hitmaker before she bowed out of the game. Rih dropped more music in a decade than most acts do in two, rebooting the old Motown model for a new age. Find love in a hopeless place. #HitParadePod @slate.com
March 2025: Singing Nuns and Green Tambourines Edition—how the ’60s were misremembered. We walk thru the real hits from “Dominique” to “Dizzy”…“Sukiyaki” to “Somethin’ Stupid” & I identify 5 categories of forgotten hits. The big Boomer decade was more Mad Men than Big Chill. #HitParadePod @slate.com
Forget Woodstock and the Summer of Love. This is What the ‘60s Really Sounded Like.
A decade known for revolutionary sounds was a lot cornier than you might think.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:34 PM
March 2025: Singing Nuns and Green Tambourines Edition—how the ’60s were misremembered. We walk thru the real hits from “Dominique” to “Dizzy”…“Sukiyaki” to “Somethin’ Stupid” & I identify 5 categories of forgotten hits. The big Boomer decade was more Mad Men than Big Chill. #HitParadePod @slate.com
February 2025: Material Girl in an Imperial World Edition—what is an Imperial phase? How pop stars reach that all-is-gold career moment—from Beatles to Taylor…Bee Gees to Gaga. I offer 8 Imperial rules & go deep on a legendary Imperial phase—Madonna’s record ’80s hit streak. #HitParadePod @slate.com
Pet Shop Boys Coined This Term. In the ‘80s, Madonna Embodied It.
There’s success—and then there’s unstoppable, do-no-wrong success. Here’s how to know when an artist is “imperial.”
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:33 PM
February 2025: Material Girl in an Imperial World Edition—what is an Imperial phase? How pop stars reach that all-is-gold career moment—from Beatles to Taylor…Bee Gees to Gaga. I offer 8 Imperial rules & go deep on a legendary Imperial phase—Madonna’s record ’80s hit streak. #HitParadePod @slate.com
January 2025: The Freewheelin’ Edition—how Bob Dylan started topping the charts a decade *after* the biopic ends. We walk through his chart career decade by decade—from his electric ’60s and rocking ’70s, through his vibey ’90s and trickster ’00s. Get tangled up in Bob. #HitParadePod @slate.com
‘A Complete Unknown’ Depicts Dylan’s Rise in the ‘60s. His Chart Success Came Years Later.
In the ’60s, Bob Dylan was folk’s “it” boy and a songwriting jukebox. His chart-topping records came in the decades that followed.
slate.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:33 PM
January 2025: The Freewheelin’ Edition—how Bob Dylan started topping the charts a decade *after* the biopic ends. We walk through his chart career decade by decade—from his electric ’60s and rocking ’70s, through his vibey ’90s and trickster ’00s. Get tangled up in Bob. #HitParadePod @slate.com
When the Xmas songs drop next week, “Golden” is poised to retake No1 after a long absence. But the song’s previous 8wks atop the #Hot100 were fueled mostly by streaming. In prior years BTS’s multiple No1s were fueled by downloads. The fact that radio is powering “Golden” is a new milestone for Kpop.
December 29, 2025 at 8:25 PM
When the Xmas songs drop next week, “Golden” is poised to retake No1 after a long absence. But the song’s previous 8wks atop the #Hot100 were fueled mostly by streaming. In prior years BTS’s multiple No1s were fueled by downloads. The fact that radio is powering “Golden” is a new milestone for Kpop.
I was today years old when I learned there was a 2nd video. The “VH1 version” is indeed *so* VH1—wow, way to normcore an interesting artist. I watched a minute today & thought this can’t be right. The MTV image of Bonham screaming in B&W while the TV camera shakes is how I remember her for all time.
December 29, 2025 at 3:47 PM
I was today years old when I learned there was a 2nd video. The “VH1 version” is indeed *so* VH1—wow, way to normcore an interesting artist. I watched a minute today & thought this can’t be right. The MTV image of Bonham screaming in B&W while the TV camera shakes is how I remember her for all time.