Angry Young Men Edition Part 1

Angry Young Men Edition Part 1

Author: Slate Podcasts November 19, 2022 Duration: 1:05:33

Punk was meant to be angry. But the so-called Angry Young Men of the late ’70s U.K. scene were secret sophisticates in punk clothing. They delivered withering lyrics and snarling attitude over melodies a pop fan could love.


In so doing, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson and Graham Parker helped transform a slew of back-to-basic styles—pub-rock, power-pop, post-punk—into the catchall category New Wave. It would take over the charts at the turn of the ’80s. But the launch of the MTV era forced these sardonic troubadours to adjust their songwriting for a New Romantic age.


Join Chris Molanphy as he chronicles the history of three men who wrote the book on alternative rock before it had a name.


Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.


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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. Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Hit Parade show page on...
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia
Podcast Episodes
The White and Nerdy Edition Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:10
Sped-up voices. Wacky instruments. Songs about cavemen, bathtubs, bikinis, and mothers-in-law. From the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll through the 1970s—the age of streaking, CB radios, disco and King Tut—novelty songs could be c…
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Duration: 59:41
When Kendrick Lamar took the Super Bowl halftime stage in 2025 and had the stadium chanting along to “Not Like Us,” it was clear: Diss tracks had gone stratospheric.The Kendrick vs. Drake beef echoes legendary rap rivalr…
Here’s the Beef Edition Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:28
When Kendrick Lamar took the Super Bowl halftime stage in 2025 and had the stadium chanting along to “Not Like Us,” it was clear: Diss tracks had gone stratospheric.The Kendrick vs. Drake beef echoes legendary rap rivalr…
Mighty Real Edition Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:06
Little Richard was rock ‘n’ roll’s flamboyant architect. Lesley Gore sang that no one owned her. Sylvester was a gender-fluid icon who helped define disco. Freddie Mercury made rock operatic, and George Michael demanded…
Mighty Real Edition Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:49
Little Richard was rock ‘n’ roll’s flamboyant architect. Lesley Gore sang that no one owned her. Sylvester was a gender-fluid icon who helped define disco. Freddie Mercury made rock operatic, and George Michael demanded…
All Apologies Edition Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:02
The story of Nevermind, Nirvana’s genre-defining breakthrough, is a familiar one. Less well known is the saga of Billboard’s Modern Rock chart—and how college-rock staples of the 1980s like R.E.M. and The Cure gave way t…
All Apologies Edition Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:06
The story of Nevermind, Nirvana’s genre-defining breakthrough, is a familiar one. Less well known is the saga of Billboard’s Modern Rock chart—and how college-rock staples of the 1980s like R.E.M. and The Cure gave way t…
Only Girl in the World Edition Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:40
It’s been nearly a decade since Rihanna released a studio album—and fans and critics alike have wondered when, if ever, a follow-up to 2016’s Anti might arrive. Which is ironic, because in her heyday, Rihanna was the mos…
Only Girl in the World Edition Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:45
It’s been nearly a decade since Rihanna released a studio album—and fans and critics alike have wondered when, if ever, a follow-up to 2016’s Anti might arrive. Which is ironic, because in her heyday, Rihanna was the mos…
Singing Nuns and Green Tambourines Edition Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:28
When you think of music in the 1960s, some groundbreaking artists probably come to mind: Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and the Jefferson Airplane, for example. But the pop charts paint a very different picture of that decade,…