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
Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture Edition Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:54
Talk about ’90s rap, and most music fans will throw around the word “gangsta” and talk about the East Coast–West Coast feud that tragically brought down Biggie and Tupac. But one rap group, OutKast, quite literally rose…
Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture Edition Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:00
Talk about ’90s rap, and most music fans will throw around the word “gangsta” and talk about the East Coast–West Coast feud that tragically brought down Biggie and Tupac. But one rap group, OutKast, quite literally rose…
Lenny on Mars Edition Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:07
What do Lenny Kravitz, a hitmaker primarily in the ’90s and ’00s, and Bruno Mars, a 2010s–20s hitmaker, have in common? It turns out, a lot: Each man has a wide-ranging ethnic and musical background, with early exposure…
Lenny on Mars Edition Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:18
What do Lenny Kravitz, a hitmaker primarily in the ’90s and ’00s, and Bruno Mars, a 2010s–20s hitmaker, have in common? It turns out, a lot: Each man has a wide-ranging ethnic and musical background, with early exposure…
Yes We Can Can Edition Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:22
Today, the Pointer Sisters are mostly remembered for their flurry of ’80s hits, especially the “Excited” one about losing control and liking it. But their musical history is far more varied: jazz standards? Civil rights–…
Yes We Can Can Edition Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:34
Today, the Pointer Sisters are mostly remembered for their flurry of ’80s hits, especially the “Excited” one about losing control and liking it. But their musical history is far more varied: jazz standards? Civil rights–…
Champagne Supernova Edition Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:53
In the ’90s, U.K. rock was by Britons, for Britons. The music of the U.K. indie, Madchester and shoegaze scenes fused together into a new wave of guitar bands with punk energy, laddish lyrics and danceable grooves. They…
Champagne Supernova Edition Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:17
In the ’90s, U.K. rock was by Britons, for Britons. The music of the U.K. indie, Madchester and shoegaze scenes fused together into a new wave of guitar bands with punk energy, laddish lyrics and danceable grooves. They…
The British Are Charting Edition Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:58
Before 1964, British bands couldn’t get anywhere on the U.S. charts. Then suddenly, after a certain Fab Four broke, they were everywhere. By 1965, they had locked down our Top 10.In 1981, a new generation of U.K. acts ar…
The British Are Charting Edition Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:41
Before 1964, British bands couldn’t get anywhere on the U.S. charts. Then suddenly, after a certain Fab Four broke, they were everywhere. By 1965, they had locked down our Top 10.In 1981, a new generation of U.K. acts ar…