Decoder Ring: The New Age Hit Machine

Decoder Ring: The New Age Hit Machine

Author: Slate Podcasts December 26, 2022 Duration: 25:41

Today, we’re excited to share an episode from Slate’s Decoder Ring that we think you’re going to love.


For this episode, a story from Slate senior producer Evan Chung about how Yanni, John Tesh and a number of other surprising acts made it big in the 1990s. It’s a throwback to a simpler time— when musicians struggled to find their big break, but discovered it was possible with a telephone, a television, and our undivided attention.


This story originally aired in 2019 on Studio 360 from PRX.


We hear from George Veras, Pat Callahan, and John Tesh.


This episode was written and produced by Slate’s Evan Chung. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Slate’s Executive Producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


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…