🎙️ Podcasts
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Shows in Music
Music
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André 3000's Best Features Dissected Line By Line
Without a solo rap album, the second half of André 3000’s career has been largely defined by his remarkable catalog of guest features. Today, we trace that catalog from 2007 to the present, dissecting some of his most brilliant verses along the way. Listen to a playlist of Andre features heard in this episode.…
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Why does everything in music feel fake?
It’s been an unprecedented year for arguing about “fake” music, and it’s not just AI. From bot-powered ticket sales and social media campaigns to manufactured artist identities and an endless wave of complaints against nepo babies, 2026 feels like a turning point in the timeless debate about authenticity in music.…
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The 'bummer hope' of midwest emo (ft. Yvette Young and Mike Kinsella)
A few months ago, Nate came across a glittering guitar riff unlike anything he had ever heard before; it managed to perfectly balance careful optimism with plaintive melancholy, stirring the spirit. That melody, played by guitarist Yvette Young, was a shining example of the “midwest emo” sound, a genre pioneered by…
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Trixie Mattel is the Queen of Halloween!
Sound Opinions senior producer Alex Claiborne has a conversation with drag queen, DJ and singer-songwriter Trixie Mattel. They discuss the process of making her Halloween-inspired EP, 'Til Death Do Us Part. They also talk about Trixie's YouTube special, Trixie's Halloween Mattelathon, which expertly combines her…
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A Sound Opinions Halloween!
Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot celebrate the spooky season with a contemporary Halloween playlist, from pop hits to underground gems. They also hear picks from the production staff and the Sound Opinions scholars. Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9T Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvc Sign…
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Ranking Every Single Taylor Swift Song
It's official: Taylor Swift has been in our lives for 20 years. To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the release of Swift's first album, 'Taylor Swift,' Nora ranked every single song from the pop star—and Nathan had some thoughts. They talk about their own respective top 10s (1:00), whether or not "Christmas Tree…
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Allison Russell - The Returner
Allison Russell is a singer and songwriter originally from Montreal and now based in Nashville. She’s a Grammy-winner and an eight-time Grammy nominee. And she’s also won Canada’s Juno Award, an Americana award, and more. She starred in Hadestown on Broadway. She spent years in bands and collaborating with others…
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Much More Than a One-Hit Wonder
In this bonus episode, Greg praises a proto-shoegaze band—and its reclusive singer—who never got the acclaim he thinks they deserved. Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9T Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvc Sign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/4frcVZo Make a donation via PayPal…
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J. Cole's Best Features Dissected Line-By-Line
Our three-part series dedicated to hip-hop features begins with J. Cole. We trace the history of Cole’s feature catalog, explore his two legendary feature runs, and dissect his best bars along the way. Plus a line-by-line breakdown of his legendary “Johnny P’s Caddy" verse. PLAYLIST of J. Cole features in this…
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The rapturous, heartbreaking story of Elephant 6
With the arrival of the first new Olivia Tremor Control album in nearly 30 years, we attempt to make sense of the sprawling, enigmatic collective behind it known as Elephant 6. NPR Music’s Lars Gotrich joins host Robin Hilton. Special thanks to Greenwich Entertainment, C.B. Stockfleth and Rob Hatch-Miller for use of…
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The rise of surrealist pop: KATSEYE and ADÉLA
The music of global girl group KATSEYE might be confusing on first listen. A less-generous read might consider their songs to be rudimentary: the lyrics are mostly nonsense, the instrumentals evoke lesser 2010s pop songs, and the aesthetic can’t decide whether it’s targeted to children or adults. However, maybe the…
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Fall Review Roundup: Opinions on Neil Young, This is Lorelei, Michael Kiwanuka & More
Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot review some new albums from Michael Kiwanuka, Neil Young, Chaka Khan, The Tubs and This is Lorelei. They also bid farewell to Cheetah Chrome, guitarist for the Dead Boys and Rocket from the Tombs, and hear from some listeners. Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9T Become a…
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WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA | Every Single Album: Slayyyter
Break out your beat up Chanels, it's time to talk about Slayyyter and her new-ish album, 'WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA.' Nora and Nathan talk about this year's breakout pop star and her initial breakout on the festival circuit (1:00), the intense hyper-pop sounds she's playing with (16:00), and whether or not Slayyyter is…
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DJ Shadow - Mutual Slump
30 years ago, DJ Shadow released his debut album, Entroducing… and it changed my life. I listened to it so much. And when I first started Song Exploder, he was on my list of dream guests. And then 10 years ago, that dream came true, and I got to make an episode with him in honor of the 20th anniversary of the album.…
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Musical Comedy with Kyle Gordon
In this bonus episode, Andrew Gill sits down with musical comedian Kyle Gordon, whose songs lovingly parody entire musical genres–from Eurodance to country, pop-punk and beyond. Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9T Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvc Sign up for our newsletter…
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Why we need bad music
For the 500th(!) episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate try to answer the question that has stumped critics and philosophers since the dawn of sound: does bad music exist? Their quest to answer something so nebulous leads them through the annals of taste, and in the process, they recruit several other critics…
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A new canon of Halloween music
Who’s the Mariah Carey of Halloween? Labels and artists are trying to capitalize on spooky season, but these are the songs that belong in the creepy canon, from the truly terrifying to simply seasonal and nostalgic. Note: An earlier version of this episode appeared on All Songs Considered in 2025. Tell us what you…
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John Prine Revisited at 80
Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot join with the Chicago music community to pay tribute to John Prine on what would have been his 80th birthday. They revisit an interview with the songwriter from 2018 and dissect his debut album with author Erin Osmon. Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9T Become a member on…
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Live Music Is So Good Right Now!
Nora and Nathan give some final thoughts on 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore' and Taylor's appearance on 'SNL' with Dakota Johnson (1:00). Then Nora recaps a run of live shows she's been to recently, including the phone-free Phoebe Bridgers show (27:31), the short and sweet Audrey Hobert show (38:19), and the…
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Elvis Costello - Alison
Elvis Costello is a singer and songwriter whose career spans five decades and over 30 albums. He’s a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriter Hall of Fame. He’s won Grammy Awards, Ivor Novello Awards, a BAFTA, and he’s on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest songwriters of all time. He put out his…
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RIP Cheetah Chrome
In this bonus episode, Jim pays tribute to Cheetah Chrome, guitarist for Rocket from the Tombs and the Dead Boys, who recently died at age 71. Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9T Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvc Sign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/4frcVZo Make a donation via…
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How The Beatles made 'Rubber Soul' and broke up with their past
A super deluxe box set of The Beatles' legendary 1965 album Rubber Soul has just been released with brand new mixes, demos and outtakes that show The Beatles breaking up with the past, their fans and everything people knew and loved about the band. In this conversation with All Songs Considered host Robin Hilton…
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Has Taylor Swift jumped the shark?
One year after the release of her twelfth studio album The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift is back with an encore. Specifically, The Encore, four tracks that have polarized critics and Swifties alike, from the country-esque number one hit “Patient Zero” to her ode to married Ohioan bliss, “Cleveland!” For some, the…
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Ranking Rock Bands' Best and Worst Songs with Bill Wyman
Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot welcome their old colleague and former Sound Opinions host Bill Wyman back to discuss his new book, Bill Wyman’s Rock & Roll Lists, in which he ranks every song by some of rock’s biggest artists. Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9T Become a member on Patreon…
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'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore' | Every Single Album: Taylor Swift
'The Life of a Showgirl' isn't over yet. Nora and Nathan break down the four bonus tracks we got in 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore' and talk about why Taylor might have chosen to release the songs now (1:00), the highs and lows of these bonus tracks (13:42), and what could come next for Taylor now that this era…
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A Song So Great Even Muzak Couldn’t Ruin It
In this bonus episode, Greg spotlights a song he recently heard as Muzak and makes the case for the original and its grocery store counterpart. Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9T Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvc Sign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/4frcVZo Make a donation via…
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Phoebe Bridgers, Gilla Band, Wednesday, and more of the week’s best songs
We get big and loud this week with a surprise drop from Phoebe Bridgers and her song “On Video,” from the Primetime soundtrack; the monstrously disjointed “Placeholder” from Gilla Band; widescreened shoegaze from the Danish artist Trentemøller and more. NPR Music’s Dora Levite joins host Robin Hilton as they share…
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Carly Rae Jepsen’s pop pedagogy
Five years after her first appearance on Switched on Pop, Carly Rae Jepsen returns to the podcast to talk all things Day and Night, her latest album. Born out of Swedish disco, big emotion, and substantive life change – including becoming a wife and a mother – the double album is a tour through the organic and the…
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Phoebe Bridgers Plus Opinions on Westside Cowboy
In 2026, Phoebe Bridgers is one of the biggest artists in the world. This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot revisit their 2018 interview and live performance with Phoebe, which includes never-before-aired content. They discuss her debut album, songwriting prowess and impact on music. They’ll also review the debut…
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