60 Songs That Explain the '90s

You’ve heard the song a million times, and you can sing along with the crowd when it comes on. But come trivia, would you be able to name the artist and song title? Today, Rob is going to drill every jock jam into your head, leading up to the iconic opening eight bars of “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes. He breaks down the unusual nature of Meg and Jack White’s relationship and the perfect minimalism of Meg White’s drum style paired with Jack White’s unpredictable maximalist guitar. He tries to make sense of how, of all their songs, “Seven Nation Army” has reached the pinnacle of fame. Later, he is joined by author Chuck Klosterman, who shares his experience interviewing the White Stripes, discusses the small list of songs that are more iconic than their creators, and ruminates on whether Jack White could ever form a two-person band again.

Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Justin Sayles and Olivia Crerie

Additional Production Support: Kevin Pooler and Chris Sutton

Guest: Chuck Klosterman
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, Rob talks about the song that left him speechless upon his first listen—“Milkshake”. He retraces his steps back to the beginning of Kelis’s career when she was screaming at a Glastonbury crowd. He analyzes the trend of not being able to place Black women into neat and separate genres, as rock, rap, punk, pop, and R&B start to blur lines. He is blissfully confused, and that is okay. Later, he is joined by music critic Leslie Gray Streeter to discuss the art of balancing humor and anger in a song and the empowerment of “Milkshake” as Kelis makes fun of the men who lust after her.

Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Justin Sayles and Olivia Crerie

Additional Video Editing: Kevin Pooler and Chris Sutton

Guest: Leslie Gray Streeter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Imagine the angstiest, cringiest art you made as a teenager. Now imagine the entire world singing to it in their cars and at karaoke forever. Today, Rob is breaking down the emotionally turbulent emo-bop factory machine that is Paramore. He applauds the incredible and messy lyrics of ‘Riot!,’ which differentiate the album from those of similar bands of the time. Later, he talks to The Ringer’s Rob Mahoney, Paramore’s OG fan, to discuss the exponential improvement between ‘All We Know Is Falling’ and ‘Riot!’ and Hayley Williams’s incredible vocals on “Misery Business.”

Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Justin Sayles and Olivia Crerie

Additional Video Editing: Kevin Pooler and Chris Sutton

Guest: Rob Mahoney
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Imagine the angstiest, cringiest art you made as a teenager. Now imagine the entire world singing to it in their cars and at karaoke forever. Today, Rob is breaking down the emotionally turbulent emo-bop factory machine that is Paramore. He applauds the incredible and messy lyrics of ‘Riot!,’ which differentiate the album from those of similar bands of the time. Later, he talks to The Ringer’s Rob Mahoney, Paramore’s OG fan, to discuss the exponential improvement between ‘All We Know Is Falling’ and ‘Riot!’ and Hayley Williams’s incredible vocals on “Misery Business.”

Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Justin Sayles and Olivia Crerie

Additional Video Editing: Kevin Pooler and Chris Sutton

Guest: Rob Mahoney
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is a select handful of people who were never meant to step foot into an office due to their proclivity to screw around. Just like we sent Rob packing to Ohio to bother no one but himself, Lowestoft, England shipped us The Darkness. During the post-grunge era when rock was murkily defined, we were gifted front man and lead singer Justin Hawkins on a silver platter (his manager’s shoulders) to give us crude operatic hair metal ballads. This week, Rob discusses, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” a song that proves if you dive head first into cheesiness, it becomes ironic and cool. Later, he is joined by Jill Hopkins who talks about the experience of watching The Darkness live and then comparing that to the people who feel confident enough to sing The Darkness at karaoke.

Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Justin Sayles and Olivia Crerie

Additional Video Editing: Kevin Pooler

Guest: Jill Hopkins
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices