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. Want more Hit Parade? Join Slate Plus to unlock 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 Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen.
| Title | Date published | ||
| Don’t Know Much About History, Part 2 | 2021-04-02 | ||
| Don’t Know Much About History, Part 1 | 2021-03-23 | ||
| The AC/DC Rule, Part 2 | 2021-02-26 | ||
| The AC/DC Rule, Part 1 | 2021-02-13 | ||
| These Are the Good Times, Part 2 | 2021-01-29 | ||
| These Are the Good Times, Part 1 | 2021-01-19 | ||
| Smells Like Christmas Spirit, Part 2 | 2020-12-31 | ||
| Smells Like Christmas Spirit, Part 1 | 2020-12-14 | ||
| Friends in Low Places, Part 2 | 2020-11-27 | ||
| Friends in Low Places, Part 1 | 2020-11-16 | ||
| Turn Around, Bright Eyes, Part 2 | 2020-10-30 | ||
| Turn Around, Bright Eyes, Part 1 | 2020-10-16 | ||
| One and Done, Part 2 | 2020-10-02 | ||
| One and Done, Part 1 | 2020-09-18 | ||
| The Bridge: Yacht Or Nyacht? | 2020-08-28 | ||
| Wednesday Night Live: Music Trivia | 2020-08-14 | ||
| What a Fool Believes Edition | 2020-07-31 | ||
| The Bridge: Lilith’s Winding Road | 2020-07-17 | ||
| Building a Herstory Edition | 2020-06-30 | ||
| The Bridge: Many Ways to be OutKasted | 2020-06-12 |