Episodes
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The debut album is a monumental accomplishment for a music artist. It's an announcement that you've arrived, an introduction to your heart and soul that just anyone can explore.
But debut albums aren't always such a wonder for the listener. The artist might still be rough around the edges, the production might be shoddy, the songwriting might be clunky, and the artistic vision might be blurry.
It's no wonder that many performers don't hit stride until their third or fourth albums.
Yet sometimes an artist gets it just right with their very first release, and in this episode of "How We Heard It," your fearless hosts make a case for some of the best debut albums in the history of popular music.
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As another Christmas rolls around, you might want to enjoy something more than the same stale songs you hear every year.
This episode Chuck and Wayne dig through a sleigh full of albums to find the right match for you, including more than a dozen newish albums you maybe didn't know about (from Sabrina Carpenter to electronica) as well as older music you may have missed.
Whether you prefer remakes of classic songs by new artists or new songs by classic artists, and whether you like your music lavishly produced or humorous and weird, they've got you covered.
So freshen up your holidays and ho-ho-ho ...
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There are breakups and there are BREAKUPS songs.
If you've ever been through a BREAKUP, and even if you haven't, you know nothing gets you through drama like the right breakup song.
But what is the right breakup song? Do you need a good cry or a good laugh ... or maybe a good scream?
In this episode of "How We Heard It," veteran music critics Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell sort through some of the best, and worst, songs to help you move on from a broken relationship. From classic rock and country to modern pop and hip-hop, there's something for you.
And you don't even have to be breaking up with anyone to enjoy.
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We all wonder how some performers made it big. We question their talent, their fans and the world in general when we see their enduring popularity, and frankly we've had enough of them.
On the flipside, we all know performers we think should be more popular than they are. Despite all that they bring to the table, they aren't getting the recognition they deserve.
On this episode of "How We Heard It," veteran music journalists Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe take a look at some unappreciated artists - who they are, why they're special and why things didn't exactly go their way.
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Hollywood is full of "nepo babies"- so much so that you might wonder if every famous actor today is the child of a famous actor or producer.
The same is true in the music industry, and you might be surprised who got a leg up on the competition thanks to mom and/or dad.
In this episode, veteran entertainment journalists Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe talk about the celebrity offspring of some of the biggest stars in music - ranging from the Beatles, Frank Sinatra to Hank Williams to Lenny Kravitz, Will Smith and Madonna.
Some of these nepo babies have failed to live up to expectations while others became bigger stars than their parents.
Chuck and Wayne also take a look at Blue Ivy Carter - whose parents, Beyonce and Jay-Z have been trying to make her a star since she was two days old. Is she destined for glory? Does she even want it?
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You might be surprised to find out how many of your favorite hits are actually cover songs - from Aretha Franklin's "Respect" to Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U."
This week Wayne and Chuck dive into the powerful world of cover songs - who has done them (spoiler alert: almost everybody) and why they would do them. They talk about who out-"Hurt" NIN, who out-"Creeped" Radiohead and the very rare times other artists have bested the Beatles with their covers of songs by the Fab Four.
The guys also talk about how a song about sex keeps getting covered as a song about religion, and they try to settle the great Whitney vs. Dolly debate.
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Music can change your mood instantly. It can bring you joy or sorrow, and it can make you feel weird in ways you can't explain.
Music will make you remember someone you lost, it will remind you of places you've been, and it will conjure memories of the happiest and saddest times of your life. Sometimes even new songs will have a strange effect on you, bringing to mind thoughts you didn't know you had.
This week Chuck and Wayne talk about the power of music, how it can lift you and how it can crush you, and how you can use it to find the connection you need and how you can use it to escape.
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Veteran music journalists Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell have heard tons of terrible songs over the years.
These are the worst of the worst.
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There are love songs, breakup songs and party songs ... But on this episode, Wayne and Chuck spotlight disturbing music.
Whether or not these artists intended to chill their audiences, they somehow got under the skin of our not-so-fearless podcasters.
Listen if you dare.
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Fans of scary movies have their favorite go-to films, but let's be real: There are so many new ones constantly coming out that it's easy to miss some.
With that in mind, Chuck and Wayne share some of their favorites that may have slipped under your radar, some you might want to see again and some that hardly anyone has ever heard of.
They talk about everything from the mousy woman who has to take on the underworld to the princess who has sex with a catfish and from "'Mean Girls' in a slasher film" to a serial-killer tire (you read that right).
There's something for everyone ... unless you're just weird.
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Taylor Swift has had another groundbreaking year in music, but are voters for the Grammy Awards feeling Taylor-Swift burnout?
Beyonce has won more Grammys than any artist, but never for Best Album. Will voters listen to Jay-Z and finally reward her in that category, or will they snub her once again?
What about Grammy darling Billie Eilish? Will voters avoid the whole Taylor Swift vs. Beyonce drama altogether and just give another Best Album win to Eilish?
And what about Eminem, who has never won for Best Album? He's not getting any younger, so will this finally be his year?
The nominations haven't even been made yet, but Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe take an early look at the potential subplots for the 2025 Grammys - the effect that the politicking for awards is having on the ceremony, the spotty history of the Grammys and why these chunks of metal still matter to artists and fans.
Also, Wayne, once a Grammy Award nominee himself, tells his first-person account of being nominated, going to the ceremony and becoming a voter himself.
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The power of music videos was fully harnessed when MTV debuted in 1981, opening the world to new genres in popular music while diminishing the influence of record labels and the old guard performers.
Over the years, the public became less enamored by music videos and MTV switched focus to alternate programming. But eventually YouTube brought new power to music videos and gave consumers the opportunity to watch anything they wanted to see whenever they wanted to see it ... for free.
In this episode, Chuck and Wayne break down how videos revolutionized popular music and who were the winners and losers. They also talk about how Gen Z, millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers all grew up in different eras of pop culture largely because of the ebb and flow of music videos.
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This week Chuck and Wayne talk about some random weird moments they've had, from chance meetings with celebrities to the singer who REALLY wanted to party.
Also, Chuck talks about the mistake he made that landed his work on "Late Night With David Letterman." It might make you feel better about your own bad day on the job.
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Music-journalist veterans Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell have been to their share of concerts, for better and worse, and in this episode of "How We Heard It" they share stories from the trenches.
Hear about Bob Dylan's brush with death in Knoxville, the crowd turning on the Beastie Boys in Orlando, Madonna's groundbreaking show in Miami and a bizarre night in Atlanta with the Sugarcubes.
Wayne and Chuck have been through it all - weed at Lynryd Skynyrd, depressing rudeness aimed at Stevie Nicks, joy at the B-52's and sex and/or fighting in the crowds at shows by everyone from Tina Turner to Hank Williams Jr. Then there was that woman who absolutely mortified Wayne at an Alan Jackson show ...
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Sex can be both primal and complicated, and sexy songs can be just as complex.We break it down with songs and artists who can sell sex - and some who can't. Our choices might surprise you.
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Veteran entertainment journalists Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe have done their share of interviews with a wide variety of celebrities over the years. In this episode of "How We Heard It" they share tales and quotes from interviews that they haven't made public before.
Sometimes funny, sometimes uncomfortable and sometimes a little bit of both, these include encounters with Tori Amos, Liam Hemsworth, Joan Jett, Taylor Lautner, Jay Leno, Sarah McLachlan, Bill Monroe, Ted Nugent, Dolly Parton, Joey Ramone, Ricky Skaggs, Kristen Stewart, Randy Travis, Tina Weymouth and more.
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Although the movie industry and the music industry have both continuously morphed and transformed, the two have been teaming up for almost a century with soundtracks. The impact of good movies paired with good music has been unforgettable, from "The Graduate" and "Shaft" to "Barbie" and "Frozen."
What would a Disney animated movie be without a soundtrack? Songs for James Bond movies are sometimes more memorable than the films themselves. Plus, movies sometimes celebrate music genres, including disco, rap, alternative rock and country. Meanwhile, music for horror films can be key to the scares - just ask John Carpenter.
Many top singers past and present have won Oscars for their work, including Billie Eilish, Eminem, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Adele and Lionel Richie.
On this episode of "How We Heard It," veteran music journalists (and movie geeks) Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe break down some of the best soundtracks and movie songs from over the years ... and some stuff that doesn't hold up so well today.
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There's no one way to be a music critic, and this week veteran entertainment journalists Wayne and Chuck talk about how they each found their way in the field - what they got right, what they got wrong, how they changed as they went along and what they think of other critics.
They also talk about the best, worst and weirdest reactions they've gotten from readers. Find out why the drunk woman kept calling Wayne and why he would call readers out of the blue. Also, Chuck explains his reservations about going out for ice cream and reveals a bizarre experience at a Spice Girls concert.
The guys also look ahead at the potential future for music critics and what will have to change for critics to survive.
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This week veteran music journalists Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell open themselves up to judgment by confessing their guilty pleasures - types of entertainment that give them comfort and inspiration, even when it's not particularly cool to do so.
Hear how Chuck can magically transport himself from a traffic jam to a happy hour amongst the wildlife of a tropical island or how Wayne can find justice in a chaotic world ... and maybe ask yourself if you should even feel guilty for your happiness.
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What makes music good or bad or somewhere in between? That's wildly subjective.
If you find something you enjoy, you should simply celebrate it and not worry about anyone validating your taste. That said, if you can't appreciate anything about a select few acts, Chuck and Wayne think it may reveal something about you that you probably shouldn't show.
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