Funk Radio

Everyone's familiar with that classic circus tune, but did you know it actually has military roots? We're not clowning around here, listeners.

Jukeboxes were one of the first ways to listen to popular music on demand, and their history goes back a lot farther than you probably think.

These two video game franchises have ties going back decades. So when one of them uses a melody from the other, can we safely call it an homage?

We all love a good ice cream truck now and then. But after learning the dark origins of the classic jingle, it might be time to switch things up.

A new album will often take a band a couple of years to produce. So how is it possible that some have been produced in days, or even hours?

Deck the halls with obscure knowledge, listeners! This song is super old. If you want more titillating details, this episode is for you.

Jimmy Crack Corn, and you don't care... but we do, listeners. That's why we're talking about the troubled history of this American folk song.

This loosely-defined music genre was obscure to Western audiences in the 1970s-80s, but has seen a more globalized resurgence in recent years.

You've heard this Mexican folk song countless times, but where did it come from? And more importantly, why does it make the best car horn?

Can a band become so popularized and overexposed that it becomes their own undoing? It may sound counter-intuitive, but it's happened before.

They said it could never be done, but this podcast has officially been running for a decade! It's time for a stroll down memory lane, listeners!

Music is a key part of humanity's artistic expression, but preserving it for future generations is a more complex problem than you might think.

With the passage of time, countless musical recordings have been lost or destroyed. Why does this happen? Can some of these songs be recovered?

What is the longest music video ever made? Or the most commonly recorded song of all time? Let's explore these and other magical achievements!

Royalty-free music can be a great option for a variety of corporate or creative projects. But is it a good source of revenue for music artists?

Have you ever mistaken two songs as being one and the same? Have you ever misattributed a song to the wrong artist? Us too. Thinking is hard.

This rare LEGO record from 1982 had never been preserved online, so we bought a copy and made the recording available for your listening pleasure.

From 1979 to 1982, the LEGO company released four vinyl records to promote a series of interesting toy sets. Join us on an adventure to Fabuland!

Have you ever misheard or misremembered the lyrics to a song? If so, don't feel too bad. Some songs are notorious for causing this effect.

From sad emo ballads to upbeat rap hits, we're stepping back in time to revisit some of the songs we enjoyed during our high school years.

This Atlanta-based subgenre of hip hop was only in the mainstream for a few years, but it is remembered for its party beats and shouted lyrics.

The only thing better than enjoying a good song is pairing it with a tasty beverage. Musicians have caught on to this, and now they're cashing in.

Musical tastes are completely subjective, but some songs and albums have been so widely hated that it's impossible to ignore their notoriety.

In the early days of home computing, vinyl records and flexi discs were used to distribute games, software and even rudimentary music videos.

In the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson were involved in one of history's most scandalous musical performances.

The last decade has seen a sharp decline in average song length. In fact, it's the lowest it's been in 50 years. So what's the deal?

The 80s, 90s and 2000s were chock full of unusual media formats. We've talked about a few before, but we couldn't resist digging up a few more.

The sale of individual songs has been a mainstay of music distribution for decades. So it only makes sense that cassettes had this, too, right?

It's generally accepted that Elvis Presley died in 1977, but dozens of conspiracies over the years have claimed that he's still alive and well.

The recent breakup of this legendary duo marks the end of an era, but it's hard to overstate just how influential they were on electronic music.

To honor the fifth anniversary of Prince's unfortunate passing, we're taking a casual look back at his storied career and immense popularity.

As an early pioneer of video calls, Skype set out to create a ringtone that served not only a functional purpose, but an emotional one, too.

White it's not incredibly common, a handful of bands and musicians have actually been featured in their own rides at various amusement parks.

Many famous musicians have diversified their hard-earned cash by taking ownership in well-known brands, franchises or other unusual investments.

Some music releases are extremely rare, either by their age or how they were originally released. So which ones have pulled in the most money?

We've become the listeners! To celebrate 300 episodes, we're reflecting on our humble beginnings and discussing how our vision has evolved.

Musicians Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada have produced an impressive debut album, taking plenty of stylistic cues from classic soul and R&B.

While their third album is a departure from their earlier work, the Avalanches prove they're still fully capable of putting out some great music..

In this second half of the discussion we're exploring the history of electronic and R&B music, both of which have surprising racial origins.

Musical genres are often historically skewed toward a single race of people. But what about the white rappers and the black country singers?

Few words can fully describe this irreverent and psychedelic anime, but it packs a refreshing funky disco soundtrack... in space, baby!

This acclaimed anime from 2004 remixed elements of Japanese history with modern hip-hop culture, blurring the line between fact and fiction.

Bob Marley lost a battle against cancer in 1981, but conspiracy theories have continued to cause doubt about the true nature of his passing.

Martial arts legend Jackie Chan has been a successful singer in East Asia for over 30 years. So why is this largely unknown in the Western world?

Life Cereal held a musical trivia sweepstakes in 1986. With the original records in hand, can we guess the songs and win a new LaserDisc system?

Famed bandleader Glenn Miller stepped onto a plane in 1944 and was never seen again. Buckle up for some wild conspiracy theories with this one!

In a strangely off-brand move, Playboy Enterprises entered the music industry in the mid-1970s. You can probably guess how long that lasted.

From their humble beginnings of beeps and boops, the quality and role of music in video games has seen astounding growth over the years.

In 1975, folk-rock singer Jim Sullivan left his family in LA to find work in Nashville. Two days later in New Mexico, he vanished without a trace.

From arcade machines to home computers, several musical artists and bands have been immortalized in video game form over the past few decades.

Pokemon is undeniably one of the most successful franchises ever made, and the TV show's classic theme song has an interesting backstory as well.