How We Heard It

Another summer is upon us, and with it comes a new wave of summer hits that we'll remember forever. What is it about songs this time of year that makes them hit so much better? For starters, summer is the most popular season - one with the longest days, the most vacations and the best weather for being outdoors (notwithstanding oppressive heat waves). We meet new people in summer, we go to new places in summer, we allow ourselves to chill out in summer, we fall in love in summer ... and we're just plain happier in summer. We already have a bounce in our step, so what better time for a new song with bounce? We're already more giddy, so what better time for a catchy, crowd-pleasing hit?  Kick back and relax with a cool beverage as your "How We Heard It" hosts stroll through the memories of the best summer hits in history - from last year to before you were born. That "to-do" list can wait till fall.

One-hit wonders come from all directions, from serious artists who expected a long career of hit songs to novelty acts who never even expected that first one. But the end result is always the same: It's one and done for the performer. In this episode of "How We Heard It," your hosts look at an array of their favorite and their most hated one-hit wonders over the years, ranging from before they were born to artists from the past few years who are projected to be one-hit wonders even though they're still just in their 20s. Some of music's most cherished songs (as well as some of the most despised ones) have been delivered by one-hit wonders, and love them or hate them, they made their mark and can't be forgotten - no matter how hard you try.

This week "How We Heard It" is going to the dogs ... and cats and horses and any other critter you can think of. When your hosts decided to explore songs about animals, they couldn't believe how many old and new gems they turned up, as well as some truly terrible songs. Artists of every genre have found excuses to do songs about animals, and they've come up with just about everything. Songs about dogs alone run the gamut from daydreaming about your dog to losing your dog to wanting to be someone else's dog (don't ask). Paul McCartney got enigmatic, and you won't believe what Dolly Parton did with a dog song. There's more: cat songs, elephant songs, lion songs, songs about sea creatures ... and a surprising array of songs about horses and ponies by the likes of Lil Nas X, Kacey Musgraves, Chappell Roan, Ginuwine, Laid Back and one oldie by The Osmonds that was one of the strangest turns in pop-music history. Join us and let the animal lover in you run wild.

Songs do a great job of marking all the chapters of a relationship - titillation, infatuation, obsession ... followed by the comforting warmth of deep and abiding love ... (sometimes) followed by hurt, misunderstanding and betrayal ... followed by anger, separation and acceptance. Yet once the breakup is over and done, we sometimes get stuck, unable to move forward or go back, awash in residual negative feelings that swallow us like quicksand. You know as well as anyone you're only hurting yourself when you get like this, but your "How We Heard It" team is here to help. This week's episode is all about letting the old you go and embracing  your future with the help of artists who tap into humor and resilience - and maybe throw one last jab at that ex - as they move on to rejoin the world around them. So quit crying in your beer, get a haircut and buy a new shirt. You've got a life to live!

Your hosts at "How We Heard It" love movies just as much anyone, and like everyone else, they'll watch their favorite films again and again. But there are some good movies - some great movies even - that they never intend to watch again. In this week's episode they go through several acclaimed, or at least popular, films they won't be replaying, and they explain why. Their reasons are many and they often don't agree with each other, but at the end of the day, they're "fin" with these films. Are there any great movies you won't watch again?

Songwriters in most every genre dabble in themes of alcohol and drug use - some of them just looking for a good time, some of them looking for a serious escape from their lives and some of them looking to feed an addiction. On this episode of "How We Heard It," the guys take it all in, from the playful and silly party songs to the sobering cries for help from artists who are no longer with us. If you or someone you care about is struggling with substance abuse, please seek the advice of a trusted friend, family member or professional. And if you just want to unwind with a cold one or have a toke, we've got you covered. No judgment.

Forget about sappy love songs and happy party songs. Sometimes you've just got to rip somebody a new one, and you don't want to be nice about it. The cathartic power of a mean song can't be underestimated, whether you just need to get something off your chest or you need to dig deep and drive someone completely out of your life. So this week the hosts of "How We Heard It" are mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore. They've come up with their favorite mean songs for any situation - whether you need to obliterate an ex, tell off a co-worker or shake your fist at the whole world. Let us help you help yourself.

The whole world is full of great music, so this week the "How We Heard It" guys travel the globe to unveil some of the artists who have caught their attention - from Latin America to Asia to Europe to Africa. Some sing in English, some don't. Some play contemporary popular music you might hear throughout the United States and Great Britain, others don't. And some of these acts you might already know - including performers you may not realize aren't from an English-speaking country. Find out how and why some of these artists have found their way into the Western conscience and how the show's hosts discovered some of the others. It's a big world out there.

Music is in a constant state of change, keeping it in line with shifts in popular culture overall as genres rise and fall in popularity and technology trends change how music is made and how we listen to it. They say change is good, and often that's the case, but veteran music critics Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell and their musician friend John Baker have been irritated and incensed by some of these changes - some of them were just temporary bumps in the road and some of them have been permanently irritating. On this week's "How We Heard It," the guys debate music trends that got under their skin and stayed there, including shifts in rock, pop, R&B, rap and country music as well as how music is produced on stage and in the studio. And a special note to today's performers: Please stop singing with dead people. It's just creepy.

We're constantly passing judgment on others, even if subconsciously - including when we're deciding what movie to watch or what music to hear. The words and actions of celebrities are met with our approval and our disdain, coloring our interest in their work. It's no different for critics, who have to teach themselves to be fair and neutral when evaluating the work of performers. Or do they? In this week's episode of "How We Heard It," veteran entertainment critics Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell talk about the process of separating the artist from the art ... and what they've done when they just couldn't.

While searching and scrolling through music videos on YouTube, most of us have found ourselves watching videos of people watching the videos we came to see. And they're commenting and reviewing these videos, pausing them and replaying parts, sometimes talking over them and sometimes talking more about each other than about the videos. They typically claim to have never seen the music video before, and often to have never heard the song before. And some of them are obviously lying. Sometimes they don't know much of anything about their subject - and worse, sometimes they spread misinformation. These "reaction videos" can be irritating, insulting and infuriating. But when done correctly, the reaction video can be a beautiful experience, a chance to see and hear someone fall in love with a song or an artist you already love as younger folks feel the vibe of beloved older songs and as older folks find beauty in new artists ... and as people of different cultures broaden their horizons as they embrace the power of music. Not to get too meta, but this episode of "How We Heard It" finds veteran music writers Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell reacting to the videos of people reacting to music videos. They talk about how these videos get it right, how they get it wrong, and how they go completely off the rails.

All the time they tried their best, is this the kind of thanks they get? Veteran journalists Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe have made careers of keeping up with and analyzing music, and in this episode of "How We Heard It," they unload on the pitfalls - like slogging through terrible albums, dealing with pushback from disgruntled fans and shaking their heads at undeserving bands and singers who became improbably famous. Joined by their engineer/musician friend John Baker, the guys talk about the value, or lack of value, of negative reviews, the impact of technology like Auto-Tune on music, the celebrity deaths that hit the hardest and that godawful Kars4Kids jingle. But at the end of the day, they still love music, and they explain how nothing hits like hearing a great song for the first time.

Veteran entertainment writers (and friends) Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe and their engineer/musician friend John Baker love a good laugh. So on this episode of "How We Heard It," they check off a list of the best comedians in the business these days. From the cleanest of the clean to the ones who constantly teeter on the line of getting cancelled, these comedians have all found their niches. In addition to sharing some of their favorite jokes by these celebrities, Chuck and Wayne talk about behind the scenes dirt, share the struggles they've had interviewing comedians and zero in on a couple of comics they just don't like. And of course Wayne dusts off the memories of comedians who are no longer with us. Wayne is gonna Wayne, after all.

Most bands and singers do at least an occasional love song now and then, and love is the most common subject in popular music. But good love songs can be hard to find - some of the best singers aren't quite convincing as they try to manipulate us with formulaic schlock, and hardly anything is worse than a bad love song. So in this episode of "How We Heard It," veteran music critics Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe put their heads together to come up with a list of songs that actually capture the magic of love, from classic rock to modern pop plus a healthy group of diversions and surprises. Love is out there. You just have to look for it.

No offense to long songs, but sometimes you don't need to hear long intros, repetitive choruses, bridges, someone noodling around on a guitar and protracted outros. This week on "How We Heard It," veteran music journalists (and friends) Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell celebrate the beauty of short songs - they hit fast, they hit hard, and then they let you get on with your day.

Veteran music critics Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe have spent decades arguing with each other, publicly and privately, about who should (and who would) win the Grammy Awards. On paper, the 2025 Grammys look like a showdown between the two biggest powerhouses of the day: Will pop music maverick Taylor Swift steamroll over the competition again to take home an unprecedented fifth Best New Album, or will Beyonce finally succeed by winning her first Best Album award (after four previous nominations) with her polarizing country album? Or are the Grammy voters sufficiently exhausted by the Taylor Swift vs. Beyonce hype to pivot to another winner? Billie Eilish is waiting in the wings, and both Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter had amazing breakthough years. And somehow there's even a "new" Beatles song in the mix! Chuck and Wayne break it all down on this week's episode of "How We Heard It," analyzing how and why each contender could win or lose ... and of course, they argue.

With rare exceptions, humans love to laugh and they love music. We differ on what we find funny and what kind of music we like, but when comedy and music come together, it can be magical. On this episode of "How We Heard It," the guys explore how humor has found its way into music, and vice versa, and how the two art forms are probably more united now than ever. Also this episode, "How We Heard It" welcomes guest Sneaky Pete Rizzo, a scientist and professor emeritus from Texas A&M as well as an accomplished musician who has more than dabbled in humor in music over the years. Pete, who has had many songs featured on the "Dr. Demento" radio show, talks about the glory days of novelty songs and how humor and music intertwine.

On this episode of "How We Heard It," the guys talk about some of the greatest ballads in classic and modern pop music. Well, first they argue about what a ballad even is, but once they settle on a definition, they talk about how a performer's authenticity makes all the difference between a song that inspires you and a song that's just generic garbage. If you've ever been moved by a song and you can't explain why, maybe this can help you figure it out!

The movie industry has buckled under intense challenges in recent years - including a devastating pandemic that shut down theaters for months, labor strikes that disrupted the production process and release schedules, a glut of streaming services that fragmented distribution ... and not least of all, a lack of innovative thinking at the top, where the same basic movies are constantly being greenlighted to lukewarm (or even cold) reception. In this episode of "How We Heard It," veteran entertainment journalists and longtime movie fans Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell dissect where the film industry keeps getting it wrong and what it's doing right to keep hope alive. Spoiler alert: The world doesn't need all these comic-book-based movies. Also, some of best ideas these days are coming from, improbably enough, horror films ...

Change is inevitable. When you live in the day-to-day world of popular music, you might not notice, but the music industry is endlessly changing. It's a revolving door of artists and a rise and fall of genres. Also, the recording process and delivery system for music is constantly pivoting, and the audiences themselves are cycling in and out as their wants and needs shift. This week on "How We Heard It" we ring in the second half of the 2020s by looking at just how much has changed in music from decade to decade in the past 50 years. Then the team looks into the future with their hopes and fears: How will music change between now and 2035?

Songs can make you blush and songs can make you mad, but should they ever be banned? Veteran music journalists Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell take a look at how and why artists have been censored and how others have avoided it. And no, it doesn't always make sense. They also look at the fickle world of cancellation and how some artists get whacked while others get a pass. (Plus, sometimes artists even ban their own songs.) One thing's for sure: History shows that whatever you think is OK by today's standards will probably come under fire years from now.

Sometimes performers and journalists hit it off beautifully, and the result is a fun and breezy piece that engages and informs fans. This episode of "How We Heard It" isn't about those stories. Instead, veteran entertainment journalists Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell share their experiences in which musicians lied about who they were as well as interviews that were beyond awkward - including the time when a woman cornered Wayne to talk about her multiple personality disorder and the time when Chuck sat down with a 1970s icon and their conversation got so weird they had to get away from each other. These are the stories journalists rarely tell.

If singers talked the way they sing, you might think they were having a stroke. From The Beatles and Nat "King" Cole to The Police and Beck to Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, singers have been making up words, started counting or spelling for no reason, and they've had weird bouts of repeating select words. Sometimes they're avoiding censorship, sometimes it just inexplicably sounds right ... and sometimes, well, maybe they ARE having a stroke. In this episode of "How We Heard It," Chuck and Wayne explore modern and classic songs featuring weird lyrics that have entertained, and irritated, them for years. And the haters can just hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.  

You might enjoy a couple of those old Christmas movies and TV shows that you watch every year, but let's face it: Most of that stuff is looking awfully dusty these days. It's time for a reset. In this episode of "How We Heard It," veteran entertainment journalists Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe catch you up on a bunch of more recent holiday movies and TV shows you may have missed - and also throw in some older fare that might have eluded you.

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.

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 ...

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.  

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.

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?  

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.  

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.

Veteran music journalists Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell have heard tons of terrible songs over the years. These are the worst of the worst.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wayne and Chuck dismay each other as they reveal big-name artists they think are overrated. Listen as they try to suppress their shock and act like they're OK with one another's picks, though their friendship may never be the same. And if you think they're both wrong, you're probably right.

You can't launch a new music podcast in 2024 without addressing Taylor Swift. So veteran music journalist Wayne Bledsoe leads off the premiere episode of "How We Heard It" summarizing his early interviews with Swift, including their first conversation when she was just a teenager and had laser focus on her career with her first album. Fellow veteran music journalist Chuck Campbell, Wayne's longtime friend, joins in as they talk about Swift's vision and how she has distinguished herself from singers in the past as well as her current peers ranging from Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey to Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande.  Looking ahead, Chuck and Wayne contemplate what could slow Swift's career momentum moving forward and how some women performers have been set back by their relationships with men and by becoming mothers. Chuck also looks at some Gen Z singers who are positioning themselves to eventually rival millennial Swift's accomplishments. (It won't be easy.) Also, Wayne and Chuck talk about how Swift's path is similar to the remarkable career of Dolly Parton (and they share some of their conversations with Parton) and how Beyonce also has been making groundbreaking strides. In addition, the guys look back at the role of women in music over the decades and how lately there's been a fundamental change for the better. They close out the episode with music and movie recommendations.