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Episodes from 60 Songs That Explain the '90s
Madvillain — “All Caps”
This week, Rob makes a solid argument that the coolest thing a person can do is watch cartoons and play pretend. He breaks down the many personas of Daniel Dumile, starting with Zev Love X and ending with his villain persona Madvillain. He argues that his best work was done with fellow children’s show lover Madlib before he is joined by rapper and podcaster Open Mike Eagle to talk about getting to collaborate with your favorite rapper and the appeal of concealing one’s identity as an artist. Host: Rob Harvilla Produ...
The White Stripes — “Seven Nation Army”
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...
Kelis — “Milkshake”
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 mak...
Paramore — “Misery Business”
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<...
The Darkness — “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”
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 c...
D’Angelo—“Untitled (How Does It Feel)”
Today, Rob breaks down one of the many impossible expectations we have for our musical stars—the memorial performance. After years of staying out of the public eye, D’Angelo paid tribute to the artist he grew up imitating, Prince, not because he was expected to but because he had something to share. The bulk of D’Angelo’s career was spent defying our expectations, from taking his time between each of his three studio albums to refusing to become a one-dimensional sex symbol after the release of his “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” music video. Rob speaks to author and p...
Bruce Springsteen — “The Rising”
In the uncertain moments following 9/11, we were searching for comfort and someone to help us make sense of it all. Today, Rob discusses the one musician who was capable of stepping up and capturing the emotions the American people were feeling: Bruce Springsteen. Rob recaps the political statements Springsteen had been making in the decades before, which prepared him for the creation of “The Rising.” Finally, he is joined by music critic and Springsteen expert Steven Hyden to discuss where the album ‘The Rising’ ranks in his discography. Host: Rob Harvilla Producers: Justin S...
Britney Spears – “Toxic”
Before he vows to leave her alone, Rob breaks down the cataclysmic career of a pop star who did it for the love of the game and the disgust of the fame. Britney Spears had the power to shift culture with a single VMAs performance, yet her music reflected a desperation to control her own personal life. Despite the public’s continuous mistreatment of Britney, she selflessly gifted us one of the most iconic bangers of our time: “Toxic.” Afterwards, Rob speaks with music journalist Jeff Weiss to talk about the unfinished evolution of Britney’s career, the difference in today...
“Buy U a Drank”— T-Pain
At long last, Rob has returned to your speakers and screens, triumphant in the face of his haters. In this way, he is no different than the subject of today’s episode: T-Pain. Even though he wrote, produced, and performed some of the greatest hits of the 2000s, T-Pain’s use of auto-tune overshadowed his talent. However, after his 2014 Tiny Desk Concert, it is safe to say we all owe T-Pain an apology (and a drank). Finally, Rob talks to The Ringer’s Tyler Parker, who speaks to the shock of hearing “I’m n Luv (wit a Stripper)” for the firs...
“Hallelujah” — Jeff Buckley
Today, Rob returns with a gift in time for the holidays, breaking down what many would call the voice of an angel. He takes us back to the ’90s, when one of the most covered songs on the planet was merely a forgotten, horny track from Leonard Cohen’s catalog. While many artists cover songs in an attempt to replicate the original (or just sing it more loudly), Rob explains how Jeff Buckley covered the song and made it new. Later, Rob is joined by documentary filmmaker Amy J. Berg to discuss her new project ‘It’s Never Over, Jeff Buc...
“A-Punk” — Vampire Weekend
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"Grindin’"— The Clipse
This week, Rob explores the biblical complexities of brotherhood throughout popular song, and uses those musical examples to highlight this eternal dichotomy: Some days when you aren’t Abel, there is always Cain. This sentiment rings glaringly true as he dissects the career of Virginia brothers The Clipse and their massive 2002 hit ‘Grindin’’, arguably the Neptunes finest production moment. Later, Rob is joined by Ringer alum Shea Serrano to explain why Malice and Pusha T’s elegant street poetry transcends the simple ‘coke rap’ designation critics have hastily assigned to their legacy. Host: Rob HarvillaGuest: Shea Serrano<b...