11 Comments

Hey Chris - regarding Morgan Wallen, I agree with you about "Last Night." There really is no big hook or high point in the song like "You Proof" and "Thought You Should Know." Both of those songs only reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's odd.

But like Taylor Swift, Wallen is just insanely popular. I've always joked about megastars like them - "they could fart into a studio microphone and it would still be a hit."

I also have always believed that the average listener doesn't have much say in what song tops the chart(s). What really happens is it's jammed down people's throats so much that it gets stuck in their head. And what that happens, people decide they "like" the song.

Radio airplay, I believe, has more to do with corporate politics (between radio and labels) than it does true public popularity.

Does this make sense?

Expand full comment

Makes complete sense. Anything that’s played that much just becomes like wallpaper or background noise. It’s like forming an opinion about happy birthday.

Expand full comment

"It's like forming an opinion about happy birthday" - Indeed. Well said, sir.

Expand full comment

"But like Taylor Swift, Wallen is just insanely popular. I've always joked about megastars like them - "they could fart into a studio microphone and it would still be a hit.""

Is that a joke? Sounds like an actual description of their records

Expand full comment

I love this quote- “If Billboard is the kid at school who loves everything on the radio, then Pitchfork is the kid telling you that most popular music stinks and you should be listening to “real music” like the Velvet Underground. “

I oscillate between these two modes depending on the day. While the writing at Pitchfork is brilliant, I often find it too exclusionary. The world could use more whimsical rock journalists that focus on celebrating the art rather than criticizing for the sake of elitism. But also, people really should be listening to The Velvet Underground, ha!

Expand full comment

I also go back and forth. Pitchfork is of course illuminating. But I’d rather enjoy a “bad” song with 100 people than a “great” song by myself

Expand full comment

Am I wrong...but the beginning sounds like the beginning to Scum by Dada? https://youtu.be/tQL_Llxd3TQ

Expand full comment

What happened in 2017?

Expand full comment

I don't think anything in particular. Just more overlap.

Expand full comment

At one point, even Pitchfork grew tired of their "mean girl" reputation, and went back and revised a bunch of reviews upward.

Expand full comment

I remember that. And that’s why I was surprised by the results here. I was expecting there to be more overlap in the last few years

Expand full comment
Error