Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - Material Girl in an Imperial World Edition Part 2
Slate Culture Feed28 Helmi 2025

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - Material Girl in an Imperial World Edition Part 2

In the late 1980s, the English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys dominated the U.K. pop charts and staged an invasion of the American charts. Years later, founding member Neil Tennant dubbed this streak of creative and commercial supremacy the group’s “imperial phase”—a term that eventually caught on among music critics and pop fans.


So, what does it take for an artist to achieve imperial dominance? Why might Fleetwood Mac in the 1970s or The Weeknd in the 2010s qualify, while Cher or Lizzo don’t quite fit the bill? Are there rules for imperial phases?


Hit Parade’s Chris Molanphy says yes—he’s got chart rules for determining when an artist is at peak imperiality. And he says Madonna’s late ’80s streak of hits might be the ultimate imperial phase.


Join Chris as he dissects the most regal artists across the decades, defining what makes them imperial—and he walks hit by hit through Madonna’s biggest phase, which may remain unmatched.


Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(2976)

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - Introducing History Daily: "The Launch of MTV"

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - Introducing History Daily: "The Launch of MTV"

Hit Parade is on a brief break, but if you need a daily dose of fascinating stories, check out History Daily. Host Lindsay Graham (the history guy! not the senator!) explores what happened "on this da...

24 Huhti 17min

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - The Queen of Disco Edition Part 2 (Encore)

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia - The Queen of Disco Edition Part 2 (Encore)

Donna Summer was a hit-maker for two decades and a dance floor deity for more than three. Her collaborations with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte were formative in dance, electronic, and rock music,...

24 Huhti 41min

Culture Gabfest - Mother Troubles Edition

Culture Gabfest - Mother Troubles Edition

Steve, Dana, and Julia convene once more for a rousing Gabfest. First up, it’s Mother Mary. David Lowery’s strange psychodrama centers on a pop star, played by Anne Hathaway, reuniting with her estran...

22 Huhti 1h 2min

Decoder Ring - How to Make Dollars Make Sense

Decoder Ring - How to Make Dollars Make Sense

Money is everywhere. Money influences just about everything. We think about money all the time. But how much do we really know about it? In this episode of Decoder Ring, we explore the obscure histori...

22 Huhti 34min

ICYMI - The Internet Has Kept Katy Perry’s Receipts

ICYMI - The Internet Has Kept Katy Perry’s Receipts

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate senior writer Scaachi Koul to discuss the downfall of Katy Perry. Back in 2025, Scaachi wrote a feature about the singer’s descent from beloved...

22 Huhti 33min

Death, Sex & Money - Rick Steves Says Travel is the Antidote to Fear

Death, Sex & Money - Rick Steves Says Travel is the Antidote to Fear

In 2008, travel writer Rick Steves thought the U.S. might be on the verge of war with Iran. So he took a TV crew there to document the people and places who might soon be at risk. “You should know peo...

21 Huhti 49min

ICYMI - We Are Over Influencers At Coachella

ICYMI - We Are Over Influencers At Coachella

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Yahoo senior entertainment reporter Kelsey Weekman to discuss influencers at Coachella. Kelsey herself attended Coachella Weekend One, and spoke to c...

18 Huhti 39min

Culture Gabfest - Richard Pryor: The Truth Teller Who Changed Comedy Forever | From Big Lives

Culture Gabfest - Richard Pryor: The Truth Teller Who Changed Comedy Forever | From Big Lives

Richard Pryor redefined comedy by telling the truth, even when it scorched him.Today, we’re sharing a preview of a new podcast, Big Lives, and a special episode about Pryor.Every week, hosts Kai Wrigh...

17 Huhti 43min

Suosittua kategoriassa Viihde

anni-jaajo
tuplakaak
grekovit
hei-baby-3
terveisia-perheesta
the-harlin-show
hupiklubi
dear-shirly
antin-palautepalvelu
bella-table
antin-elokuvakerho
everypodi
verhon-takaa
dear-shirly-ja-arttu
nonsensepodi
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
tahtitehdas
get-jassud
hollywood-love-stories-2
terkuin-jenna