How We Heard It

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 thro...

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'...

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...

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 t...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 opportu...

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 a...

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 Hems...

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...

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...

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 justi...

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 longtim...