Hall of Songs

For the hosts of Hall of Songs, 1994 is a major turning-point year. On one hand, it's about graduating high school and looking forward, and on on the other hand, it's hiding into a boombox and letting the music become you. No matter how we took in 1994, this year is a big one. We've got alternative rock, hard rock, pop punk, and R&B making big moves this year, and we're chr...

It's time to dive into the latest election results for the Hall of Songs! We had an election that determined who might get into our prestigious hall of fame for songs, including songs that were released between 1989 and '93. Did anything make it in? Here's where you find out. Website: http://www.hallofsongs.com Social: http://www.twitter.com/hallofsongs Please rate and review us on...

As we at Hall of Songs have reached the 1990s, we are celebrating being in the thick of our own nostalgia. So to keep the party going as we roll into 1994, we asked Kristen Kurtis, morning show host at our favorite radio station WXPN (88.5FM in Philadelphia), to chat with us about the decade she also loves so much. It just so happens that Kristen and her XPN crew are about to embark on a special &...

We are comfortably in the 1990s on Hall of Songs, and the decade is giving us plenty to talk about. In this episode, Tim and Chris discuss "Beavis and Butthead," the hidden track, and their top-12 songs of the year 1993. It's the year of Clinton, Waco, and plane crashes, but for us, it's all about lovers, losers, and lingerers. After listening, head to hallofsongs.com to vote f...

For the 38th time, Tim and Chris have results of a Hall of Songs election.  Will more songs join the prestigious hall of fame for songs, which as of this recording has 87 members? Tunes by, among others, George Michael, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men, Whitney Houston, Beastie Boys, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and Rage Against the Machine are vying for the chance to be enshrined. Listen now!...

Welcome to easily the most combative episode of Hall of Songs to date. OK, no punches thrown, but Tim and Chris disagree about at least one song in our top-12 of 1992.    Listen as we cover a messy year where the political and social can't help but hit the pop charts. Our top songs of '92 include some groundbreaking rap tracks, massive hits, and emerging alternative roads in rock. After...

Yup, this is a stacked results show. Tim and Chris talk about the 37th election, which included songs from the late 1980s and early 90s, including plenty of guitar rock and grunge, dance, rhythm and blues, rap, and more. Will one song make the prestigious Hall of Songs? Will the Phillies beat the Astros in the ultimate World Series for Tim? Listen now to find out if any songs got the support neede...

It's a big year in music. 1991 starts with Whitney Houston's memorable interpretation of "The Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV. It continues with massive changes in the Billboard charts thanks to SoundScan, then ends with a sound heavy in guitar distortion.  Listen to our newest episode to find out our top-12 songs of the year. We talk about the mainstream emergence of g...

It's time for the recap show for the Hall of Songs' 36th election, which featured songs we nominated dating back between 1985 and '90. How did songs by artists like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Depeche Mode, Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks, and Alice in Chains fare on the ballot? Listen now to find out if any songs got the support needed to enter our hall of fame for songs, and then hear how t...

Welcome back to another Veterans Committee episode of Hall of Songs! In this episode, where we take a look at the last four years in our podcast timeline and pick out a couple songs to place on our ballot, we investigate whether the Grateful Dead's biggest hit is worthy of nomination. Spoiler: One of our co-hosts loves the Grateful Dead. We also nominate a couple other big songs from the late...

Welcome to the 1990s, a decade of excess, exuberance (irrational, even), and extremely awesome songs. Hall of Songs is here to sort through it all, starting with our top-12 songs of 1990. Tim and Chris reveal their picks, including massive hits from massive hitmakers like Madonna, Mariah Carey, and Garth Brooks. Who else gets the Hall of Songs shine? Listen to find out, then vote for the best song...

Come on in for our latest recap show, highlighting the results from the latest Hall of Songs election, our 35th overall. Songs from 1985-89 were on the ballot this time, including gems by Janet Jackson, Public Enemy, De La Soul, Bobby Brown, Depeche Mode, Madonna, and more.  Find out if any songs got into the Hall of Songs from this election, and then learn the full results of this latest round of...

Some will say that the 1980s is when some of the most ear-splitting songs were recorded. We at Hall of Songs don't buy this, but we're at least willing to have fun with it. Join Tim, Chris, and special guest Libby Cudmore as we present our least-favorite songs of the 1980s. This conversation is easily the most un-Hall-of-Songs conversation ever (note the explicit rating), so let it all g...

Hall of Songs gets a little electronic as the 1980s come to a close. Our latest episode takes you through 1989, a year when keyboards truly are everything. We hear major steps forward in dance, rap, and hard rock, and we can tell where the 1990s are heading. Listen as we pick our top-12 songs of 1989. Then, head to hallofsongs.com to vote for the songs that you think are the greatest of all-time....

We knew going into the 34th election that we could see some fireworks. The latest ballot was the smallest in Hall of Songs history: 18 songs, all of which released between 1984 and '88. With records by the likes of Prince, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, N.W.A., Metallica and more on the list, we were pretty excited heading into this show. Listen to find out if any songs ... or how many songs ... got...

The Hot 100 has been the leading arbiter of song popularity within America since its conception in 1958. To better understand its nooks and crannies, and to better contextualize what makes a song so popular nationwide, we brought in the chart expert himself, Chris Molanphy, to break it all down. Molanphy is the author of the Slate series "Why Is This Song No. 1?" and the host of the Slat...

1988 is a wild year in music. Most of the big names that defined the 1980s are taking a break, leaving the door open for a number of new faces to break in and help define the sound that'll take us into the 1990s. This is a year of rap, of freestyle- and house-inspired dance, of alternative rock, and of off-centered mainstream pop. Join Tim and Chris as they pick their top-12 songs of 1988. Th...

Hall of Songs listeners: This was an historic election. Tim and Chris break down your votes judging the greatness of songs released between 1981 and '87. Along the way, we play a little One Away. Website: http://www.hallofsongs.com Social: http://www.twitter.com/hallofsongs Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hall-of-songs/id1550546067

It's a turning point year for Hall of Songs. We give you our picks for the 12 best songs of 1987, which include some hard rock classics, some big cinematic rock standards, and a few under-the-radar rockers. Also, hey, rap is having a big year with some major advancements in sound and image. Plus, one dance track dares to try something totally different. Listen to the episode, then vote for th...

We'll tell you for sure that one song got into the Hall of Songs from our recent election, the 32nd overall. But two? In the 1980s? Is it possible? Listen to get the full results of the latest vote. You'll hear what happens to songs like current smash hit "Running Up That Hill" and former smash hit "Bette Davis Eyes" ... and everything in between. Website: http://www....

Some songs get lost and fall into the cracks. That's what the Veterans Committee is for. Join Tim and Chris as dig back into the years of 1983 to '86 and nominate four more songs for the Hall of Songs. Dance music? Yes. Americana music? Sure. An appearance by our (sort-of) independent ombudsman? Absolutely. Listen as Tim and Chris talk about the songs of 1983 to '86. Hosts: Tim Malc...

We're past "We Are the World" and Live Aid. Hall of Songs enters 1986, when we hear pop and adult contemporary beginning to merge as rap and dance music branch out into totally new places. This is a year of big movie soundtrack hits, plaintive pop that strikes a chord nationwide, and new sounds emerging out of big cities like New York and Chicago. Follow Tim and Chris as they chroni...

Will any songs join the 65 current members of the Hall of Songs, our prestigious academy of the greatest songs of all-time? Join Tim and Chris as they go over a huge ballot of 29 songs from between 1981 and '85. You've got records by Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Tears For Fears, Eurythmics, Phil Collins and many more big names. Will anything get through? Website: http://ww...

We have been dreaming of this moment since starting Hall of Songs. It's time to enter 1985, when the biggest names in pop music converge for charity spectacles like "We Are the World" and Live Aid, and when some of the most enduring songs of a generation hit pretty darn hard.  Come along for the ride as we select our top-12 songs from 1985. After listening, head to hallofsongs.com t...

Time to reveal the results for the 30th election of Hall of Songs! Yes, 30! Currently we have 65 songs in the Hall. Do we get to 66? 67? 68? More? Listen as Tim and Chris go through the election results, featuring songs we've nominated that were released between 1981 and '84, and talk about the biggest surprises, the good, the bad, and a lot more. Website: http://www.hallofsongs.com Soci...