How We Heard It

No offense to long songs, but sometimes you don't need to hear long intros, repetitive choruses, bridges, someone noodling around on a guitar and protracted outros. This week on "How We Heard It," veteran music journalists (and friends) Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell celebrate the beauty of short songs - they hit fast, they hit hard, and then they let you get on with your day.

Veteran music critics Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe have spent decades arguing with each other, publicly and privately, about who should (and who would) win the Grammy Awards. On paper, the 2025 Grammys look like a showdown between the two biggest powerhouses of the day: Will pop music maverick Taylor Swift steamroll over the competition again to take home an unprecedented fifth Best New Album,...

With rare exceptions, humans love to laugh and they love music. We differ on what we find funny and what kind of music we like, but when comedy and music come together, it can be magical. On this episode of "How We Heard It," the guys explore how humor has found its way into music, and vice versa, and how the two art forms are probably more united now than ever. Also this episode, "How We Heard It...

On this episode of "How We Heard It," the guys talk about some of the greatest ballads in classic and modern pop music. Well, first they argue about what a ballad even is, but once they settle on a definition, they talk about how a performer's authenticity makes all the difference between a song that inspires you and a song that's just generic garbage. If you've ever been moved by a song and you c...

The movie industry has buckled under intense challenges in recent years - including a devastating pandemic that shut down theaters for months, labor strikes that disrupted the production process and release schedules, a glut of streaming services that fragmented distribution ... and not least of all, a lack of innovative thinking at the top, where the same basic movies are constantly being greenli...

Change is inevitable. When you live in the day-to-day world of popular music, you might not notice, but the music industry is endlessly changing. It's a revolving door of artists and a rise and fall of genres. Also, the recording process and delivery system for music is constantly pivoting, and the audiences themselves are cycling in and out as their wants and needs shift. This week on "How We Hea...

Songs can make you blush and songs can make you mad, but should they ever be banned? Veteran music journalists Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell take a look at how and why artists have been censored and how others have avoided it. And no, it doesn't always make sense. They also look at the fickle world of cancellation and how some artists get whacked while others get a pass. (Plus, sometimes artist...

Sometimes performers and journalists hit it off beautifully, and the result is a fun and breezy piece that engages and informs fans. This episode of "How We Heard It" isn't about those stories. Instead, veteran entertainment journalists Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell share their experiences in which musicians lied about who they were as well as interviews that were beyond awkward - including the...

If singers talked the way they sing, you might think they were having a stroke. From The Beatles and Nat "King" Cole to The Police and Beck to Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, singers have been making up words, started counting or spelling for no reason, and they've had weird bouts of repeating select words. Sometimes they're avoiding censorship, sometimes it just inexplicably sounds right ......

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.