MusicBoxPete Podcast

On today's all new cast, we take a look at the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks for the week ending June 26, 1999 and take a travel back in time to revisit some of the alternative classics that made the year so enjoyable. From Red Hot Chili Peppers "Scar Tissue" and Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy", the chart is a snapshot of all the events that happened during that period like the Women's World Cup and als...

On today's all new cast, I give you my personal list of the Mount Rushmore of artists/bands in the history of the Modern Rock Tracks chart. I go through each artist and give you their individual stats and why they belong on this list. I also talk about some artists that almost made the list, and how the list gradually shifted to include the best of the best that represented the musical evolution a...

On today's edition of the cast, we take a gander at the Billboard Modern Rock Charts and recap artists who reached the top of the chart on their very first chart entry. It's a feat that was actually more difficult to accomplish than it looks way back in the day, with some artists unable to reach the summit in their first chart appearance. We take a look at all the artists that reached the summit f...

On today's all new episode, we go over Billboard's list of the Top Modern Rock Songs of All Time list that originally came out back in 2013, and dissect some of the choices on there and go over which songs belong on the list and which shouldn't, plus songs that could have been moved higher up on the list. The best-of list has been updated several times since by Billboard to allow some newer songs...

On today's all new cast to kick off 2026, we talk about the history of Billboard Airplay Monitor and this short lived offshoot from Billboard magazine that was critical in determining how the Modern Rock Charts was formed based on audience impressions from modern rock & alternative stations across the country. We talk about its history and how the impressions were calculated, and how it illust...

On today's special year-end edition of the cast, we wrap up 2025 with a pretty bow and give you my picks for the top songs of the past year, and also compare them with Billboard's Top Alternative Airplay year-end chart, comparing and contrasting the two charts seeing which songs are on both charts, and how they differ and are unique in their own way. I talk about some of my favorite albums of the...

On today's edition of the cast, we talk about Billboard's recent announcement that they're altering the recurrent rules for songs that have overstayed their welcome on the Hot 100 charts, changes that were largely made due to the current stagnation on the chart from tracks that have overstayed their welcome, and songs that were played relentlessly by FM radio and streaming algorithms. We talk abou...

On today's all new episode of the cast, we take a look back at the Billboard Modern Rock Chart for the week ending October 31, 1998 and see what was popular on the chart around the time as we were getting ready for Halloween that year, and what artists and songs really mattered to use the most. We take a look at songs from the likes of Goo Goo Dolls, Eagle Eye Cherry, Hole, Barenaked Ladies, The O...

On today's all new edition of the cast, we take a gander at the CMJ Top 250 Alternative Songs list from 1979-1988, and use that list to imagine what the Billboard Modern Rock Chart would look had it started way earlier back in the 1980's. We plug the gap with songs from the early 80's that defined the era such as Duran Duran's "Hungry Like The Wolf", Talking Heads "Burning Down The House", The Cla...

On today's all new edition of the cast, we go over some of the hard-rock/metal acts that made an appearance on the Modern Rock Tracks chat over the years, and how their little foray into that world filled in the gap and found their niche among listeners who don't casually listen to their music in the first place. We talk about Metallica's reign on the chart, and how they found most of their succes...

On today's all new episode of the cast, we take a look at some hip-hop songs that crossed over and appeared on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart. We take a look at how the Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, and Eminem enjoyed some crossover success on the chart and how it helped expose their sound to listeners from different musical backgrounds and increased their audience exposure in the process as w...

On today's brand new episode of the cast to kick off the new season, we take a look at the 9/11 Banned Songs list that was issued by Clear Channel in the aftermath of the Sept. 11th attacks that wasn't an outright order, but as a request to not play songs that were deemed insensitive and questionable that contained references with anything that was associated with 9/11. We take a look at the hundr...

On today's brand new episode of the cast, we step back in time and check out the playlists for WFNX way back in the day, and find out what songs they were playing back then to the masses and how those songs mirrored what was on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart as well. We talk about the different representation of music genre wise, and how that played a big role in channeling WFNX's rise as a...

On today's latest episode of the cast, we delve into the plethora of cover songs that graced its way onto the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks over the years, and talk about at how some of these artists made a name for themselves by tackling a cover song that can sometimes be a daunting task, but is definitely worth it in the long run by putting your own unique spin on it. We talk about how some cover...

On today's all new cast, we break down some statistics and records as we go behind the leaderboards on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and talk about who holds the record for most #1 songs, most chart entries, longest time spent on the chart, and longest reign spent on top of the chart. We discuss some of the major record holders including Foo Fighters, Green Day, Linkin Park, and Red Hot C...

On today's all new episode of the cast, we look at the plethora of female singer-songwriters that dominated on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks back in the day, and talk about at how their influence paved the way for future singer-songwriters to set the tone and edge for what was to come down the road. We discuss at how Sarah McLachlan got her start on the chart, and how she spearheaded the female...

On today's all new episode of the cast, we chat about all the Boston bands that got their start and made their mark on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. So many legendary and established bands from the Bay State got their start on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and we chat about when they debuted, their first song to chart, where they peaked, and how they made their mark on the chart and on li...

On today's edition of the cast, we take a look at songs that dominated the summer going back to 1997 and continuing through 2008, and take a look at why songs get most of their chart life and success during the summer months than any other time of the year, and how these songs came to define our summers when we were hitting up the beach, on vacation, or partaking in any other summer activities tha...

On today's all new episode of the cast, we take a look at the songs that dominated on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart during the summer of '01, and talk about how these songs captured the essence of the idyllic, carefree world we lived in at that time when we had more freedom, more independence, and were beginning to get the first taste of adulthood with getting  your first learners permit,...

On today's all new cast, we take a look back at the Billboard Modern Rock Chart for this week back on July 4, 1998. We go over all 40 songs on the chart, and how all the tracks on this chart perfectly encapsulated the look and feel of the late 90's era with Goo Goo Dolls "Iris" moving into the #1 spot for the first time, and how it ushered in a whole new era of sonic bliss for many music fans. We...

On today's brand new episode of the cast, we take a look at all the Britpop bands that graced the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart back in the day highlighted most notably by Oasis, but I give you my take and my reason as why Blur is the greatest Britpop band of the era and talk about how their upbeat melodies and the genius of Damon Albarn's witty lyricism and calming vocal presence that ushere...

On today's all new episode of the cast, we travel back in time to the early 2000's and the dawn of the pop-punk era and talk about some of those acts from our high school years that made their mark on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. We talk about how New Found Glory led the charge out of the gate, and were one of the first acts to gain initial notice which eventually propelled them and doz...

On today's edition of the cast we talk about the plethora of one hit wonders that graced the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts over the years, and talk about how their contributions shaped the future of the chart to come. We discuss such artists like Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Butthole Surfers, Eagle Eye Cherry, Semisonic, Eve 6, Marcy Playground, and a whole lot more and how their one f...

On today's edition of the cast, we take a look at the origins of grunge music and its place on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts, and how Nirvana's debut on the chart back in 1991 signaled a seismic shift in music and created a whole new sub culture in the process. We examine how some other grunge acts including Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains flourished in this era, and made a n...

On today's edition of the cast, we look over some of the early stars that dominated in the early years of Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, including The Psychedelic Furs and Siouxsie & The Banshees, and discuss how foreign born musicians dominated the early years of the chart, which speaks volumes about how much more talent and influence they had over their American counterparts. We also...