Hit Parade

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The Bridge: Another Saturday Night in Miami

Chris Molanphy talks to Slate’s own Jack Hamilton about misunderstood soul legend Sam Cooke.

Episode Notes

In this mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by U.Va. professor and Slate pop critic Jack Hamilton, author of Just Around Midnight: Rock and Roll and the Racial Imagination, to discuss his recent article on the portrayal of soul legend Sam Cooke in the acclaimed film One Night in Miami. Jack explains how the film, for all its merits, elides Cooke’s legacy between his 1957 pop breakthrough and his final major hit, “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

Then, Chris quizzes a Slate Plus listener with some music trivia, gives him a chance to turn the tables on him, and previews next month’s full-length episode. Slate Plus members can sign up for a chance to be our trivia contestant on a future episode here.

Podcast production by Asha Saluja.

About the Show

Chris Molanphy, a pop-chart analyst and author of Slate’s “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series, tells tales from a half-century of chart history. Through storytelling, trivia, and song snippets, Chris dissects how that song you love—or hate—dominated the airwaves, made its way to the top of the charts, and shaped your memories forever.

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Host

  • Chris Molanphy is a feature writer and critic who writes widely about music and the pop charts.