Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

Introducing Hit Parade from Slate: "What’s 1984 Got to Do with It Edition Part 1"

·1 hr 3 min·5 clips

Rolling Stone ranked 1984's 100 best singles, calling it pop's greatest year—but was it really?

This episode of Hit Parade, hosted by Chris Molanphy, is part one of a two-part series examining why 1984 is considered pop's greatest year. Molanphy, a chart analyst and Slate writer, introduces the topic by noting Rolling Stone's 2014 ranking of the 100 best singles of 1984, which dubbed it 'Pop's Greatest Year.' He contrasts this with other candidate years like 1971 and 1983, acknowledging biases but providing objective reasons. The core of the episode is a countdown of eight factors that made 1984 exceptional. First, he discusses the overcoming of the disco backlash, where dance music reemerged under new names. Second, he covers the peak of first-wave MTV, highlighting how videos boosted careers like Michael Jackson's and Huey Lewis's. Third, he analyzes the second British invasion and how American acts caught up, creating transatlantic peer pressure. Fourth, he explores genre crossover, with examples like Billy Ocean's rock-style R&B and Phil Collins' duet with Philip Bailey. Fifth, he details how metal went pop, with bands like Bon Jovi and Van Halen scoring catchy hits. Sixth, he examines hip-hop's infiltration into pop culture through songs like 'Jam On It' and Chaka Khan's 'I Feel For You.' Seventh, he addresses the media-created rivalry between Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, reframing it as a positive moment for women in pop. Eighth, he notes how veteran artists like Tina Turner and ZZ Top learned new tricks to stay relevant. The episode is structured as an educational deep dive, using specific song examples, chart data, and historical context. It ends by promoting part two, which will walk through all 20 number-one hits of 1984. Throughout, Molanphy's tone is neutral and informative, avoiding hype while grounding claims in factual analysis.

As heard by us

A brisk, context-rich case for 1984 as the year pop, MTV, and the charts locked together.

1984 lands here as a pivotal pop year, with music television and the charts beginning to reinforce each other in plain sight. Chris Molanphy follows that feedback loop through MTV's steady rotation of Michael Jackson, Prince, Donna Summer, and Lionel Richie, then shifts to The…

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Why you'd press play

You can hear why chart fans call 1984 one of pop's great years, with MTV helping turn familiar acts into video-era stars.

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