The Age Old Question: A Podcast for Music Fans · Rich Price and Clint Bierman

What Is The Greatest Comeback In Music History?

October 21, 2024·47 min

Rich and Clint debate the greatest comeback in music history. Clint argues Santana (1999's 'Supernatural') is the definitive comeback—from 20+ years on the fringes to 9 Grammys, 15 million US copies sold, and 'Smooth' becoming ubiquitous. Rich counters with Kate Bush, whose 1985 song 'Running Up That Hill' unexpectedly topped charts after Stranger Things placement in 2022 (without any deliberate promotion), followed by Johnny Cash's Rick Rubin-produced American Recordings series. The hosts explore what separates successful comebacks: producer catalysts (Clive Davis, Rick Rubin), strategic collaboration, cultural timing, and artistic evolution. They discuss Santana's technical modal/Dorian guitar playing, the importance of timing in music discovery, and how artists can either engineer comebacks (Santana) or stumble into them through pure coincidence (Kate Bush).

As heard by us

A comeback debate that keeps music history moving like an argument.

The episode frames the greatest comeback in music history as a clear, running argument, with Rich Price and Clint Bierman moving through Johnny Cash, Rick Rubin, American Recordings, Hurt, and Elvis without losing sight of the central question.

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Why you'd press play

A brisk comeback debate about Johnny Cash, Elvis, and the greatest comeback in music history.

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