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The best podcasts for Music Deep Dives

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Who am I?

As the co-host and co-creator of the You Wanted a Hit! podcast about unlikely hit songs, I love a podcast that looks at our favorite music, or music that has shaped our culture, and dives deep into the who, what, where, when and why of these artists, songs, albums, and zeitgeists. I have been obsessive about popular music for my entire life, from stealing my parents' cassette tapes to watching MTV to ordering CDs from indie label catalogs and playing in DIY punk rock bands. I turned that passion into a decade-plus career in record label marketing, and now, podcasting.

My Show

What is my podcast about and/or how does it relate to the playlist topic you chose?

You Wanted a Hit! is a podcast about unlikely, perplexing, and positively bizarre hit songs that swept the nation, and often the world. Have you ever heard a classic song and thought, "why on Earth was this popular?" Or "How did this even get played on the radio?" Well, we're here to answer these questions for you. Each episode we will explore the backstory, creation, and success of one unlikely smash hit. The catch? Only one host knows which song will be the topic. Hosted by music fanatics and pop culture enthusiasts Michael Smith and Theo Beidler, with occasional special guests.

What is my podcast playlist about?

This is a list of my favorite podcasts that dive deep into popular music, whether it's songs, artists, albums, etc.

The podcasts I picked and why

1. No Dogs in Space

Why this podcast?

This is an incredibly researched, funny, entertaining podcast that dives deep into the history of punk and alternative bands. They dedicate entire mini-seasons to a band's history. My favorite topics they cover are The Replacements, Beastie Boys, and The Cramps.

No Dogs in Space

No Dogs in Space

The Last Podcast Network

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5.0

No Dogs In Space is a music history podcast featuring Marcus Parks and Carolina Hidalgo of the Last Podcast Network. Season 1 - Punk Season 2 - Alternative Season 3 - Experimental Rock & Pop

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4 Listeners

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2. Waiting for Impact

Why this podcast?

This is my favorite podcast I discovered this year. It's only one 10-episode season, and it's thoughtful, affecting, and surprising. Dave Holmes is a treasure, and his passion for music and for humanity is shown in this search for a "lost" boy band.

Waiting for Impact

Waiting for Impact

Exactly Right Media – the original true crime comedy network

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5.0

Dave Holmes is obsessed: What ever happened to Sudden Impact, the R&B boy band whose arrival was announced in Boyz II Men’s “MotownPhilly” video? What happens when you make a big debut, and then...nothing happens? Waiting For Impact is a deep dive into a disappearance that has haunted pop-culture die-hards since 1991. Dave is determined to track the group down and find out what really happened, and along the way he talks to his friends in the entertainment world— comedians, actors, writers— about the twists and turns that led them from where they were in 1991 to where they are in 2021. It's about high hopes, unexpected results, and why sometimes not getting what you want is the best thing that can happen.

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2 Listeners

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3. Transmissions: The Definitive Story of Joy Division & New Order

Why this podcast?

This is my favorite podcast about one particular band (well, technically two bands). The level of detail in the interviews and the way the oral history is constructed is so impressive. A tragic story that results in a rebirth that changed music forever.

Transmissions: The Definitive Story of Joy Division & New Order
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This is Transmissions, the definitive story of New Order and Joy Division. Based on new and exclusive interviews with Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert and Peter Hook, this series captures those vivid moments that tell their tale like never before.

Listen to the music featured in Transmissions here: https://JoyDivision.lnk.to/Transmissions

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4. Song Exploder

Why this podcast?

Similar to our podcast, this one is a deep dive into one song per episode. Definitely one of the most popular music podcasts for good reason, Hrishikesh Hirway has an especially gentle and empathetic way of getting artists to open up about the intricacies of their songs. The demo versions, outtakes, and stems that are found and featured on the show are positively mind-blowing. My favorite episodes are Semisonic, Mobb Deep, Seal, New Order, and Lucy Dacus.

Song Exploder

Song Exploder

Hrishikesh Hirway

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4.9

Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. Each episode features an artist discussing a song of theirs, breaking down the sounds and ideas that went into the writing and recording. Hosted and produced by Hrishikesh Hirway.

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92 Listeners

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5. Cocaine & Rhinestones: The History of Country Music

Why this podcast?

Perhaps the DEEPEST of dives about music in podcast form, this series requires time and dedication but truly pays off in the end. The level of detail that Tyler Mahan Coe puts into his researched stories is positively unparalleled. I'd start with the Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, and Louvin Brothers episodes, and then move on to season two which is entirely about George Jones. Even if you don't think you like country music, this podcast will prove that you do.

Cocaine & Rhinestones: The History of Country Music
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5.0

Step right up. Come on in.

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10 Listeners

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