Show Notes
Is nepotism a key part of a good nineties pop anthem? This week we reach for Wilson Phillips’ inspirational 1990 hit “Hold On.” Nichole explains how some songs you love give you different doses of dopamine, at different times and different regions of the brain, as the song unfolds. Mark shows us how this song’s cool use of the bass creates a fun and impactful new type of chord.
Other music heard in this episode: The Wilsons - “‘Til I Die”, Wilson Phillips - “Monday, Monday”, Wilson Phillips - “Good Vibrations”, California Saga - “You Still Believe in Me”, Wilson Phillips - “Go Your Own Way”, J.S. Bach - “Great Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor”, BWV 542 (Michel Chapuis, organ), The Beach Boys - “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times”, Journey - “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”, Terry Riley - “In C” (Buffalo Center of the Creative and Performing Arts Ensemble), Seal - “Crazy”, Queen - “You’re My Best Friend”, Van Halen - “Jump”, Katy Perry - “I Kissed a Girl”
Send us your thoughts at [email protected]
Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting https://discord.gg/xdN4XCdtxU or thelorehounds.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
More from Nevermind the Music
Oh, no, another episode of Mark’s music? Sadly, yes! In this episode, Nichole listens to the eight new NTM mini-themes, and pitches which corporate sponsors each music bumper would best lead into. Is this a tongue-in-cheek bit or is Mark still trying to pay off these fancy microphones? Believe it or not, this conversation goes quite a bit off the rails!
What’s the sweet spot between challenge and comfort? This week we tackle Journey’s 1980 anthem “Any Way You Want It.” After knocking Mark down a notch because of his taste in early-oughts literary fiction, Nichole relates this song to the so-called arousal and flow theories of motivation. Mark explains the simple rhythmic trick that helps make this song have such a driving beat: pushing the downbeat. Come for the arena rock, stay for the Atari talk!
How long can the pop stars survive? In this episode, we debut our first ever NTM draft game! Welcoming back two all-star guests, Bree Thomas (“Mariah Carey Girl” from episode 60) and Chris Fafalios (from Punchline, One Hit Thunder, and episode 76), we each battle to build a team of former child music stars trapped on a deserted island! Who’s the responsible one? Who’s going to keep the morale high? Who might eat the rest of the team? Listen to find out, and then head to the Discord channel and vote for who had the best draft!
Here in season 3, we’re starting a new feature! Once per month, we’ll be turning back the clock and showcasing an episode from our back catalog! This month, we callback to one of our favorites from Season 1!
Are the voices in your head auto-tuned? We start season 3 off with bang with Brtiney Spears’ 2007 electro-pop hit “Piece of Me.” Mark takes us through how the melodic outlines of this track’s robotic backing vocals help shape the song’s pacing. Nichole comes in hot with some fancy terms, looking at Britney’s challenges through the diathesis stress model. She also shares some unresolved anger over the 1991 coming-of-age drama “My Girl.”