A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work magic on our ears & our culture. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
http://www.switchedonpop.com
The Most Popular Song In The World
The Nokia ringtone used to be heard more than a billion times per
day, making it one of the most popular songs in the world. We tend to
consider cellphone rings as somewhat antithetical to
music. There is a whole subset of YouTube videos dedicated to the perverse thrill of
watching a delicately beautiful musical moment ruined by the harsh cry
of a default ringtone. In this episode, we zoom in on one of these
annoying melodies to see if there's not some hidden musical craft
present in the ubiquitous bleeps and bloops that envelop us. Later,
Charlie shares a piece made solely of this sonic detritus, and a data
scientist locates surprising musical patterns in a most unexpected
source.
Featuring:The Nokia TuneThe Beatles - She's So HeavyOne Direction - Live While We're YoungFrancisco Tarrega - Gran ValsLinks:Charlie Harding - Bowl ArrowJonathan Berger's Article in Nautlius: How Music Hijacks our Perception of TimeFamous Cell Phone Rings Played on the Piano by Tony AnnGreg Hochmuth's work
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices