Switched on Pop
4.9/5
Critic Rating
4.5/5
Listener Rating
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.
Critic Reviews
Score: 4.8
Alex Ross • New Yorker • Mar 1, 2021
"The show’s hosts deliver charmingly rigorous dissections of Taylor Swift and Weeknd songs, slipping in a fair amount of music history and theory."
Score: 5
Frank Racioppi • Discover Pods • Aug 9, 2019
"Like many successful podcasts, it is the interplay between Harding and Sloan that makes the podcast a listening pleasure. More important, the diversity of their musical backgrounds enriches the podcast. In fact, each seems to take a lead on a particular episode and it’s clear that their partnership is about sharing knowledge for the benefit of the listeners. For listeners who not only love music but also the allure of musical harmony and dissonance, Switched On Pop never hits a sour note and always seems to strike the right chords."
Listener Reviews
Score: 4.5
Edward G. • May 31, 2020
"This episode discussed how the form of the spotify stream is affecting the way songs are being produced. Less intros, outros, and bridges, just hit them with the chorus straight out the gate and get them to the end of the 2:30 track and to listen again."
