First came '60 Songs That Explain the '90s.' (We did that.) Then came '60 Songs That Explain the '90s: The 2000s.' (We're doing that now—and yes, that's the actual name.) But whether you want to jump back to the Clinton years or join us as we reboot our old iPods, you can find all of the collected works of Rob Harvilla below. Come back each Wednesday for a new episode.
What this show covers
music criticismI Gotta Feelingpop musicBlack Eyed PeasObamacoreAdam SchlesingerAnnie ZaleskiFountains of WaynePower popStacy's MomMarissa R. Mosscountry musicLee Ann WomackI Hope You DanceAt the Drive-In
What listeners will find here
How “I Gotta Feeling” turned goofy pop into an Obama-era time capsule
Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” becomes a lens for Rob Harvilla’s look at bad lyrics, good-bad songwriting, and the group’s evolution from hip-hop to pop-dance juggernauts. With Leslie Gray Streeter, he also revisits “My Humps” and the song’s Obamacore afterlife.
Beyond “Stacy’s Mom”: the deeper, sharper world of Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacy’s Mom” is the entry point, but this episode looks at the band’s wider catalog, Adam Schlesinger’s legacy, and the mix of humor and craft that made them endure. Rob Harvilla is joined by Annie Zaleski to explore favorite songs, influences, and why the hit became a novelty-song shorthand.
Why “I Hope You Dance” still feels tender, conflicted, and huge
Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” is the focus here, along with the career and country-music pressures that shaped it. Rob Harvilla and Marissa R. Moss dig into Womack’s influences, her crossover moment, and whether her signature hit is uplifting, melancholy, or both.
How At the Drive-In burned bright, then hit the wall
At the Drive-In’s “One-Armed Scissor” anchors a look at how the El Paso post-hardcore band became a live-wire phenomenon and why that intensity collapsed so fast. Rob Harvilla is joined by Suzy Exposito to dig into the song, the band’s politics, and the chaos of the pit.
How “Skinny Love” turned cabin-heartbreak mythology into indie canon
Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” is the focus as Rob Harvilla revisits For Emma, Forever Ago, the Wisconsin-cabin mythology around Justin Vernon, and the voice that made the song stick. With Jon Caramanica, he also considers the track’s wider influence and why artists like Kanye West and Taylor Swift connected with Bon Iver.
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