Chris wrote a book!

What’s the most recognizable guitar riff in history? Though there are thousands of riffs that people know, I think the data tells us that “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes is more recognizable than anything else #music

Some people would say that Cardi B’s “WAP” is the most explicit song of all time, but humans have been making raunchy music for decades. In fact, the most explicit music might have been released in the 1970s #music

Ella Langley recently had a number one pop hit with “Choosin’ Texas”. This is very rare. Female country artists rarely top the pop charts. Before Langley and Beyoncé, it hasn’t happened since Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” got to number one in 1980 #music

Rapper Sexxy Red recently leaked a clip of a remix that she was working on of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” It’s awful. Some were calling it the worst sample of all time. The Michael Jackson estate swiftly said that they would not allow her to use the sample or release the song. But I think she should be able to without permission. Let’s dive in to the weird world of music licensing. #music

What’s the greatest Beatles cover of all time? Could it be Earth, Wind and Fire? Frank Sinatra? Stevie Wonder? Joe Cocker? I actually think the answers is a jazz guitarist: Steven Jordan covering “Eleanor Rigby”. #music

I’m listening to an album every day in 2026. Thus far, the worst album I’ve heard is The Great Milenko by Insane Clown Posse #music

For decades, popular songs often had a key change. Then around the year 2000, everybody stopped using them. Why? In this video, we explore how the DAW and hip-hop united to end the key change … temporarily. In the 2020s, we’ve seen a small surge in hit songs with key changes. #music

Who’s the biggest American musician not to have any success in America? You could point to many artists, including those like Scissor Sisters. But I don’t think there’s a bigger example than Anastacia. She’s a global superstar from Chicago but has sold almost no records in her home country #music

The Super Bowl Half Time Show only became what it is because the sketch television show In Living Color ran an episode during half time of the 1992 Super Bowl. Many never tuned back to the game. The year after, Michael Jackson headlined the half time show, creating the modern pop music spectaculars that we see every half time show #music

Who is the biggest British band in the United States that was NOT popular in their home country? There are many bands that come to mind, but I think no one fits this category more than the 1990s post-grunge band Bush. #music

What are the most forgotten hit songs of the 1970s? Using data from Billboard and Spotify, I think I uncovered the answer #music #70s

What are the most forgotten hit songs of the 1980s? Using data from Spotify and Billboard, I think it’s something by Prince, Donna Summer, Bruce Willis, Paula Abdul, or Donny Osmond #music #80s

What are the most forgotten hit songs of the 1990s? Using data from Spotify and Billboard, I think it’s something by Gloria Estefan, Jesus Jones, Glen Medeiros, or Natural Selection #music #90s

What’s the most forgotten hit song of the 2000s? Using data from Billboard and Spotify, I think it’s something by Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Lil Romeo, or an American Idol contestant. #music

Many people claim that everything in the world is getting less colorful. Using data from 65 years of popular album covers, I found that the the music world isn’t becoming less colorful. It is becoming more dim, though. #music