Chris Molanphy on Quincy Jones

The Lives They're Living

Literally just as I was finishing this episode, the word came out that its subject, Quincy Jones, had died at the age of 91. So this goes out as a tribute to his legacy and memory.

My guest, Chris Molanphy, is a chart analyst and pop critic who writes about the intersection of culture and commerce in popular music. For Slate, he created and hosts the Hit Parade podcast and writes their “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series. His most recent book is Old Town Road , about the Lil Nas X song of the same name and the chart history and race/genre intersections that led to its record-setting chart run. Chris’s work has also appeared in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Vulture, NPR Music’s The Record, The Village Voice, Billboard and CMJ. He is a frequent guest on National Public Radio (All Things Considered, On the Media, Planet Money, Soundcheck), on SiriusXM, and on numerous podcasts including the Culture Gabfest and the New York Times Popcast.

"His Parade" podcast, two-part Quincy Jones episode.

The Greatest Night in Pop (documentary about the making of "We Are the World").

"We Are the World" on YouTube

Photo of Quincy Jones in 1980: The Los Angeles Times