The Bridge: Got My Back Against the Record Machine

In this mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by Michaelangelo Matos, author of Can’t Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop’s Blockbuster Year. Matos says after the unprecedented cross-cultural success of Michael Jackson’s Thriller in 1982 and ’83, pop stars in ’84 believed they could score multiple hits across genres—and make them danceable. So they all went for it, even the rock stars—whether it was Annie Lennox dressing like Elvis on the Grammys, Bruce Springsteen ordering up club remixes, or Van Halen borrowing their synth sound from Prince. Next, Chris quizzes a Slate Plus listener with some music trivia, gives him a chance to turn the tables with a question of his own, and previews the next full-length episode. Slate Plus members can sign up for a chance to be our trivia contestant on a future episode here. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.