How We Heard It

howweheardit
  • 5.0 (8)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Veteran entertainment journalists, music columnists and longtime friends Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell host ”How We Heard It,” a breezy and sometimes offbeat take on how music and movies got to where they are today and where it’s all going. They break down who are the most promising Generation Z singers one minute and the next they debate who are the most overrated acts from the past. Sexy songs, soundtracks, controversies and weird movies find their way into the discussion, and they also weigh in with recommendations on who to hear and what to see in music and film from the past and present. Wayne and Chuck have more than 65 years of experience in professional journalism between them, but they don’t waste time indulging in scholarly breakdowns of their institutional knowledge. Instead, they share behind-the-scenes stories about their odd, funny, inspirational and embarrassing encounters with celebrities, managers, fans and readers. And they laugh at themselves and each other. A lot. Because being an entertainment journalist does that to you. An important third voice in the ”How We Heard It” podcast is engineer John Baker, himself a musician and producer who reins in Wayne and Chuck when they need it. John’s tastes are a little bit Wayne and a little bit Chuck, and he’s a friendly sort. Wayne’s primary role in his nearly four decades at the Knoxville News-Sentinel was his work as an entertainment writer and critic. He currently hosts ”The Six O’Clock Swerve” weekly radio show on WUTK, 90.3 FM in Knoxville, he’s a former Grammy nominee, and he’s an organizer of the annual concert series ”Waynestock: For the Love of Drew and Rylan.” He’s also an artist and unconventional garden writer - see more at www.waynebledsoe.com. Chuck started his career in journalism at the Daytona Beach News-Journal in Florida before joining the staff in Knoxville. He has reviewed more than 5,500 albums, and his column was distributed by the New York Times, Gannett, Cox News Service and the Scripps Howard News Service. He was an entertainment and travel editor in both Florida and Tennessee and a regional news planner for Gannett’s South Region. ”How We Heard It” is a Cozy Planet Productions podcast recorded at The Arbor Studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Send requests, comments and suggestions to HowWeHeardIt@gmail.com

  1. 1D AGO

    What music would you want on a deserted island?

    It's a question we like to ask but one we usually can't confidently answer: What one album would you want with you on a deserted island? Forget the fact you aren't going to have electricity on a deserted island or any equipment that plays music. Never mind you might spend the rest of your life alone on this mysterious island. Your task is to narrow down all of music to just one album to entertain you while you live out the last of your days. On this week's episode of "How We Heard It," your hosts decide to play the game - after adjusting it to what 10 albums they would want because, let's face it, none of these guys could ever narrow it down to just one. They used different criteria. One more or less narrowed it down to the 10 albums he most enjoys for their artistry. Another considered the 10 albums with which he generally feels the strongest connection. And another looked for a selection of albums that would keep him the most grounded during any potential situation that might arise while living alone on a deserted island. Many other factors weighed in while they considered major artists, from the Beatles to Taylor Swift, and genres ranging from calypso to rock and exotica to electronica. And if you asked them to do it again, they all agreed that their lists would undoubtedly change from one day to the next. What about you? What music would you want to possibly last you for the rest of your life?

    1h 15m

  2. FEB 14

    Here's why we hate these terrible love songs!

    A great love song will warm your heart with its magic, stirring an internal passion that's hard to explain. A bad love song will make you cringe, laugh and/or yawn. And frankly, there are more bad love songs than good ones floating around out there in the music universe. Last year, the hosts of "How We Heard It" celebrated Valentine's Day by shaking out some of the best love songs in modern history, performed by artists who articulated the power of emotion and cast a spell with sound. This year, Wayne, Chuck and John go claws out at the horrible love songs that have flooded the public consciousness with lazy formula, unconvincing delivery, awkward messages and incomprehensible weirdness. The guys feed off each other in this episode, generally agreeing with each other on the worst offenders and having quite a few laughs as they go. They also reach a consensus that many of the worst songs tended to come from some of the most powerful artists in the most dominant genre of the time. Disclaimer: All of us (including your hosts) love some songs that are arguably subpar. If you and your loved one happened to bond over a song we poke fun of, just go on with your bad selves. We won't tell if you don't.

    1h 23m

  3. FEB 7

    Here's a soundtrack for when your life is changing

    Change is inevitable, so embrace it.   OK, maybe it's not always as positive as all that. But change presents opportunity, and even if you dread it, you can usually find a silver lining to the dark cloud.   Music can help with any kind of change. Naturally there are songs about embracing a new relationship and songs about moving on from a bad one. Yet music addresses everything from adopting a positive attitude to escaping an oppressive environment to facing down the grieving process.   In this episode of "How We Heard It," your hosts explore songs about change and suggest some of the better ones to help you get to where you want to be.   Meanwhile, host Wayne Bledsoe talks about his ambitions and plans for his upcoming retirement from his day job, inspiring both happiness and envy in his co-hosts.   Then, as they sometimes do, Wayne, Chuck and John go off on a tangent, this time talking about some of their weirdest jobs.   One of them used to dress as a rabbit and deliver singing messages.   Another used to search through beans at a restaurant, looking for rocks.   And the third used to deal blackjack at pop-up casinos for business conventions.   They were fun jobs while they lasted, but the guys all moved on. Because as Sheryl Crow sings, "A change will do you good."

    1h 23m

  4. JAN 31

    Ranking the movies: History's "biggest" films haven't always been the best ... or even good

    Last time on "How We Heard It," your hosts looked at the top-selling music artists from the 1960s to the 2020s and ranked them, decade by decade. They debated, argued and came to some consensus as they considered all of music's biggest acts from the Beatles to Taylor Swift.   This time around, they decided to rank the best and worst movies that were tops at the box office from the 1960s to the 2020s, and let's just say they were taken by surprise at just how much the film industry has changed over the years.   The box office take in the 1960s and 1970s was topped by such varied and ambitious films as "The Sound of Music," "The Graduate," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Star Wars," "Jaws" and "The Godfather." Meanwhile, four of the top 10 films from the 2010s were all from the "Avengers" franchise, and the top six movies so far in the 2020s have all been sequels.   Has Hollywood become too dependent on redundancy, or do film audiences simply prefer sequels to brand-new stories? Are superhero movies and action films succeeding at the expense of other genres like comedies, dramas and romance? What new movies have been bucking modern trends? And were the old movies really so great in the first place?   "How We Heard It" weighs in on these and other questions as your hosts relive some of their favorite times at the movies ... as well as some of the most numbing ones.

    1h 23m

  5. JAN 24

    These are the best, and worst, top-selling music acts from the 1960s to the 2020s

    Like all good music nerds, the hosts of "How We Heard It" frequently advocate for lesser-known acts they think deserve more attention. But Wayne, Chuck and John like to balance the podcast by also talking about the biggest names through the years, and in this episode they talk about the most popular of them all, ranking them against each other. The premise: The guys explore the top-10-selling music acts from each decade, from the 1960s to the 2020s, and they take turns picking their favorite act as well as their least favorite act from each decade. This war of the giants includes battles like The Beatles vs. Elvis Presley vs. The Rolling Stones (from the 1960s) to Michael Jackson vs. Madonna vs. Prince (from the 1980s) to Adele vs. Taylor Swift vs. Drake (from the 2010s). The guys argue, then agree, then argue some more ... and sometimes they even hurt each other's feelings. At least a little bit. Even a casual music listener is going to know just about all of these artists and might have just as much trouble picking the best of the best, not to mention the worst of the best. Give it a shot and you'll see.

    1h 21m

  6. JAN 17

    Prediction: The Grammys are going to enrage a lot of people

    It seems like forever ago that awards shows were a time to honor excellence. Now they've become an excuse to hate watch, an opportunity to tear apart artists for what they wear, what they say and even how they look at each other. Coming off a particularly contentious 2025 around the world, the upcoming Grammy Awards will certainly tick off a lot of viewers. For starters, these days we just get mad at everybody all the time for everything anyway. What's more, there are raw nerves out there about any number of social and political issues - and musicians aren't known for being diplomats who keep their opinions to themselves. And on top of everything, last year's Grammys saw Beyonce finally win her first Album of the Year award - for a country album that many country fans refused to accept as "country." (There are still residual hurt feelings over that one.) Many of this year's top contenders, for Album of the Year and other major awards, have been linked to key social issues and are known for saying what's on their minds. Bad Bunny (set to perform at halftime of this year's Super Bowl) could win Album of the Year among other awards. It would be the first time a Spanish-language album won for best overall album ... and it should be noted the Puerto Rican performer was in the news in 2025 for canceling shows and/or avoiding performances in many cities because of expectations of ICE raids targeting concertgoers. This year's Grammys could also find Kendrick Lamar or Lady Gaga win their first Album of the Year Grammy. Lamar, an early and committed advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement, hasn't flinched from controversy in his career - including during his recent vicious rivalry with Drake. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga has been a career-long, unapologetically vocal, ally for the LGBTQ members of society ... and 2025 was a particularly tough one for trans Americans. Enter Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell, veteran music journalists (and friends) who have been arguing about the Grammys since the 1990s. As hosts of "How We Heard It," they invite listeners to play along during this episode as they make their picks from this year's nominees, choosing who deserves to win and who likely will win. Most importantly, they urge everyone to relax and enjoy the music. We're all friends here.

    1h 25m

  7. JAN 10

    Songs for the dead of winter! (It's more complicated than you might think.)

    Here we are again, the least popular time of year for the most of us. The year-end holidays have passed, and spring is still months away. Oh, and it's the darkest and coldest time of the year, too - because why wouldn't it be? Some of us go dormant like plants this time of year, insulating ourselves and enduring the season with introspection and maybe a touch of seasonal depression. Others go on a more positive spin, taking time to detox and find spiritual rebirth. And of course some people actually love the winter, they vibe with the chill and embrace the darkness. Besides, if not for the harshness of winter, would spring even seem so amazing? Then there are those whose kinkier sides come to life in winter ... but that's another podcast for another day. In this episode of "How We Heard It," your hosts explore music about winter, inspired by winter or evoking winter and all the heartaches and trials of the season as well as the victories and joy. You might be surprised how inspiring winter is for songwriters and just how many loving and uplifting songs are spawned during a "bleak" time of year. There's some moody and sad stuff too, but you know that can't be avoided.

    1h 19m

  8. JAN 3

    Will AI fix music ... or destroy it?

    As Artificial Intelligence continues its relentless spread into so many parts of all of our lives, it seems like all we can do is sit back with a mix of hope and dread and wonder where this is all going. We know we can't trust anything on social media anymore - be it photos, audio or video - though we see that many of our friends are susceptible to just about anything. Meanwhile, we may be uncomfortable with how much the electronic devices around us know about us thanks to AI, and who hasn't felt alienated when they've been trapped in an AI-automated loop when all they want to hear is a real human voice? And speaking of human voices, you may be hearing fewer of them when you listen to new songs. AI has crept into the business, becoming a common tool to write, produce and distribute music. So the next song you hear may be created and "performed" entirely by AI programming, without any real singers or musicians. Should you be alarmed? Does AI music have a soul? Can you enjoy it even if everything about it is fake? What is this going to do to the music industry? Those are the questions pondered this week by your hosts of the podcast "How We Heard It." On one hand, AI will make it easier for more people to "create" music, from musicians and singers with limited skills and resources who need help filling in songs with instrumentation, lyrics and voices to those with no music skills at all who can whip up a new song with just an idea. Like any shift in business, there will be winners and losers, and most of us will win a little and lose a little. Yet unlike past innovations - from AutoTuned vocals to electronic programs that sound like "real" instruments - there's much more at stake with AI, which reaches far beyond music. Should we be excited, afraid or both?

    1h 26m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Veteran entertainment journalists, music columnists and longtime friends Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell host ”How We Heard It,” a breezy and sometimes offbeat take on how music and movies got to where they are today and where it’s all going. They break down who are the most promising Generation Z singers one minute and the next they debate who are the most overrated acts from the past. Sexy songs, soundtracks, controversies and weird movies find their way into the discussion, and they also weigh in with recommendations on who to hear and what to see in music and film from the past and present. Wayne and Chuck have more than 65 years of experience in professional journalism between them, but they don’t waste time indulging in scholarly breakdowns of their institutional knowledge. Instead, they share behind-the-scenes stories about their odd, funny, inspirational and embarrassing encounters with celebrities, managers, fans and readers. And they laugh at themselves and each other. A lot. Because being an entertainment journalist does that to you. An important third voice in the ”How We Heard It” podcast is engineer John Baker, himself a musician and producer who reins in Wayne and Chuck when they need it. John’s tastes are a little bit Wayne and a little bit Chuck, and he’s a friendly sort. Wayne’s primary role in his nearly four decades at the Knoxville News-Sentinel was his work as an entertainment writer and critic. He currently hosts ”The Six O’Clock Swerve” weekly radio show on WUTK, 90.3 FM in Knoxville, he’s a former Grammy nominee, and he’s an organizer of the annual concert series ”Waynestock: For the Love of Drew and Rylan.” He’s also an artist and unconventional garden writer - see more at www.waynebledsoe.com. Chuck started his career in journalism at the Daytona Beach News-Journal in Florida before joining the staff in Knoxville. He has reviewed more than 5,500 albums, and his column was distributed by the New York Times, Gannett, Cox News Service and the Scripps Howard News Service. He was an entertainment and travel editor in both Florida and Tennessee and a regional news planner for Gannett’s South Region. ”How We Heard It” is a Cozy Planet Productions podcast recorded at The Arbor Studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Send requests, comments and suggestions to HowWeHeardIt@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    howweheardit
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    87
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    How We Heard It