Feet on the Ground, Reaching for the Stars Edition Part 1

<p>To mark Hit Parade’s 100th episode, host Chris Molanphy is doing something he’s never done: He’s going to talk about himself—and just how nerdy you have to be to host a show like Hit Parade. Chris reflects on the origins and depth of his chart fandom, and ponders existential questions like: What makes a person want to track these rankings? Why do we care about what, or who, is No. 1?</p><br><p>Join Chris for this exploration of how the charts have informed, inspired and infiltrated his life—and yours, too.</p><br><p>Coming up in Part 2: Chris pays tribute to one of his heroes and a huge influence on Hit Parade: the chart king who counted down the hits every week ... from coast to coast. Available on March 27, but Slate Plus members can listen right now!</p><br><p>Not a Slate Plus member? Get early access, bonus episodes of “The Bridge,” and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Hit Parade show page on <a href="podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hit-parade-music…; rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="open.spotify.com/show/4GqbdfOT9Je4nEp5BqnGit&q…; rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>. Or, visit <a href="slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm…; rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slate.com/hitparadeplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits"; rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy<…; for more information.</p>