Feet on the Ground, Reaching for the Stars Edition Part 2

<p>The 100th episode of Hit Parade has put host Chris Molanphy in a reflective mood. So in Part 2, he unfurls the story of the late, great <em>American Top 40</em> host Casey Kasem—a perennial inspiration for this podcast and the chart king that Chris calls “the original poptimist.” </p><br><p>Enjoy this long-distance dedication, as Chris pays tribute to a radio hero with a preternatural understanding of the power of pop to unify.</p><br><p>Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, 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>This episode will be available for free on March 27, 2026.</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>