Tom_breihan

There's so many! My favorites: The Miracles' "Shop Around," Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark," Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang," Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone."

This century? I've got a chapter in the book about "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," and it might honestly be that because that's the song that really showed the true democratizing power of cheap beatmaking software and social networking. T-Pain's "I'm Sprung" is way up there, too. The most influential pop musicians of this century are probably Lil Wayne, Future, and Young Thug, but you can't really sum up what they do in any one song.

Olivia Rodrigo just did it! Twice!

If you're asking whether it'll be something that sounds like Zeppelin or Nirvana, then yeah, I think we probably will, but it might take some form that we don't expect. Also, Zeppelin and Nirvana never made it to #1 in the first place.

I am merely an agent of cold, uncaring fate. There is no reason, no strategy. There is merely chaos, as represented by one extremely tall person who didn't even notice you there.

Hi Richard! Thanks for always being there!

1. I could easily pick another 20 songs for another book if this one somehow becomes a runaway bestseller or whatever. I'm already kind of regretting not writing an "Old Town Road" chapter, since the arrival of TikTok does seem like one of those game-changer moments.

2. This is going to seem like me trolling, but the Beatles. I feel like I gain a little more appreciation of almost every artist I write about, but diving into the whole Beatles phenomenon, something I'd been kinda half-avoiding for most of my life, was really fascinating.

3. I pick up so many weird and unexpected trivia bits with every column. Like I just found out today that a pre-fame Ludacris had a writing credit on KP & Envyi's "Swing My Way." Had no idea. Blew my mind.