Today we “cram to understand” how of the 7 hip-hop acts inducted into the Rock Hall, zero of them are women. We discuss 10 currently eligible female acts who changed the landscape of hip-hop from Queen Latifah to TLC, as well as 8 future eligible women.

Do you think love is a many splendored thing or are you much more in the “love stinks” camp? Either way, Hall Watchers has you covered this week! Join us as we talk about 10 of our favorite love songs and 10 songs that can help you nurse a broken heart.

From the frantic surf guitar fever dream of Pulp Fiction, to the impossibly cool R&B swagger of Jackie Brown, to the nostalgic 1960’s valentine of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, no one compiles a soundtrack quite like Quentin Tarantino. Join us as we examine the soundtracks for each of his films and discuss which artists we feel are worthy of Rock Hall discussion.  

This week we take a break from the Rock Hall and have a casual chat about recent music documentaries. Join us as we review Mystify: Michael Hutchence, Between Me and My Mind, The Two Killings of Sam Cooke and Echo in the Canyon.

It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for: the Rock Hall 2020 Class. After a bit of speculation and discussion, Eric surprises Mary with the 2020 class. We open the episode with a tribute to late Rush drummer Neil Peart.

Today we honor some of the incredible people in music that we lost in 2019, including Rock Hall curation visionary James Henke, inductees Dr. John and Ric Ocasek, and such musical heroes as Jackie Shane, Kim Shattuck, Eddie Money, and Nipsey Hussle. 

We’re back from a break with music insights from our European vacation! We discuss Rock Museum Munich, what music resonates with those outside of the U.S., and if the Rock Hall is doing enough to truly be a global institution. We also discuss Future Rock Legends’ recent Rock Hall pieces, the Rock Hall site redesign, Soundgarden’s induction chances in the face of Vicky Cornell’s feud with the band, and our 2019 podcast observations.

It’s our last episode of 2019, and we have a packed episode in store for you! Eric predicts the Rock Hall Class of 2020, we discuss Evelyn McDonnell’s latest Billboard op-ed, and talk recent band reunion announcements. We end on a festive note with music-related things we’re thankful for, and the 10 songs we think need to be on your holiday playlist!

In today’s episode we explore the life and career of the late Beach Boys drummer, Dennis Wilson. Mary takes you beyond the tabloid headlines and discusses his musical genius, contributions to the Beach Boys and his masterful solo album Pacific Ocean Blue. We also discuss his continuing legacy in pop culture, as well as why his fan base is so devoted to him.

We’re having a casual conversation again this week, and we start by marveling at the overwhelming response to our Phish episode. Mary encourages Phish fans to voice their choice in Cleveland, and also observes how other fan bases could take some pointers from Phish fans. We also discuss the latest Rock Hall fan vote standings, this week’s wacky ballot behavior and also speculate on how categories will be used in the Rock Hall 2020 ceremony.