How We Heard It

Music-journalist veterans Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell have been to their share of concerts, for better and worse, and in this episode of "How We Heard It" they share stories from the trenches.

Hear about Bob Dylan's brush with death in Knoxville, the crowd turning on the Beastie Boys in Orlando, Madonna's groundbreaking show in Miami and a bizarre night in Atlanta with the Sugarcubes.

Wayne and Chuck have been through it all - weed at Lynryd Skynyrd, depressing rudeness aimed at Stevie Nicks, joy at the B-52's and sex and/or fighting in the crowds at shows by everyone from Tina Turner to Hank Williams Jr. Then there was that woman who absolutely mortified Wayne at an Alan Jackson show ...

Sex can be both primal and complicated, and sexy songs can be just as complex.

Veteran entertainment journalists Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe have done their share of interviews with a wide variety of celebrities over the years. In this episode of "How We Heard It" they share tales and quotes from interviews that they haven't made public before.

Sometimes funny, sometimes uncomfortable and sometimes a little bit of both, these include encounters with Tori Amos, Liam Hemsworth, Joan Jett, Taylor Lautner, Jay Leno, Sarah McLachlan, Bill Monroe, Ted Nugent, Dolly Parton, Joey Ramone, Ricky Skaggs, Kristen Stewart, Randy Travis, Tina Weymouth and more.

Although the movie industry and the music industry have both continuously morphed and transformed, the two have been teaming up for almost a century with soundtracks. The impact of good movies paired with good music has been unforgettable, from "The Graduate" and "Shaft" to "Barbie" and "Frozen."

What would a Disney animated movie be without a soundtrack? Songs for James Bond movies are sometimes more memorable than the films themselves. Plus, movies sometimes celebrate music genres, including disco, rap, alternative rock and country. Meanwhile, music for horror films can be key to the scares - just ask John Carpenter.

Many top singers past and present have won Oscars for their work, including Billie Eilish, Eminem, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Adele and Lionel Richie.

On this episode of "How We Heard It," veteran music journalists (and movie geeks) Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe break down some of the best soundtracks and movie songs from over the years ... and some stuff that doesn't hold up so well today.

There's no one way to be a music critic, and this week veteran entertainment journalists Wayne and Chuck talk about how they each found their way in the field - what they got right, what they got wrong, how they changed as they went along and what they think of other critics.

They also talk about the best, worst and weirdest reactions they've gotten from readers. Find out why the drunk woman kept calling Wayne and why he would call readers out of the blue. Also, Chuck explains his reservations about going out for ice cream and reveals a bizarre experience at a Spice Girls concert.

This week veteran music journalists Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell open themselves up to judgment by confessing their guilty pleasures - types of entertainment that give them comfort and inspiration, even when it's not particularly cool to do so.

Hear how Chuck can magically transport himself from a traffic jam to a happy hour amongst the wildlife of a tropical island or how Wayne can find justice in a chaotic world ... and maybe ask yourself if you should even feel guilty for your happiness.

What makes music good or bad or somewhere in between? That's wildly subjective.

Wayne and Chuck dismay each other as they reveal big-name artists they think are overrated. Listen as they try to suppress their shock and act like they're OK with one another's picks, though their friendship may never be the same.

And if you think they're both wrong, you're probably right.

You can't launch a new music podcast in 2024 without addressing Taylor Swift.

So veteran music journalist Wayne Bledsoe leads off the premiere episode of "How We Heard It" summarizing his early interviews with Swift, including their first conversation when she was just a teenager and had laser focus on her career with her first album.

Fellow veteran music journalist Chuck Campbell, Wayne's longtime friend, joins in as they talk about Swift's vision and how she has distinguished herself from singers in the past as well as her current peers ranging from Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey to Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande. 

Looking ahead, Chuck and Wayne contemplate what could slow Swift's career momentum moving forward and how some women performers have been set back by their relationships with men and by becoming mothers.

Chuck also looks at some Gen Z singers who are positioning themselves to eventually rival millennial Swift's accomplishments. (It won't be easy.)

Also, Wayne and Chuck talk about how Swift's path is similar to the remarkable career of Dolly Parton (and they share some of their conversations with Parton) and how Beyonce also has been making groundbreaking strides. In addition, the guys look back at the role of women in music over the decades and how lately there's been a fundamental change for the better.

They close out the episode with music and movie recommendations.