Articles by StevenHyden | | The A.V. Club

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This Was Pop A look at the Hot 100 reveals a goofy upstart and some predictable old pros

Plus: Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, and more.

February 1, 2013 | 12:00pm -
We're No. 1 Why the fatalistic Goodbye Yellow Brick Road remains Elton John’s most popular album

A view of fame’s downside from a musician at his peak.

January 15, 2013 | 12:00am -
This Was Pop This Was Pop’s favorite radio singles of the year, Bieber and beyond

Fun, Bieber, and a Ke$ha-vs.-Pink showdown.

December 28, 2012 | 12:00am -
We're No. 1 Jimmy Buffett pulled in some country-music ringers for the horribly titled License To Chill

And he might just be as influential as Johnny Cash.

December 11, 2012 | 10:00am -
Best of The best music of 2012: The ballots

Scrutinize every point assigned, every album liked, and every honorable mention awarded.

December 11, 2012 | 12:00am -
This Was Pop This Was Pop checks in with this year’s crop of new holiday music

Rod Stewart, Colbie Caillat, and Cee Lo Green offer up a sleighful of barely tolerable holiday cheer.

November 30, 2012 | 10:00am -
We're No. 1 Santana’s Supernatural was 1999’s most surprisingly successful album

Is “Smooth” the Citizen Kane of pop songs, or Santana’s “Kokomo”?

November 13, 2012 | 12:00am -
This Was Pop This Was Pop discovers the softer side of the rock-songs chart

Move over Seether, make way for Mumford.

November 2, 2012 | 12:00pm -
We're No. 1 Prince’s Batman soundtrack is not the embarrassment it’s reputed to be

When is a soundtrack not really a soundtrack?

October 9, 2012 | 11:00am -
This Was Pop A look at the Hot 100 includes “As Long As You Love Me” and, inevitably, “Gangnam Style”

Taking a trip up the charts with Psy, Justin Bieber, and more.

September 28, 2012 | 11:00am -
We're No. 1 Boston’s blockbuster debut proved a tough act to follow on deadline

A faceless band’s second album captures the problem with perfectionism.

September 11, 2012 | 10:00am -
Podmass Tenacious D rocks WTF and Yvette Nicole Brown completes The J.V. Club’s Community trifecta

The best podcasts of the week of Aug. 23-29

August 31, 2012 | 12:00am -
This Was Pop This Was Pop debates the appeal of Phillip Phillips, “Truck Yeah,” and more

Our latest look at Billboard’s Hot 100 covers Taylor Swift, Flo Rida, and the return of No Doubt.

August 31, 2012 | 12:00am -
Permanent Records Foo Fighters’ debut was a bridge between Nirvana and mid-’90s alt-rock

The A.V. Club brings back an old feature with an appreciation of a not-so-old classic.

August 28, 2012 | 12:00pm -
We're No. 1 The fake Beatles album Yesterday And Today once topped the charts

The space-filler American Beatles fans got between real Beatles albums is now all but erased from history.

August 14, 2012 | 12:00am -
This Was Pop This Was Pop gets snippy over Katy Perry, Pink, and more

Our latest look at Billboard’s Hot 100 covers Neon Trees, 2 Chainz, and the Owl City/Carly Rae Jepsen team-up, among others.

July 27, 2012 | 12:00am -
Movie Review Shut Up And Play The Hits

A mournful last waltz for James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem.

July 18, 2012 | 10:15am -
MusicalWork Review JEFF The Brotherhood: Hypnotic Nights

The brothers Orrall try—and fail—to grow up.

July 17, 2012 | 12:05am -
We're No. 1 Trent Reznor made alt-rock’s last stand with The Fragile

Trent Reznor’s much-fussed-over follow-up to The Downward Spiral arrived after its time had passed.

July 10, 2012 | 12:00am -
This Was Pop June 30, 2012

This month, This Was Pop goes country, with a look at chart hits from Toby Keith, Brantley Gilbert, and more.

June 29, 2012 | 11:00am -
TV Club : Dallas “The Last Hurrah”

Things aren’t quite heating up yet.

June 27, 2012 | 9:00pm -
MusicalWork Review Ty Segall Band: Slaughterhouse

The garage-punk star gets back to his raw roots.

June 26, 2012 | 12:07am -
TV Club : Dallas “The Price You Pay”

The old people are crushing the young people so far this season.

June 20, 2012 | 9:00pm -
For Our Consideration The secret importance of the lyrics in 2012’s biggest pop hits

Maybe it’s the words that made “Call Me Maybe” and other recent hits connect.

June 19, 2012 | 12:00am -
For Our Consideration Falling out of love with The Flaming Lips

A great band seems now to be offering nothing but gimmicks.

June 15, 2012 | 10:00am -
Playlisted New music we like: Dent May

A summertime record for 2012 set in 1979.

June 14, 2012 | 11:55pm -
Newswire Hear "Stranglin' You Too," a melodic slice of sinister torture from glowering Australian rockers Slug Guts

Summer is a time for feelgood jams, but sometimes you need a little darkness in order to see the light.

June 14, 2012 | 11:14am -
TV Club : Dallas “Changing Of The Guard”/”Hedging Your Bets”

J.R. Ewing—and the TV franchise that made him famous—is back.

June 13, 2012 | 4:00pm -
Playlisted New music we like: Royal Headache

The Aussie band is headed up by the best young rock singer in years.

June 12, 2012 | 11:55pm -
For Our Consideration Bobby Womack’s latest exemplifies the profound awkwardness of “art of dying” albums

It isn’t always easy to sing goodbye.

June 12, 2012 | 10:00am -

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