Patreon Preview #330: Name That Tune Hot 100

Summary

Hey Riddle Riddle Podcast Summary

Episode: Patreon Preview #330: Name That Tune Hot 100
Release Date: July 4, 2025
Hosts: Adal Rifai, Erin Keif, John Patrick Coan
Platform: Headgum

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Introduction and Context

In this episode of Hey Riddle Riddle, the hosts Adal Rifai (Adol), Erin Keif, and John Patrick Coan dive into their passion for music, setting the stage for a fun and challenging segment centered around current Billboard Hot 100 hits. Reflecting on their past episodes, Adol mentions a pivot away from 90s music due to a lack of familiarity:

[00:26] Adol: "The last time we did this series of episodes, we were doing it with the music of the 90s, and I had to pivot... because you do not know the music of the 90s seemingly at all."

Discovering New Music

The conversation shifts to how each host engages with new music. Aaron humorously expresses his reluctance to delve into lyric-heavy songs:

[00:14] Aaron: "I'm about to back up from my computer at the speed of light... Are you about to read lyrics to me in a monotone voice?"

Erin shares her journey from actively searching for new tracks to revisiting familiar favorites, occasionally stumbling upon gems through Spotify playlists:

[01:02] Erin: "I used to be pretty proactive about searching out new music... every once in a while... I will find new music. But I should be better about it."

Adol adds his critical take on new pop music, emphasizing his tendency to quickly judge and discard unfamiliar artists:

[01:18] Adol: "Most new music is pretty bad... I would give them a try and be like, not for me. Can't understand why they're for anyone."

Deep Dive into Discographies

The hosts explore the merits of listening to entire discographies versus single hits. Erin recounts her experience with the Electric Light Orchestra, discovering underrated albums:

[01:50] Erin: "I feel like previously I just kind of knew the hits."

Adol and Aaron discuss strategies for navigating a band's body of work, debating whether to start from the beginning or target specific albums. Aaron mentions his affinity for diving deep into artists' discographies, especially during long road trips:

[02:57] Aaron: "I've been thinking about listening to full albums and I think, yeah, I like going back and doing one person at a time."

Introduction to the "Name That Tune Hot 100" Game

Shifting gears, Adol introduces a new game segment aimed at testing the hosts' familiarity with current top-charting songs. He sets the challenge by selecting tracks from the modern Billboard Hot 100, aiming to stump his co-hosts:

[03:27] Adol: "I'm trying to even the playing field by making this so hard for both of you... Because today instead of lending on a Rolling Stone list or commercial jingles, please be commercial jingles."

The hosts express their apprehensions about the difficulty of the game, with Aaron doubting his lyrical prowess:

[04:25] Aaron: "I'm so bad at lyrics. If this game was the opposite and you started humming a little bit of a song, I could be like... I'm never going to normally Eric thing."

First Music Challenge: "Ordinary" by Alex Warren

Adol presents the first song snippet, providing memorable lyrics for the hosts to identify. After some deliberation and humorous missteps, Aaron triumphantly identifies the song:

[07:05] Aaron: "Ordinary maybe by Alex Something."
[07:12] Erin: "Ordinary Something by Alex Something."
[07:27] Aaron: "This is Ordinary by Alex Something in a cemetery."
[07:35] Aaron: "This is Ordinary by Alex Warren? Yes."

Adol confirms Aaron's correct guess, highlighting the challenge's success in engaging the hosts:

[07:45] Adol: "Well, that's cause the Aaron's singing. All right, Aaron, you have one point."

Transition to Next Challenge

Buoyed by the first correct answer, the hosts gear up for the next round, eager to tackle the following Billboard hit. Adol teases the upcoming challenge, maintaining the episode's momentum:

[07:52] Erin: "This sounds like Pirates of Penzance."
[07:55] Adol: "Well, that's cause the Aaron's singing... Listen to the rest of the episode now by starting your free 7 day trial at patreon.com heyriddle riddle."

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Conclusion

In this engaging Patreon preview, Hey Riddle Riddle successfully blends humor, music trivia, and camaraderie, offering listeners a taste of the hosts' dynamic as they navigate the complexities of modern pop music. The episode sets the stage for a series of musical challenges, promising both entertainment and insightful discussions for fans and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Adol]

Hey, Adol. Hey, Aaron, I got a question for you too.

[Aaron]

Oh, Adol, what's this gonna be?

[Adol]

What are you freaking. What are you. What are you jamming on these days? What are you listening? What are you listening to?

[Aaron]

I'm about to back up from my computer at the speed of light. If you are about to read lyrics to me in a monotone voice. Are you about to read lyrics to me? You look me in the eye and you tell me you're not about to read lyrics to me in a monotone voice.

[Adol]

Aaron. The last time we did this series of episodes, we were doing it with the music of the 90s, and I had to pivot. We did a couple of episodes on it and I had to pivot away from it so quickly because you do not know the music of the 90s seemingly at all.

[Aaron]

Or the 2000s or the 2010s, or the 2020s, or the 80s or the 70s or the 60s.

[Adol]

Do either one of you seek out new music?

[Aaron]

I let Spotify do all the heavy lifting for me in my Discover Weekly.

[Erin]

I used to be pretty proactive about searching out new music, and I feel like nowadays I kind of circle back to stuff I used to listen to. And then every once in a while, either through a Spotify playlist or something, I will find new music. But I should be better about it.

[Adol]

Well, I don't think anyone's judging you for not listening to new music. Most new music is pretty bad. Back when I had a pop music review show, I stayed more abreast of new music things happening specifically in the world of pop. I will say, though, I would try more things out and quickly abandon things too, because I would be like, okay, so this is an artist. People are talking about this artist, and I'd give them a try and be like, not for me. Can't understand why they're for anyone. But they, you know, apparently are.

[Erin]

I've been doing some amount of, like, an artist I already know I really like, and then going back and listening to every album in their discography. So, like, I did that with Electric Light Orchestra and I was like, holy shit. They have some absolute fucking banger albums from top to start. But I feel like previously I just kind of knew the hits.

[Adol]

When you do that, do you start with the beginning of a band's discography and go forward? Okay, yeah. Because I will say sometimes that's the move. But some, like. Some bands definitely put out their first album as their best album. Yeah, some bands get better with time. And also some people's like sound. There's also like sometimes it's the case on Spotify, but like maybe their first album wasn't their first studio album. So you listen to someone's first album and you're like, oh, this is pretty bad. Cause he didn't have like any money or whatever. But then like sometimes you'll be like, hey, your first album you had your whole life to ponder on the music that you wanted to write. And your second album, you had two years and like a deadline, you know, a sophomore slump. Yeah, that's interesting. Interesting. Erin, are you a big fan of discographies?

[Aaron]

Yeah, actually, because I'm about to go on this long road trip. I've been thinking about listening to full albums and I think, yeah, I like going back and doing one person at a time. I can get hyper fixated on a person like that.

[Adol]

That's fun. Well, we'll talk about full albums and kind of what that means in modern day music. But I wanted to do this game again. This is one of my favorite games to do. But last time I felt like ADOL was on slightly better footing than you, Aaron. So I wanted to.

[Aaron]

I'm never gonna be on good footing. There's no don't stop. I know you can't dig down and there's no water at the bottom of this well.

[Adol]

Aaron, I'm not trying to put you on good footing. I'm trying to put ADOL on worse footing.

[Aaron]

Oh, I see.

[Adol]

So I'm trying to even the playing field by making this so hard for both of you that I would be shocked if anyone gets a single one of these right today. Because today instead of lending on a Rolling Stone list or commercial jingles, please be commercial jingles.

[Aaron]

It would be 2000s country. So. So no one gets a single right answer.

[Adol]

I wish we are going to do songs that I have pulled off of current day modern day of time of recording Billboard Hot 100 songs now what this is is the most listened to songs I'm ruined of right now.

[Erin]

I want to say brat Summer is a thing Adult.

[Adol]

Don't do this to yourself. You don't need to gpc.

[Aaron]

I'm so bad at lyrics. If this game was the opposite and you started humming a little bit of a song, I could be like. Like I could finish the humming. I'm never. I'm never going to normally Eric thing.

[Adol]

Normally I think I would be able to hum some of these songs. I've compiled this list today and I will tell you maybe three of the songs on this list were songs that I was aware of. Almost all of the artists on this list I had think I had heard the names of the artists before.

[Aaron]

Horrible. Horrible.

[Adol]

We'll see. Hey, we'll see how far. We'll see how far you guys get, okay? We have. We have lots to talk about. I found this fascinating. Absolutely fascinating. Okay, so the first. Your first song and you know, you guys also. You guys watch TikTok and stuff, right? I mean, you're at least more plugged in than me.

[Aaron]

Not really.

[Adol]

Okay.

[Aaron]

Not anymore.

[Erin]

Is that song oh, no.

[Adol]

Oh, no.

[Erin]

Is that song on the Billboard top one?

[Aaron]

I had to delete TikTok off my phone because my entire algorithm was the Karen Reid trial and I was getting so addicted that I was losing sleep.

[Adol]

Aaron.

[Aaron]

What?

[Adol]

You also told us earlier today that you didn't sleep at all last night. So it doesn't seem like you're deleting TikTok from your phone. Thing has worked out.

[Aaron]

I was thinking about the Karen retrial. The verdict is going to be read at some point this week. While I'm driving.

[Adol]

No, she was thinking about the Karen retrial all night. Again. Aaron, you're an adult woman.

[Aaron]

When Zorp started talking to the guy I'm doing this cross country road trip with, they saw each other this past weekend on a show. He was like, you're going to hear a lot about the Karen Reid trial. I hope you're ready for five days of being held hostage. Every single detail.

[Adol]

Okay, this one has been on the charts for 17 weeks. Now, I'm no mathematician, but what is that 17 weeks for multiple months? Four months? Yeah, four or five months. Okay, here. Here it is. So I believe it came out. Oh, it says that this song debuted in February. They say the holy water's watered down and this town's lost its faith Our colors will fade eventually so if our time is running out Day after day we'll make the mundane our masterpiece oh my, oh my, my love I take one look at you do the chorus you're taking me out of.

[Aaron]

Oh, oh, oh. Buzz, puzz, buzz, buzz.

[Adol]

What do we do, Aaron? Aaron. Go for it.

[Aaron]

Ordinary maybe by Alex Something.

[Adol]

Yes, Aaron, you win. What point?

[Erin]

Ordinary Something by Alex Something.

[Aaron]

This is Ordinary by Alex Something in a cemetery.

[Erin]

Is that. His name is Alex something?

[Adol]

No, his name is Alex Warren. But it's Ordinary by Alex Warren? Yes.

[Erin]

Any relation to anybody?

[Aaron]

It sounds like music that would have come out, like 10 years ago.

[Adol]

Yes or no?

[Aaron]

No, like, more like it sounded like. Yeah, music that would come out in like 2014.

[Adol]

Yeah, 2014, I think, is a good. A good gauge of it. Adol, any chance that you've heard of this person or this song before?

[Erin]

No and no.

[Aaron]

This is the most angels up in the clouds or Bellas up in the mouth. And the ordinary.

[Erin]

This sounds like Pirates of Penzance.

[Adol]

Well, that's cause the Aaron's singing. All right, Aaron, you have one point. Okay, so this next one might be a little harder. This one's been on the charts for three weeks. Okay, so this is number two on the charts. Been there for three weeks.

[Aaron]

Abracadabra, Lady Gaga.

[Adol]

Three weeks, Aaron. One, two, three, four. Hey, Riddle. Riddle's Clue crew. Listen to the rest of the episode now by starting your free 7 day trial at patreon.com heyriddle riddle.