Music Trivia: ’90s Teen-Pop Edition

Summary

Hit Parade: Music Trivia – ’90s Teen-Pop Edition (November 16, 2018)

Host: Chris Molanphy
Co-host: TJ Raphael
Guest: Listener/Contestant Richie

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Episode Overview

This lively mini-episode from Slate’s "Hit Parade: The Bridge" features pop-chart historian Chris Molanphy and Slate senior producer TJ Raphael diving into ‘90s pop history and discussing the power of music on chart history and political influence. The highlight is a special trivia round for Slate Plus members, focusing on ’90s teen pop and its behind-the-scenes hit-making machinery, especially the role of Swedish songwriter Max Martin.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pop Star Political Endorsements: Impact or Hype?

[01:24 – 04:21]

• Chris and TJ open with reflections on the (limited) influence of pop star endorsements in politics.
  • Chris: “I’m not sure that there’s ever been a clear one to one connection between a musician endorsing a candidate.” [01:35]
  • Examples: Frank Sinatra’s endorsement of JFK in 1960 may or may not have had an impact; more often, the most memorable pop-meets-politics moments are artists rejecting associations (e.g., Rihanna telling Trump to cease using her song, Bruce Springsteen vs. Reagan).
  • Chris: “It's usually over an artist, usually a liberal artist, telling usually a Republican candidate, please stop using my song.” [02:42]

2. Soundscan and the Chart Revolution

[04:21 – 06:22]

• Reflection on the enormous impact of Soundscan’s 1991 tech innovation on music charts—which made them more accurate and accountable.
  • Chris: "[Soundscan] really is… the BC/AD moment, the dividing line for how the charts work." [04:40]
• Soundscan corrected industry biases, especially benefiting rap and country artists who were undercounted by old methods.
  • Chris: "It got past the sort of built in bias that the industry had..." [05:44]

3. Modern Data & Corrections

[06:22 – 09:17]

• The hosts briefly note the role of streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube in tracking hits today.
• Chris confirms that each Hit Parade episode is paired with a Spotify playlist and corrects past errors (e.g., clarifying that Falco was Austrian, not German).
  • Chris: “Falco, although his language is German, he is Austrian. So I regret that error.” [07:31]
• Tribute to Baba Oje of Arrested Development, who passed away the day the last episode aired.

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Listener Trivia Segment

Introduction of Contestant Richie

[09:17 – 10:30]

• Richie from Moorhead, Minnesota, Slate Plus member since 2015.

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Trivia Questions on ’90s Pop

[10:30 – 13:51]

Q1: Which early '90s rap hit did NOT use a sample?

• Options: Ice Ice Baby, Set Adrift On Memory Bliss, Jump, Baby Got Back
• Richie’s Answer: D, Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back”
• Chris: “That is correct…Sir Mix-a-Lot... contained no samples.” [11:12]

Q2: What Swedish pop act had both the #1 single and album of 1994 in America?

• Options: Ace of Base, Roxette, Rednex, A*Teens
• Richie’s Answer: A, Ace of Base
• Chris: “Their single and album, both called The Sign, dominated the charts of 1994.” [12:25]

Q3: First Hot 100 #1 written by Max Martin?

• Options: Robin, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, NSYNC
• Richie’s Answer: C, “...Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears
• Chris: “You are the first contestant...who has gotten all three questions right.” [13:51]

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Listener Stumps the Host

[14:39 – 16:40]

Richie’s question: Britney Spears’ biggest dance club hit?

• Options: Till the World Ends, Toxic, I Wanna Go, Gimme More
• Chris's Guess: Toxic
• Correct Answer: D, “Gimme More”
  • Richie: “‘Gimme More’ outlasted the others, enduring for 17 weeks on the chart.” [16:04]
  • Chris: “That is a fantastic trivia tidbit right there.” [16:23]
  • Richie: “When I have tough days, I tell myself, if Britney could survive 2007, I can survive today.” [16:48]

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Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On star endorsements:
  “Mostly when music makes headlines connected to political campaigns, it’s usually over an artist... telling... a Republican candidate, ‘please stop using my song.’” – Chris, [02:36]
• On the impact of Soundscan:
  “Rap and country benefited more than any other genre from more accurate data because it got past the sort of built in bias that the industry had...” – Chris, [05:44]
• On Swedish pop’s surprise breakthrough:
  “Ace of Base... dominated the charts of 1994, a year that was otherwise driven by alternative rock... and gangster rap...” – Chris, [12:25]
• Richie’s post-trivia wisdom:
  “When I have tough days, I tell myself, if Britney could survive 2007, I can survive today.” – Richie, [16:48]
• Chris’s appreciation for learning:
  “The upside for me when I blow it on a trivia question is, well, now I’ve learned a new factoid that I didn’t know before.” – Chris, [17:38]

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Teaser for Next Episode: The Teen Pop Boom

[17:49 – 18:44]

• Chris previews the next episode focusing on Britney Spears, the “titillating” “...Baby One More Time” music video, and songwriter Max Martin’s huge influence on late-’90s teen pop’s sound and success.
  • Chris: “We’ll talk about Britney, but we’ll also talk some about the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC. And it should be a fun time, you know, taking us back.” [18:08]
• TJ: Declares her allegiance to Backstreet Boys in the classic boy band rivalry.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:24]: Pop star endorsements in politics
• [04:21]: Soundscan’s effect on the music charts
• [06:22]: Data in the streaming era, Falco correction, and Baba Oje tribute
• [09:17]: Listener trivia segment introduction
• [10:30 – 13:51]: Main trivia questions and answers
• [14:39 – 16:40]: Richie’s trivia question stumps Chris
• [17:49]: Teaser for next episode: Britney Spears & Max Martin
• [18:44]: Hosts’ teen pop nostalgia chat

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Tone & Style

• Conversational, lighthearted, and geeky; warm rapport and nerdy musical details.
• Mix of insightful musical analysis and quirky pop culture history.
• Trivia is fun, engaging, and informative, with clear enthusiasm from all participants.

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For Listeners: Key Takeaways

• ’90s pop was dramatically reshaped by technological, commercial, and musical forces—from Soundscan’s revolution in data, to Swedish pop’s global takeover via Max Martin.
• Teen pop’s big radio and club hits were as much about production and behind-the-scenes songwriters as about the stars themselves.
• Even pop stars as big as Britney Spears can surprise with their club chart longevity, and with the right trivia question, listeners can best the experts.

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For more musical history, trivia, and Spotify playlists, visit Slate’s Hit Parade show page.

Transcript

[A]

You're listening ad free on Amazon Music. Hey everybody, this is Chris Mullanfi, host of Hit Parade, Slate's podcast of pop chart history. Welcome to the Bridge. That's it. The bridge is over. The bridge is over the bridge is over the bridge is over.

[B]

Hey, hey.

[A]

The bridge is over the bridge is over the bridge is over the bridge is over. That's Boogie Down Productions. The Bridge Is Over, a classic rap track from the late 1980s. We're playing this song to give one last shout out to our last episode about rap's crossover on the pop charts at the turn of the 1990s. KRS1, who raps the Bridge Is over, was himself a bridge between rap's old school and its golden age. These mini episodes bridge our full length monthly episodes and give us a chance to catch up with our listeners and and enjoy some trivia. This month, I'm once again delighted to be joined by Slate podcast senior producer, T.J. raphael.

[C]

Hi, T.J. hey, Chris.

[A]

How are you?

[C]

I'm good. I'm a little tired. You know we were recording this the day after the 2018 midterms.

[A]

Yes, indeed.

[C]

And I stayed up way too late. Refreshing 5:38 and the new York Times.

[A]

I fell asleep on my couch with my television on. On mute, thank heaven. But yeah, yeah, I'm pretty zonked myself.

[C]

So, thinking about Beyonce and then also Taylor Swift, like both of the candidates they endorsed did not win. Can you think of a time where that endorsement really made a difference?

[A]

I don't think I can, is the short answer. Because I'm not sure that there's ever been a clear one to one connection between a musician endorsing a candidate. I mean, to think of somebody who did have a connection, you'd have to go back before either you or I were born. I happen to know that I believe in the 1960 presidential campaign, no less than Frank Sinatra endorsed John F. Kennedy with the song High Hopes. Everyone is voting for Jack Cause he's got what all the rest lack Everyone wants to back. I think that might have moved the needle, but who can really say? I mean, that was a close race. Famously, infamously, frankly, John F. Kennedy won his presidential race against Richard Nixon in 1960 in a squeaker. So I suppose it could be argued that every little bit helped. But no, mostly when music makes headlines connected to political campaigns, it's usually over an artist, usually a liberal artist, telling usually a Republican candidate, please stop using my song. Yeah, we saw more of that this year. Rihanna asked that who was it that tried to Use one of her songs.

[C]

Well, it was President Trump at his rallies.

[A]

That's right.

[C]

Like hype everybody up. Like he was using don't stop the music.

[A]

Yes, that's it.

[B]

Please don't stop the music.

[C]

Somebody pointed out to her on Twitter and she kind of clapped back right away and said, you know, no, me or my people would never endorse that Bas. And I think she said to cease and desist to the President of the United States.

[A]

Yeah. So, yeah, yeah, she made no bones about it. I mean. And then probably the most famous example of all time, it's usually cited in these conversations is Bruce Springsteen in 1984 telling the campaign of Ronald Reagan to stop using Born in the usa. Which is such a signal example because not only did Springsteen not share Reagan's politics, obviously, it also was a complete misapprehension of what Born in the USA is about. Despite that fist pumping chorus, Born in the USA is about the regrets of Vietnam veterans and a country turning its back on the people who went and fought its war. So to be using that as a chest thumping, jingoistic, prideful political anthem was completely wrong and off key. Did Fleetwood Mac help Bill Clinton win in 1992? I think there were all sorts of reasons why Bill Clinton won in 1992. I feel like Fleetwood Mac were kind of ancillary to that win. So, yeah, it's a little hard to say.

[C]

Well, I mean, Speaking of the 90s, our last episode was all about 1991. So right before Bill Clinton was elected. And I was really struck by how much influence the retailers had on basically determining the charts.

[A]

I wanted to give people a little bit of the backstory on how the charts are formulated. And I'd been waiting a while to do an episode that was themed around Soundscan, because it really is, as I basically said in the episode the BCAD Moment, the dividing line for how the charts work. I mean, even staffers at Billboard will say, in the Soundscan era, so and so has had this number of number one albums. And it's almost like a different yardstick. And Billboard acknowledges this because to a large extent, it's not their fault. Right through the end of the 1980s, they just did not have the technology either the barcode scanners in retail stores, nor the computing power. I mean, think about what a computer was prior to the 1990s to properly tally sales of records at the cash register. And soundscan changed all that. And then the reason I keyed it to this particular episode about the rise of early 90s hip hop is because rap in particular, no genre other than country. And believe me, I've been toying with doing a whole episode about the rise of country and Garth brooks in the 1990s. That's a whole other topic. We could talk for days about the career of Garth Brooks, but rap and country benefited more than any other genre from more accurate data because it got past the sort of built in bias that the industry had, some of which was not even corruption. It was simply the fact that if you called up your average record retailer, he would sort of lean toward the same sort of rock and pop titles and he maybe wasn't paying enough attention to the fact that an NWA album was actually among his better sellers and they were just underreported until you had better data.

[C]

Now the data is so, so so good because you can. You're getting streaming from things like Spotify and Apple Music and like you said, YouTube.

[A]

TJ Speaking of Spotify, let me just send a quick message out to folks I' getting some tweets lately with people asking whether we do Spotify playlists that are tied to our full length Hit Parade episodes. And the short and happy answer is yes we do. If you check the show page, the Slate show page for each episode, and of course if you get your podcast through a podcatcher, this is separate from that. But if you go to slate.com and look for the Hit Parade episodes on the show page for each episode, you will find a Spotify playlist that includes virtually all of the music at full length that we included in the episode. So if you're a Spotify user, by all means take advantage of those Spotify playlists. I also have a few small corrections, none of them totally fatal, but I want to set the record straight on a couple of very little things. I actually appreciate it when folks tweet that they've caught something, because it's useful sometimes to know that I missed a little factoid here and there. One interesting factoid. This was a rap episode, but I did briefly mention some artists in the 80s who were not rappers who nonetheless scored big hits rap, such as the Pet Shop Boys and Blondie. And among the ones I mentioned was Falco. And I called Falco German. But I was told by a couple of our listeners, quite rightly including our devoted listener Anti Isokangas. He was our caller on Hit Parade the Bridge a couple months ago. Antti pointed out that Falco, although his language is German, he is Austrian. So I regret that error. That's just a small note. And then One last item. This is not a correction. This is simply a footnote. But I mentioned this on Twitter, and I wanted to point out that. That the very day we dropped the last episode, the oh, my God, Becky episode about early 90s hip hop, we talked extensively in that episode about Arrested Development. And that very day, Baba Auger, who is Arrested Development's sort of elder statesman member, died at the age of 86. And we just want to send best wishes and a peaceful journey to all the members of Arrested Development and to Baba Ojaih himself. Baba Ojaih was credited as the oldest man in hip hop. He was about 60 years old when arrested development broke in 1999, 1992, and he was not a performing member. He was kind of their spiritual advisor, they called him. He would appear with them on stage pretty much every time. Like, you always saw this funky old man, you know, standing on stage dancing to the music. So rest in peace, Baba o'. Shea. Go, Baba. Go, Baba. Many could get the club out, the sight, the people that rock a mic, but Baba OJ Is the oldest one. Many could rock the dance. And plenty of hip hop cats can dance. But.

[C]

So now it's time for our listener contestant.

[A]

Yes, indeed. Joining us on the line, I'm very happy to be joined by Richie. Richie, are you there?

[B]

Yes, I am, Chris.

[A]

Thanks for joining us on Hip Parade, the Bridge. Where are you calling us from?

[B]

I am calling you from Moorhead, Minnesota.

[A]

Richie, I understand you're also a Slate plus member. Have you been a Slate plus member for a long time?

[B]

Yeah, I believe it's been since 2015, so a few years here.

[A]

Fantastic. I only bring that up because, as listeners probably recall, while this bridge episode is available to all Hit Parade subscribers, we only open our trivia rounds to Slate plus members. So if you are a member and would like to be a trivia contestant, visit slate.com hitparadesignup all one word. That's slate.com hitparadesignUp so, Richie, as you will recall, we have three trivia questions for you, and then you're gonna turn the tables and throw a question at me. And in the three questions I'm asking you, we're gonna ask you one question about our previous episode of Hit Parade and two more questions that are kind of a sneak preview of our next episode of Hit Parade. Are you ready for some trivia?

[B]

I am ready and excited.

[A]

All right, fantastic. Question one. In our last episode, I talked about big, early 90s rap hits that were built around prominent samples of earlier hits, but which of these chart topping singles was not built out of a sample. Its writing credits went entirely to the person who rapped it. A, Vanilla Ice, Ice Ice baby. B PM dawn set adrift on memory bliss. C Kriss Jump or D, Sir Mixalot Baby got back.

[B]

Yes, Chris, I believe the answer is D. Sir Mixalot's baby got bath.

[A]

That is correct. I like big butts and I cannot lie. You other brothers can't deny that when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist and a round thing in your face, you get wow. Anthony, sir mix a lot. Ray was inspired by the synth sound of Kraftwerk. His big number one hit contained no samples. The other three hits I mentioned were built out of prior hits by Queen and David Bowie, Spandau Ballet and the Jackson 5, respectively. All right, fantastic, Richie. One down, two to go. Are you ready for another question?

[B]

I am.

[A]

This one's going to be a preview of our next episode. Here we go. In 1994, at the height of grunge and gangsta rap, what Swedish pop act improbably had both the number one single and album of the year in America? According to Billboard magazine? A, Ace of bass, B, Rock set, C, rednecks, or D, the A Teens.

[B]

Okay, well, I am familiar with the Sign from Ace of Bass and I've heard that playing in many shopping malls and airports. So I think that ubiquitous song would probably make me guess A Ace of bass.

[A]

And you are correct again. The correct answer is A. Ace of bass. Their single and album, both called the Sign, dominated the charts of 1994, a year that was otherwise driven by alternative rock like Pearl Jam and Green Day, and gangster rap from the likes of Snoop Dogg and Warren G. Excellent. You are running the table here, Richie. Are you ready for a third question?

[B]

Yeah, bring it.

[A]

Okay, question three. In the late 90s, the charts underwent a teen pop renaissance, with boy bands and teen girls taking over the Hot 100. Singing frothy hits mostly written by Swedish pop craftsmen, foremost among them, Max Martin. What was Max Martin's first ever number one song on the Hot 100 and who sang it? A, do you know what it takes by Robin, B Quit playing games with my heart by the Backstreet Boys, C Baby one more time by Britney Spears, or D, it's gonna be Me by NSync?

[B]

I believe the first two songs never reached number one, and I know that Baby One more time did. And that was released before it's gonna be me. So I would have to guess. See Baby one more time by Britney Spears.

[A]

Richie, congratulations. You've run the table on all three of our questions. That is absolutely correct. I loved your deductive logic. While all four of these hits were written or co written by the Stockholm songwriter and producer Max Martin, Baby One more Time, released 20 years ago this fall, was indeed his first hot 100 number one. I'm so happy for you, Richie. I believe, and I could be wrong about this, that you are the first contestant we've had on Hit Parade, the Bridge who has gotten all three questions right. So congratulations to you. That is quite an accomplishment.

[B]

Oh, I love to have those bragging rights, Chris.

[A]

It's a small fame, but it's worth it.

[B]

I'll take it.

[A]

Well, and now, now you can compound the victory by stumping me with your question. So I understand you have a trivia question for me.

[B]

I do, Chris, lay it on me. Okay, so Britney Spears has had tremendous success on the radio and in mainstream pop. She scored 15 top 10 hits on Billboard's pop mainstream top 40 chart. She has also enjoyed popularity in the dance club. In fact, she's earned 16 top 10 songs on the dance club songs chart. Which of these top 10 songs is Britney Spears biggest dance club hit? A, Till the World Ends, B, Toxic. C, I Wanna Go or D, Gimme More.

[A]

Wow, that is a very challenging question. And I will bet that the answer is counterintuitive and I love at least a couple of those songs. I mean, Toxic is a classic, so is Till the World Ends. I really like that one a lot because I truly don't know. I mean I'm. I'm really gonna have to guess here. I'm just gonna go with one that I like. So I'll say Toxic.

[B]

I'm sorry, Chris, that is not correct. The answer is D, Give me more. It's Britney.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Britney's songs peaked at number one on the Dance Club Songs chart for one week. However, Gimme Moore outlasted the others, enduring for 17 weeks on the chart. Brittany may have delivered a flop on the MTV VMA awards show stage with Gimme Moore, but she served it up as a popular mover on the dance floor.

[A]

Wow, that is fascinating. Especially given the context that you just shared about, you know, what a. Yeah, the way that single was received when it came out at the height of Britney's nervous breakdown and all that. So that is a fantastic trivia tidbit right there.

[B]

Yeah. When I have tough days, I tell myself, if Britney could survive 2007, I can survive today.

[A]

That is a wonderful life philosophy, Richie. I gotta hand it to you. That is great.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Well, you are now very clearly the biggest trivia victor in the history of Hit Parade. The bridge in a short history, because you both stumped me and got all three of the questions right, so you really get some serious bragging rights.

[B]

Awesome.

[A]

Nice job, Richie. Thank you. Seriously, it was such a pleasure talking to you and.

[B]

Yeah, likewise.

[A]

All best. And I hope you enjoy our next episode of Hit Parade.

[C]

Thanks, Richie.

[B]

Thanks, tj. Take care.

[A]

Ciao, Richie.

[C]

Chris, I can't believe you got stumped again. Our listeners are amazing over here.

[A]

Yeah, no, Richie really brought the fire with that question. That was a good one. And I truly didn't know it was all guesswork for me. So, you know, the upside for me when I blow it on a trivia question is, well, now I've learned a new factoid that I didn't know before. So that's how I'm choosing to view that one.

[C]

Awesome. Yeah. Well, I'm really excited for the next episode, which obviously we teased a little bit, is about Britney Spears.

[A]

She was pushing the envelope almost from the jump with Baby One More Time. Right. But it was still music for teens and tweens back then. Then some of the other antics that she got up to came later. Of course, what's interesting about Baby One More Time is especially the music video is so titillating in its own faux innocent way. And we're going to talk a little bit about that in this episode. But what this episode is also about, as I indicated in those last two trivia questions, is about the craftsman behind the teen pop boom at the end of the 1990s, Max Martin, and how he really changed the sound of the radio and helped usher in a completely new sound for pop, or at least a different approach to pop hit creation. So we'll talk about Britney, but we'll also talk some about the Backstreet Boys, NSync. And it should be a fun time, you know, taking us back. Can you believe it's been 20 years?

[C]

Don't tell me that.

[A]

I know. I know we all feel a little older, but it's true. It is 20 years ago that Baby One More Time by Britney Spears was released and became a number one hit.

[C]

Well, I'm so excited because I definitely grew up with Britney and with NSync. I was a Backstreet Boys fan, personally.

[A]

In the Backstreet NSYNC wars. You took the Backstreet side.

[C]

Exactly. But so I'm so excited. Thank you so much for having me on the bridge again, Chris. I really appreciate it.

[A]

Thank you for joining me. I really appreciate you going down memory lane with me, especially about Britney. So thanks again, tj. One more time, I want to remind everyone that trivia is open only to Slate plus members. If you become a Slate plus member and want to become eligible to be a Trivia contestant, visit slate.com hitparadesignup thanks so much everyone.

[C]

I'm TJ Raphael, senior producer for the Slate Podcast Network.

[A]

And I'm Chris Melanfi. Keep on marching on the one.