Podcast Summary: New Books Network Interview with Rob Harvilla

Episode: Rob Harvilla, "60 Songs That Explain The 90s" (Twelve, 2023)
Host: Greg Soden (for New Books Network)
Guest: Rob Harvilla
Date: January 10, 2026

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Greg Soden interviews Rob Harvilla, music critic, author, and host of the podcast “60 Songs That Explain the 90s.” They discuss Harvilla’s recently published book—an expansion of the wildly popular podcast—which dives deep into the iconic songs and cultural shifts of the 1990s. This conversation explores Rob’s process of song selection, storytelling approach, the cultural importance of 90s music, and how nostalgia and personal experience shape the narrative.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rob Harvilla’s Background & Podcast Origins

• Writing and Criticism:
  • Rob has worked as a professional editor and music critic for 20+ years, joining The Ringer in 2016 ([05:00]).
• Podcast Launch:
  • The podcast began in Fall 2020, featuring a monologue-essay on a specific 90s song followed by a guest interview ([03:01]).
  • Initial plan: 60 songs—now expanded to 110+ due to popularity and endless subject matter ([03:01], [09:03]).

Creative Process and Storytelling

• Writing Approach:
  • Rob shifted to more conversational writing, aiming for wider accessibility:

    “I wanted the writing to be simpler. I wanted it to be more conversational... and accessible... you didn’t have to know all this rock critic jargon...” ([05:00])

• Editing:
  • Reading scripts out loud changed and streamlined his style ([05:00]–[08:12]).
• Song Selection Criteria:
  • Began with a Google Doc and ranked songs by cultural relevance, personal resonance, and variety in genre/year. Kept some “ringers” for surprise episodes ([09:03]–[11:15]).
  • The process is “totally arbitrary week to week…trying to mix it up between genre, year... also for me, you know, if I wake up one day and decide, you know, that I just want to think about, whoop, there it is for a week. Like, I can do that.” ([09:03])

Book Structure & Thematic Connections

• From Podcast to Book:
  • The book is a reimagining of the monologue-essays, compressing 500,000+ source words into ~100,000, grouping songs thematically ([14:38]).
  • Example: A chapter on “artists whose music feels like other universes”—with Outkast, Missy Elliott, Wu-Tang Clan, Bjork, and Pulp’s “Common People”—explores the concept of being a “tourist” in another’s musical world ([14:38]).

Key Interviews, Notable Moments, & Personal Revelations

• Courtney Love Interview:
  • Rob describes his Nirvana episode, featuring Courtney Love, as “the most surreal thing that’s ever happened to me.” She reached out after hearing the “Doll Parts” episode and proposed joining him for the Nirvana discussion ([12:13]–[12:53]):

    “We talked for like two hours... you just want to let her rip... the way she weaves, you know, songs that she loved as a kid... and suddenly very personal, very painful stories in some cases, like, just the way it's all connected in her head.” ([12:53])

• Script Lengths:
  • Some scripts (e.g., the Pantera or Nirvana episodes) reached 10,000 words ([13:58]), showing the depth of research and passion behind the project.

Nostalgia, Identity, and the Lasting Impact of 90s Music

• Why the 90s?
  • Both Rob and Greg bond over the era’s formative power:

    “I do believe with all my heart that, like, the music you loved when you were a teenager is the music you’ll love most in your life... even music that you didn’t think that you liked at the time...” ([20:07])

• Cultural Longevity:
  • 90s music remains present, both in touring acts and in the influence on newer artists like Olivia Rodrigo ([23:42]) and via “nostalgia festival” bills.
  • The farther away in time, the more the 90s consolidate generationally: “all the bands that are still around from the 90s become just 90s music” ([23:42]).

Ska, Tool, and Other Niche Moments

• Ska in the 90s:
  • Rob was in a ska band called “Scantily Plaid” (freshman year, college) ([26:54]), and reflects on the randomness of their brief mainstream moment:

    “Ska’s a good example of something that feels—even if this is wrong—like it only could have happened in the 90s… just the baffling and delightful randomness of that was really cool.” ([26:43])

• Tool:
  • Greg’s deep connection to Tool’s “Ænima” prompts Rob to share that it’s the 90s band he listens to the most for pleasure—not just research ([29:41]):

    “I still put Anima on all the time... Tool, far and away from any other bands that I've talked about, is the band that I keep returning to just instinctively. And I don't know what that says about me—that's a little disturbing, but that's the way it is.” ([29:41])

  • Both discuss side projects (A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Josh Freese’s multi-band career) ([31:07]).

Peer Collaboration and Podcast Community

• Yassi Salak (Bandsplain):
  • Rob describes Yassi and her Bandsplain show as inspirational, for its mix of humor, research, accessibility, and deep fandom, highlighting the importance of making content enjoyable for fans and newcomers alike ([33:00]–[35:14]):

    “...that’s always the magic trick is to try and appeal to people who know nothing about a topic and everything about the topic without alienating either side...” ([33:00])

• On Music Consumption Today:
  • Greg finds himself “consuming more music live than ever”, contrasting Rob, who mostly streams older music on Spotify due to “living in 1994 a goodly amount of the time” ([35:50]).

The Future

• What’s Next?:
  • Rob plans another show (“absolutely... I am going to do another show”), but is unsure where to take it—debating whether to tackle the 80s, 00s, or a new concept without the anchor of his own formative years ([38:14]–[40:22]):

    “It makes me nervous to leave behind... the coolest thing... I don't want to do this forever... I don't want it to grow stale... but it's hard to stop.” ([38:14])

Notable Quotes

• On Accessibility of Criticism:
  “[My mother-in-law] read what I wrote, she’s like, ‘I really liked what you wrote. I didn’t really understand any of it, but it was very well written.’”
  — Rob Harvilla ([05:00])

• On Courtney Love:
  “We talked for like two hours... you just want to just let her rip... just to see, you know, the way she weaves...songs that she loved as a kid, and suddenly very personal, very painful stories in some cases—just the way it’s all connected in her head.”
  — Rob Harvilla ([12:53])

• On Nostalgia:
  “I do believe with all my heart that, like, the music you loved when you were a teenager is the music you’ll love most in your life.”
  — Rob Harvilla ([20:07])

• On the Enduring Impact of 90s Music:
  “The farther we get from the 90s, you know, the more... all the bands that are still around from the 90s become just 90s music. And it is still totally prevalent... You hear it in music that’s being made today.”
  — Rob Harvilla ([23:42])

• On Ska and 90s Randomness:
  “It did feel at the time like anything could happen, you know, and any weird, obscure style of music could suddenly become huge overnight, if only for a few months. And, like, that was a cool feature of the 90s for me.”
  — Rob Harvilla ([26:43])

Noteworthy Moments and Timestamps

• 00:00–01:32 – Ads and network intro (skipped)
• 02:49 – Rob introduces his background and podcast origins
• 05:00 – Rob on evolving his writing style for broader accessibility
• 09:03 – How songs are chosen for the podcast; the “Google Doc” approach
• 12:13 – Courtney Love approaches Rob to discuss Nirvana
• 14:38 – Transitioning podcast material into a thematic book format
• 20:07 – Discussion of generational nostalgia and the power of 90s teenage memory
• 23:42 – Reflection on the sustained popularity of 90s bands and music culture
• 26:43 – Joyful exploration of ska’s mainstream blip and Rob’s ska band tales
• 29:35 – Love for Tool’s “Ænima” and how musical taste matures
• 33:00 – Mutual praise and influence with Yassi Salak and Bandsplain
• 35:50 – How Rob and Greg’s music consumption habits have shifted as adults
• 38:14 – Rob’s uncertainty about his next creative project and the challenge of leaving “the coolest thing” he’s done

Episode Tone & Style

The discussion is enthusiastic, generous, and laced with personal anecdotes and humor. Rob and Greg share a mutual fondness for the subject, freely trading “remember when?” stories while drawing larger conclusions about music’s emotional anchor and the universal power of nostalgia.

Useful For

• Listeners interested in 90s music, nostalgia, or the making of music criticism
• Fans of the “60 Songs That Explain The 90s” podcast or book
• Anyone curious about how personal and generational history impact storytelling and pop culture analysis

Find Rob Harvilla online:

• Twitter: @Harvilla
• Instagram: @robharvilla
• The Ringer (and “60 Songs That Explain the 90s” podcast): ringer.com

Recommendation: Check out the table of contents for “60 Songs That Explain The 90s”—if you grew up in or loved 90s music culture, this is essential listening and reading.