Each weekly issue tells a short, story-driven history of a famous pop or country hit, such as the Eddie Van Halen guest solo on Michael Jackson's "Beat It" or the origin of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You". It is aimed at readers who enjoy chart history and behind-the-scenes music trivia.
Website: https://top40weekly.substack.com
Greil Marcus publishes a recurring Real Life Rock Top 10 of music, video and cultural oddities, plus an Ask Greil column answering reader questions about music and culture. Each issue is a personal, essayistic take on concerts, songs and found objects.
Michael Angelo's newsletter reviews DJ mixes and sets in roundups, with close listening notes on specific timestamps, tracklists and time slots. It also republishes older music journalism, such as a piece on the 2016 Prince tribute concert.
Mikal Gilmore's reader-supported Substack series revisits his long-form interviews and essays about musicians and writers, currently covering Anne Rice and Leonard Cohen. Readers get literary-musical portraits built on Gilmore's reporting, personal reflection and close reading of the work.
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