About The Show
A podcast about the making and meaning of popular music hosted by musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding.
Chatting with leading artists, songwriters and producers, Switched On Pop breaks down pop songs to figure out what makes a hit and what is its place in culture. Listeners will come away finding “a-ha” moments in their favorite music.
A co-production of Rock Ridge Productions, Vox Media Podcast Network, New York Magazine and Vulture.
New to the show? Start here
Team
Producer
Engineer
Co-host
Illustrator
Bear
Cat
Featured Guests
Bootsy Collins
Brittany Howard
Carly Rae Jepsen
Caroline Polachek
Chappell Roan
Charlie Puth
Daveed Diggs
Disclosure
FINNEAS
Jack Antonoff
Jacob Collier
Jhayco
Jonas Brothers
Kali Uchis
Keith Urban
Laufey
Meshell Ndegeocello
Mickey Guyton
Nile Rodgers
Rina Sawayama
Robert Plant
Seal
Talking Heads
Willow
“A fascinating deep-dive into how vast teams of talented people channel their knowledge of melody, diminished chords and syncopated snares into making truly terrible slush pop.” The Guardian, Best Podcasts of 2018
![“[Switched On Pop] treats the songs, artists and trends most would think of as flotsam with high-minded enthusiasm, and its break-it-down-to-basics approach never patronises and always illuminates.” Esquire (UK), best podcasts of 2019](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dc85fbedb678a2362a7fd9f/1574128133231-PWNCON6JBZQDT9QF5RS0/Esquire.png)
“[Switched On Pop] treats the songs, artists and trends most would think of as flotsam with high-minded enthusiasm, and its break-it-down-to-basics approach never patronises and always illuminates.” Esquire (UK), best podcasts of 2019
“Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding have an uncanny way of making the fleeting, unknowable parts of pop music something to be understood, not just appreciated.” IndieWire, Best Podcast Episodes of 2019 (So Far)
“Musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding have highbrow discourse on the Top 40.” Entertainment Weekly, Best Music Podcasts
Esquire says Switched On Pop is one of “The 82 Best Podcasts You Can Listen To In 2022”
Time out lists Switched On Pop as one of “The 50 best podcasts to listen to in 2022”
The Webby Awards gave Switched On Pop people’s voice Arts & Culture Podcast 2020 award
The New York Times recommends Switched On Pop as one of the best “7 Podcasts for Music Lovers”
The Podcast Awards gave Switched On Pop the 2019 People’s Choice Podcast Award for Best Music Podcast
The Atlantic named Switched On Pop one of “The 50 Best Podcasts of 2019”
Indiewire called Switched On Pop one of “The Best Podcast Episodes of 2019”
The Guardian labeled Switched On Pop one of “The 50 best podcasts of 2018”
Entertainment Weekly dubbed Switched On Pop #1 of the “12 best music podcasts”
Buzzfeed says Switched On Pop: “will make you a more interesting person.”
Quartz cites Switched On Pop as part of the “golden age of the music explainer”
Apple Podcasts “Editors Choice”