Frankly, Sinatra still matters (with Seth MacFarlane)

Switched on Pop

Vox Media Podcast Network

Music Interviews, Music History, Music, Music Commentary

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 10 June 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if the Chairman of the Board's biggest contribution to music wasn't his voice, but the blueprint he created for modern pop stardom? Frank Sinatra didn't just sing songs: he invented the concept album, injected his full personality into every performance, and created a template for artistic control that today's biggest stars still follow. His influence runs deeper than you think: Amy Winehouse titled her debut Frank as tribute, Jay-Z calls himself "the new Sinatra," and Frank Ocean borrowed his name from both Sinatra and Ocean's Eleven. That influence extends to unexpected places too: Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, has been championing Sinatra's orchestral style for years, and through his friendship with the Sinatra family gained access to over 1,200 boxes of never-recorded arrangements. His new album Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements features songs that arranged for Sinatra but never performed, uncovering musical treasures that reveal new insights into how the Chairman of the Board's innovations still shape the sound of pop music today. More Subscribe to our newsletter to receive your own bingo card! Songs Discussed Frank Sinatra "Fly Me to the Moon" Frank Sinatra "All the Way" Frank Sinatra "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" Frank Sinatra "Something" (Beatles cover) Amy Winehouse "Halftime" Jay-Z "Empire State Mind" Frank Sinatra "Strangers in the Night" Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra "Something Stupid" Frank Sinatra "New York, New York" Frank Sinatra "My Way" Sonny and Cher "I Got You Babe" Frank Sinatra "Laura" Seth MacFarlane "How Did She Look" Seth MacFarlane "Lush Life" Seth MacFarlane "Give Me the Simple Life" Seth MacFarlane "Shadows" Seth MacFarlane "Who's in Your Arms Tonight" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for Switched on Pop comes from Sonos.
0:02.9	Sonos wants to know where do you take your music?
0:05.9	Personally, I take my music everywhere.
0:08.6	It's with me on my commute.
0:10.4	It's with me when I'm cooking dinner, cleaning up, working, doing just about anything.
0:15.6	Makes sense.
0:16.5	I'm a music journalist.
0:17.4	For you, wherever you listen, you can experience high quality, balanced sound at any
0:21.9	volume, anytime with Sonos, whether you're enjoying a podcast inside or taking your music on
0:27.1	the go with the Sonos Ace headphones.
0:29.6	Sonos can bring your sound to life.
0:31.4	Visit sonos.com to learn more.
0:37.0	Stage on the... Welcome to Switched on Pop.
0:43.7	I'm musicologist Nate Sloan.
0:45.8	And I'm songwriter Charlie Harding.
0:47.2	Charlie Frank Sinatra, he is a larger than life figure in popular culture, right?
0:53.7	I can picture him right now, you know, with his suit on, the fedora, the big U-47 microphone in front of him.
1:00.6	He is the chairman of the board, one of the best-selling artists of all time.
1:06.0	He invented Vegas culture with the rat pack.
1:09.1	He's an Academy Award winner for acting.
1:12.5	He's a style icon, as you said.
1:15.2	He had relationships with the most glamorous women in Hollywood.
	...

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