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Hit Parade: The AC/DC Rule

Slate Daily Feed

Slate Podcasts

News, Business, Society & Culture

41.1K Ratings

🗓️ 13 February 2021

⏱️ 45 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Quick, what was the only No. 1 album by Jimi Hendrix? How about the first No. 1 by Billy Joel? Jackson Browne? Pat Benatar? Pearl Jam? Lady Gaga? In all cases, the answer isn’t obvious—it’s not the album you know best, the one with the most hits on it. It’s the album after that classic that goes to No. 1. And there’s no better example than AC/DC, the Australian-by-way-of-Scotland hard rock band that’s sold more than 20 million copies of Back in Black. But it was their next album (can you name it?) that topped the Billboard album chart. Chris Molanphy has coined a term for this weird chart phenomenon: He calls it The AC/DC Rule. Just as less-good movie sequels open better at the box office than classic first installments, follow-up albums often chart higher than their slow-growing but hit-packed predecessors. Some of the rock and pop legends who fell prey to this chart phenomenon might surprise you…might just leave you shook all night long. Podcast production by Asha Saluja. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

This episode is brought to you by the dating app Bumble.

0:04.1

You know what instantly makes someone more attractive?

0:07.0

Kindness, like when they take you out to your favorite restaurant just because, or when

0:11.4

they check to make sure you made it home safely.

0:13.9

Or when they surprise you with tickets to that really obscure rock band you love.

0:18.6

That kind of thoughtfulness is really, really hot.

0:22.6

Kindness is sexy.

0:24.3

Find it on Bumble.

0:25.8

David Mitchell, six comedians, one googling contest of survival.

0:31.4

I thought it was quite a pleasant week.

0:32.9

Deadly weapons.

0:34.2

Two scissors count.

0:35.2

There was a lot of arts and craft.

0:36.9

Death-defying stunts.

0:38.8

If that's a reference to me tripping over, I've been assured by the producers they've cut it.

0:42.6

Dangerous obstacles.

0:44.1

There are a lot more nettles than I would have liked.

0:45.9

It's survival of the funniest.

0:48.1

Let's see what you've done there.

0:49.2

David Mitchell's outsiders.

0:51.7

Wednesday at 10 on Dave and UK TV Play.

0:55.8

Hey there, hit parade listeners.

...

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