Hit Parade: The Imperial Elton and George Edition

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia

Slate Podcasts

Music, Music History, Music Commentary

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 30 June 2017

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When Elton John came out as bisexual in 1976, it was a really big deal. It was covered on the evening news. There were angry letters and a decline in sales. And for a generation of queer musicians, like George Michael, it was a lesson: Be careful what you reveal about your sex life to the public. On this episode, we look at the friendship, collaboration, and chart rivalry of the two British icons, who collided on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in 1988—and later topped the chart together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The new Samsung Galaxy Z-Flip 5 and Chromebook are better together.
0:07.0	Take hands-free selfies which automatically sync to your Chromebook, ready to edit, and access
0:11.5	recent chrome tabs across both devices.
0:14.0	The new Galaxy Z Flip5 and Chromebook, better together.
0:18.0	Available on Sky Mobile.
0:20.0	Bluetooth and internet connection required.
0:22.0	You must be signed into the same Google account on both your phone and Chromebook.
0:27.0	Welcome to Hit Parade, a podcast of Pop Chart History from Slate and Panapul, about the hits from
0:37.5	Coast to Coast.
0:38.8	I'm Chris Malanfi, Chart Analysts, pop critic, and writer of Slate's Why Is This Song Number One series?
0:45.0	On today's show, six months ago, on Christmas Day 2016,
0:50.0	the music world mourned the loss of a singing superstar and pop craftsman
0:55.0	George Michael both with his duo Wham and in his solo career George Michael
1:01.0	scored a long list of hits, including such smashes as careless whisper, freedom, and one more try, and also this up-tempo chart-topper. Monkey is perhaps less well remembered among George Michael's big hits, but it did top
1:28.2	Billboard's Hot 100 in the summer of 1988. Its success was a sign of just how popular he was around the world
1:36.8	at the time.
1:37.8	So popular that, the weak monkey topped the Hot 100,
1:42.0	it prevented this other song in the runner-up slot from reaching the top. That's another British pop letter in your cap.
1:54.0	Just I want to tell you, honey, I ain't mad.
1:57.0	But I don't want to go on me like that.
2:01.0	But I don't want to go on with you like that.
2:02.0	That's another British pop legend with an even longer list of hits
	...

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