Hit Parade

The Bridge: Center of the “World”

Author and critic Gavin Edwards studied “We Are the World” minute by minute and affirms the vital role Quincy Jones played in its existence.

Episode Notes

In this mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by widely published author and critic Gavin Edwards, whose Rolling Stone article “’We Are the World’: A Minute-by-Minute Breakdown,” dove deep on the massive charity megasingle and especially Quincy Jones’s central role in its creation. Gavin says Q’s genius was not just musical but psychological—he knew how to stoke positive peer pressure among superstars and get performances they didn’t know they had in them.

Next, Chris quizzes a Slate Plus listener with some music trivia, gives him a chance to turn the tables with a question of his own, and previews next month’s full-length episode. Slate Plus members can sign up for a chance to be our trivia contestant on a future episode here.

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.

About the Show

Chris Molanphy, a pop-chart analyst and author of Slate’s “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series, tells tales from a half-century of chart history. Through storytelling, trivia, and song snippets, Chris dissects how that song you love—or hate—dominated the airwaves, made its way to the top of the charts, and shaped your memories forever.

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Host

  • Chris Molanphy is a feature writer and critic who writes widely about music and the pop charts.