Funk Radio

Jukeboxes were one of the first ways to listen to popular music on demand, and their history goes back a lot farther than you probably think.

These two video game franchises have ties going back decades. So when one of them uses a melody from the other, can we safely call it an homage?

We all love a good ice cream truck now and then. But after leaning the dark origins of the classic jingle, it might be time to switch things up.

A new album will often take a band a couple of years to produce. So how is it possible that some have been produced in days, or even hours?

Deck the halls with obscure knowledge, listeners! This song is super old. If you want more titillating details, this episode is for you.

Jimmy Crack Corn, and you don't care... but we do, listeners. That's why we're talking about the troubled history of this American folk song.

This loosely-defined music genre was obscure to Western audiences in the 1970s-80s, but has seen a more globalized resurgence in recent years.

You've heard this Mexican folk song countless times, but where did it come from? And more importantly, why does it make the best car horn?

Can a band become so popularized and overexposed that it becomes their own undoing? It may sound counter-intuitive, but it's happened before.

They said it could never be done, but this podcast has officially been running for a decade! It's time for a stroll down memory lane, listeners!

Music is a key part of humanity's artistic expression, but preserving it for future generations is a more complex problem than you might think.

With the passage of time, countless musical recordings have been lost or destroyed. Why does this happen? Can some of these songs be recovered?

What is the longest music video ever made? Or the most commonly recorded song of all time? Let's explore these and other magical achievements!

Royalty-free music can be a great option for a variety of corporate or creative projects. But is it a good source of revenue for music artists?

Have you ever mistaken two songs as being one and the same? Have you ever misattributed a song to the wrong artist? Us too. Thinking is hard.

This rare LEGO record from 1982 had never been preserved online, so we bought a copy and made the recording available for your listening pleasure.

From 1979 to 1982, the LEGO company released four vinyl records to promote a series of interesting toy sets. Join us on an adventure to Fabuland!

Have you ever misheard or misremembered the lyrics to a song? If so, don't feel too bad. Some songs are notorious for causing this effect.

From sad emo ballads to upbeat rap hits, we're stepping back in time to revisit some of the songs we enjoyed during our high school years.

This Atlanta-based subgenre of hip hop was only in the mainstream for a few years, but it is remembered for its party beats and shouted lyrics.

The only thing better than enjoying a good song is pairing it with a tasty beverage. Musicians have caught on to this, and now they're cashing in.

Musical tastes are completely subjective, but some songs and albums have been so widely hated that it's impossible to ignore their notoriety.

In the early days of home computing, vinyl records and flexi discs were used to distribute games, software and even rudimentary music videos.

In the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson were involved in one of history's most scandalous musical performances.

The last decade has seen a sharp decline in average song length. In fact, it's the lowest it's been in 50 years. So what's the deal?

The 80s, 90s and 2000s were chock full of unusual media formats. We've talked about a few before, but we couldn't resist digging up a few more.

The sale of individual songs has been a mainstay of music distribution for decades. So it only makes sense that cassettes had this, too, right?

It's generally accepted that Elvis Presley died in 1977, but dozens of conspiracies over the years have claimed that he's still alive and well.

The recent breakup of this legendary duo marks the end of an era, but it's hard to overstate just how influential they were on electronic music.

To honor the fifth anniversary of Prince's unfortunate passing, we're taking a casual look back at his storied career and immense popularity.

As an early pioneer of video calls, Skype set out to create a ringtone that served not only a functional purpose, but an emotional one, too.

White it's not incredibly common, a handful of bands and musicians have actually been featured in their own rides at various amusement parks.

Many famous musicians have diversified their hard-earned cash by taking ownership in well-known brands, franchises or other unusual investments.

Some music releases are extremely rare, either by their age or how they were originally released. So which ones have pulled in the most money?

We've become the listeners! To celebrate 300 episodes, we're reflecting on our humble beginnings and discussing how our vision has evolved.

Musicians Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada have produced an impressive debut album, taking plenty of stylistic cues from classic soul and R&B.

While their third album is a departure from their earlier work, the Avalanches prove they're still fully capable of putting out some great music.

In this second half of the discussion we're exploring the history of electronic and R&B music, both of which have surprising racial origins.

Musical genres are often historically skewed toward a single race of people. But what about the white rappers and the black country singers?

Few words can fully describe this irreverent and psychedelic anime, but it packs a refreshing funky disco soundtrack... in space, baby!

This acclaimed anime from 2004 remixed elements of Japanese history with modern hip-hop culture, blurring the line between fact and fiction.

Bob Marley lost a battle against cancer in 1981, but conspiracy theories have continued to cause doubt about the true nature of his passing.

Martial arts legend Jackie Chan has been a successful singer in East Asia for over 30 years. So why is this largely unknown in the Western world?

Life Cereal held a musical trivia sweepstakes in 1986. With the original records in hand, can we guess the songs and win a new LaserDisc system?

Famed bandleader Glenn Miller stepped onto a plane in 1944 and was never seen again. Buckle up for some wild conspiracy theories with this one!

In a strangely off-brand move, Playboy Enterprises entered the music industry in the mid-1970s. You can probably guess how long that lasted.

From their humble beginnings of beeps and boops, the quality and role of music in video games has seen astounding growth over the years.

In 1975, folk-rock singer Jim Sullivan left his family in LA to find work in Nashville. Two days later in New Mexico, he vanished without a trace.

From arcade machines to home computers, several musical artists and bands have been immortalized in video game form over the past few decades.

Pokemon is undeniably one of the most successful franchises ever made, and the TV show's classic theme song has an interesting backstory as well.

The PBS show Arthur has been entertaining children for decades, and its catchy theme song has continued to hold a special place in our hearts.

It's no secret that certain songs can trigger fond memories of our past. But why do our brains form those connections in the first place?

This bizarre and eclectic genre was born from the internet in the 2010s, emulating the style of the 80s and 90s in an almost comical fashion.

As disco fell out of style, Italian musicians started making a new brand of dance music that would help define the synth sound of the 1980s.

Chromeo's new EP explores the frustrating aspects of these uncertain times, but not without a healthy dose of funky beats and humorous lyrics.

For the first time in years, we're looking back at the wacky sound clips we played on our old show. Weird humor and obscure references ahead!

From renowned girl groups to prodigy solo singers, Motown had it all. Our shenanigans continue as we complete the second half of this great quiz.

More than just a record studio, Motown defined a new era of racially integrated music in the 1960s & 70s. But how much trivia can we recall?

We have pretty decent knowledge of 70s pop music... or so we think. It's time to test our knowledge and learn some fun facts along the way!

It's been a while since we've specifically focused on funk music history. Do we still have what it takes to get through these trivia questions?

Amidst our society's ongoing racial crisis, we wanted to take a few minutes to address this serious topic and share our personal commitments.

You probably remember him from Blue's Clues, but Steve is a talented musician who has released a few albums since his departure from the show.

Independent record shops have been fundamental to the resurgence of vinyl, but these small businesses are now struggling in these uncertain times.

These technical aspects of digital audio aren't exactly common knowledge, but they define the quality of the music you listen to every day.

Apps like Shazam and SoundHound are really useful for identifying songs. The process takes seconds, but it's surprisingly complex under the hood.

We love kitties. But do kitties love music? Composer David Teie sought the answer with his experimental music scientifically designed tor cats.

The concept of auditory pitch is surprisingly subjective. In fact, this psychological phenomenon is at the very root of how we perceive sound.

The masters of summer jams are back with a third album. But with a restructured band and a new style, this may be a turning point for many fans.

Simulating natural 3-dimensional sound is a complicated science. While it's been popularized in recent decades, it's actually a much older concept.

This classic toy was built on the idea of playing back specific sounds on command. But how exactly did Mattel accomplish this back in 1965?

Legendary singer Sam Cooke was shot and killed at the height of his career. Was it a case of self-defense, or was there foul play involved?

This fun Netflix film tells the true story of Rudy Ray Moore, a legendary entertainer in the 70s with a uniquely vulgar and eccentric personality.

Copyright law has been manipulated for decades in favor of big corporations. So what does this mean for the future of the public domain?

Public Service Announcements can be awkward and hilarious. And when they warn you against drugs or alcohol through a song, things just get better.

In the dawn of home computing from the late 70s into the 80s, audio cassette tapes were used to distribute video games and software. Who knew?

History has seen the rise and fall of innumerable audio and video formats, so we thought it would be fun to explore a few that have passed on.

In the mid-2000s, Sony's music CDs secretly installed anti-piracy software that erupted in a slew of privacy and security issues.

Modern science suggests that our five senses are more intertwined than we previously thought. So can scents be triggered by sounds? Potentially.

Since his catchy TV ad went viral in 2006, Sammy Stephens' humorous musical style has been a breath of fresh air in the world of advertising.

The investigation into these infamous murders has been plagued with difficulties for years... But the answers might have finally been found.

The murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls are as complex as they are fascinating. Neither case has officially been solved, so what happened?

Everyone knows loud music can damage your hearing, but where exactly should you draw the line? Can loud music have other consequences, too?

Since the 1970s, a lot people have believed that playing music can help their plants grow. Science doesn't back it up, so why is this a thing?

In 1984, Mr. T made his musical debut with this utterly absurd rap album of positive life lessons for the children. What a time to be alive!

To celebrate our biggest milestone ever, we're discussing the medium of podcasting itself, including its history, trends and possible future.

Shenanigans are always afoot on the internet, and music is no exception! Some songs have enjoyed unexpected fame from bizarre trolls and jokes.

Silent musical compositions are more common than you might think, and their purpose ranges from simple humor to the exploitation of royalties.

The consumer music market has seen a number of odd devices over the last few decades, from undersized CD players to stylish vertical turntables.

They say the greatest ideas come from the bathroom. Music is no exception, as a few well-known songs have originated from this magical place.

While it's been treated more as a gimmick than a serious music format, the 3-inch record has made a few interesting appearances over the years.

Although the format is still alive and kicking today, the music industry really only embraced mini CDs for a couple of years in the late 80s.

A new lawsuit from the big record companies begs the question: are internet providers enticing digital pirates by selling high-speed internet?

Music enthusiasts have been pioneering a variety of 3D printing experiments, from manufacturing new instruments to printing records on demand.

On the heels of our recent topic about miniature cassettes, we made some purchases and ran some tests to see how music actually sounds on them.

Being less of a musical genre and more of a production style, lo-fi has long stood for a rejection of clean, mainstream production standards.

Compact cassettes were widely adopted for their portability, but a number of smaller variants were later introduced. Which was the smallest?

Bluetooth is used in a variety of applications today, with music being just one of them. But it had very humble Swedish beginnings in 1989.

They're only a footnote in the history of vinyl records, but these quirky educational programs covered an impressive range of subject matter.

Whether they're snug in your ears or wrapped around your head, headphones are an immensely popular way to enjoy music. How did they come about?