The 10 Best Song Exploder Episodes
Have you ever wondered how Lin Manuel Miranda approaches songwriting? Or how Fleetwood Mac came to write “Go Your Own Way”? Hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway, the Song Exploder podcast invites artists to break down their songs — both new music and classics — and explain how they were built. It’s interesting and inspiring to hear how your favorite songs came to be, and what was going through the writer’s head as they created it. For some of the most insightful and moving episodes, check out these recommendations from the Podyssey community.
Last Updated: Aug 16th, 2021
1) The Roots - It Ain't Fair (feat. Bilal)
Drummer Ahmir Thompson, also known as Questlove, and rapper Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought, started The Roots when they were in high school in Philadelphia in 1987. Over the last thirty years, the b...Show More
2) Semisonic - Closing Time
The song “Closing Time” by the American rock band Semisonic came out in March 1998. It hit #1 on the Alternative charts, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Song. It gets played in stadiums, ...Show More
3) Maggie Rogers - Alaska
Maggie Rogers had a breakthrough moment when she was a student at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute. Pharrell Williams visited to her class, and when he heard her song "Alaska," his reaction was dramatic, a...Show More
4) Yo-Yo Ma - Prelude, Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major
Yo-Yo Ma is perhaps the most famous and well-loved cellist in the world. He was born in Paris in 1955; his family moved to the U.S. when he was seven. He played for President Kennedy that year. He pla...Show More
5) Courtney Barnett - Depreston
Courtney Barnett released her debut album in March 2015. By the end of the year, she had been nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist, Spin named her the Songwriter of the Year, and she won four AR...Show More
6) Solange - Cranes in the Sky
Solange Knowles released her first album in 2002, at the age of 16. Her third album, A Seat at the Table, came out in September 2016, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts. It’s gotten widespread ...Show More
7) The National - Sea of Love
The National formed in 1999. They've released six albums, and have been nominated for a grammy. Their music is everywhere from Game of Thrones, to Bob's Burgers, to Barack Obama's presidential campaig...Show More
8) St. Vincent - New York
Annie Clark grew up in Texas, studied the guitar, and moved to New York in the mid-2000s. She started recording and performing under the name St Vincent in 2006. She’s released five albums, and won a ...Show More
9) Wilco - Magnetized
Wilco formed in 1994, and 21 years later, they released their 9th album, Star Wars. In this episode, Jeff Tweedy, the band’s singer and principal songwriter, breaks down the song Magnetized. In additi...Show More
10) Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
Lindsey Buckingham is a singer-songwriter, a guitarist, and a producer. In 1974, he joined the band Fleetwood Mac, along with Stevie Nicks, his girlfriend at the time. A few year later, in 1977, Fleet...Show More
