Words that Explain My Podcast Crush 

For the longest time, podcasts felt like a format that just wasn’t meant for me. A hater of talk radio, there was nothing I wanted less than to sit and listen to someone who wasn’t singing. Then came the pandemic and honey, weren’t we all engrossed by one or another? First, it started with a pair of drag queens who now feel like family, and from there some dudes who made working seem fun but were not delivering what was truly important. Fast forward to 2024 and a suggestion from Steve G. of ‘Happened in the ‘90s‘ and I found a new love in the podcast realm. Rob Harvilla, host of 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s, I have a crush on you. Well, mostly your musical intellect and how you string a sentence together. 

60 Songs That Explain the ’90s is a little ‘Behind the Music’ and a little ‘Storyteller’ but from a fan’s perspective. The likes of Tupac, No Doubt, and Bjork are not on these episodes but I never need them to be. I never need the artist because Harvilla and his various guests are enough. Rob’s intros are the instant hook of a pop song, his background on the artist the bridge, and his guests are those climactic moments, the Whitney-level runs, the high-pitch hitter from Mariah that always brings it home. 

There are songs I was too young to care for in the ‘90s that I still find myself stoked to learn about. I mentioned her before but take Bjork for example. One of my least favorite artists, but I was glued to the episode that dove into “Hyperballad.” That’s what good writers do, they make you care about shit you never thought you would. That’s how the crush formed by the third episode when I found myself invested in Wu-Tan Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.” From there the crush only continued to grow as this man I’d never heard of continued to teach me things about modern music history that I’d not known. 

Perhaps this is a great time to mention that I love to learn. It dates back to when Mister Rogers would show how things like crayons and whatnot were made in his neighborhood. My quest and adoration for knowledge only continued and grew as I got older and more into pop culture. Shows like the aforementioned ‘Behind the Music’ was one of my favorites, as was ‘Pop-Up Video.’ Anything that could give me little nuggets of information I could store like a squirrel preparing for winter, I was for it. 

You’d think that I would’ve sought out podcasts that align themselves with ‘60 Songs That Explain the ’90s.’ Ones that dove into pop culture. Alas, I didn’t. I just cozied up to those that were ‘Drag Race’ adjacent and another that featured a few dudes who just made me smile with their friendship. More on both of those later this week. While Rob’s musical know-how has given me a show to learn from, it’s inspired me to seek out more shows like his. However, it’ll be a minute until I give my heart (and attention) to another because I’m not ready to take on any new podcast obsessions at this time. My itty bitty brain, while a lover of facts and whatnot, cannot handle that much at one time. 

So who knows if my crush on Rob Harvilla will last once I wrap up this trip down memory lane, one lined with some of the most integral songs of the decade I hold close to my heart. All I know for now is that he’s atop the list for being the modern-day VJ of sorts in a world that is void of music television.