Rephonic
Artwork for Broken Record

Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

Pushkin Industries
Songwriting
Music Industry
Rock Music
R&B
Jazz
Grammy Awards
Music Production
Pushkin Industries
Hip Hop
Country Music
Stevie Wonder
Mental Health
Los Angeles
Will Smith
Deftones
Chicago
Life & Times
The Light For Days
FKA Twigs
Musical Collaboration

Music and storytelling meet on Broken Record, where artists across genres and generations sit down to explore the joy, chaos, and vulnerability of creating—and what it means to devote a life to music. From legendary icons to groundbreaking new voices, each episode captures artists in conversation sharing the inspirations and experiences that shape their craft.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes414Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureMusic

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Artwork for Broken Record

Latest Episodes

The magic of Dave Grohl isn't just that he's one of rock music's great raconteurs, or one of its greatest drummers and frontmen of the last thirty-plus years. It's the sheer number of lives he's gotten to live within rock and roll.

Dave started out... more

Wyclef Jean may just be the most wide-ranging rapper, producer, performer, and composer of his time. As the lead producer and MC of The Fugees, he helped craft their 1996 landmark album The Score, one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time. T... more

Jessie Ware has always moved between worlds. She's a British soul singer who spent the early part of her career making intimate, understated records. Then, in 2020, she released What's Your Pleasure? and morphed into a full-blown disco goddess. The r... more

Patrick Watson first came to international attention in 2007 when his album Close to Paradise won the Polaris Music Prize, Canada's most prestigious award for a Canadian album. Over the course of his career, the Montreal-based singer and composer bui... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Wyclef Jean
Musician, producer, former member of the Fugees
Fugees / solo artist
Episode: Wyclef Jean - Live from On Air Fest
Jessie Ware
British singer, host of Table Manners
Self / Table Manners
Episode: Jessie Ware
Ariel Engle
Artist featured on the album as La Force collaborator
La Force / Broken Social Scene
Episode: Patrick Watson
Charlie Puth
Singer-songwriter and guest on the episode
Atlantic Records (implied)
Episode: Charlie Puth
Chris Robinson
Singer of The Black Crowes; guest on the episode
The Black Crowes
Episode: Rewind: Chris Robinson
Tommy Emmanuel
Guitarist and guest on the episode
Prominent guitarist, Living in the Light (album)
Episode: Tommy Emmanuel
Rodney Crowell
Singer-songwriter and guest on the episode
Singer-Songwriter
Episode: Rodney Crowell
Labi Siffre
British singer-songwriter known for his impactful lyrics and contributions to music across various genres.
None
Episode: Labi Siffre
Tim Harford
Respected journalist and economist
Host of Cautionary Tales
Episode: How to Experience the Joy of Giving Right Now: A Giving Tuesday Special from The Happiness Lab

Hosts

Bruce Headlam
Host of Broken Record, guides conversations with artists
Justin Richmond
Host and interviewer, co-leading conversations with artists
Leah Rose
Interviewer, contributes to guest conversations

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 7.5k ratings
  • Patrick Watson

    I enjoyed that interview and learnt a few things. Patrick nailed what makes Quebec/ Montreal different from other places. 🫶

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mvbjvlkbjlkjo
    Canadaa month ago
  • Where’s Rick?

    Why do you still have Rick Rubin in the title of the show? He hasn’t been on an episode I’m years.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    WatchDaawg
    United Statesa month ago
  • FKA twig episode

    Mr. Richmond do you think people actually go to a Neil Young concert these days hoping to hear “Harvest Moon”?

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Hulimn
    United States2 months ago
  • ai music ads on a music podcast?

    Next one I hear, I’ll never listen again. You have to be kidding me. Ads for Ai music mlms. No wonder we’re cooked, even songwriter based podcasts are promoting this garbage

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Gfhhdbdjdjdbsb
    United States2 months ago
  • Why?

    I listen to Dan Was talk for 30 minutes about how amazing Mick Jagger and the stones are. I already know that. I want to hear about underrated composers and underrated musicians. That’s not why I attended to these podcast to hear someone explain something I already know. The Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger don’t need attention. There are too many underrated musicians that are worth talking about.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    bcsquest
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans appreciate the candid storytelling and authenticity of guests.
Listeners praise deep, insightful interviews with artists they admire.
Some episodes attract criticism for heavy ad breaks.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Spotify
#25
United States/Music
Apple Podcasts
#16
United States/Music
Spotify
#21
United Kingdom/Music
Apple Podcasts
#11
United Kingdom/Music
Apple Podcasts
#12
Canada/Music
Spotify
#13
Australia/Music

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Jessie Ware
Q: What drew her to reveal more of her private life on the album and in public, including family moments?
She explains wanting to share memories and celebrate her family, feeling more confident as an artist to invite listeners into that personal space.
Jessie Ware
Q: How has interviewing others and hosting a podcast affected her approach to being interviewed in promotional cycles?
She emphasizes a greater respect for the interviewer's job, a more serious preparation mindset, and an awareness of the short-lived nature of promo, while valuing long-form conversation.
Jessie Ware
Q: Does Jessie ever compare notes with other artists on the Table Manners podcast, or feel competitive in the room?
She describes it as curiosity rather than jealousy, noting admiration for artists like Chaka Khan and Tracy Thorn and using conversations to learn how others do things rather than to compete.
Charlie Puth
Q: How does your approach to songwriting blend pop with jazz and gospel influences?
I actively seek to blend different worlds—James Taylor, gospel progressions, and jazz sensibilities—so that pop songs carry deeper musical textures without losing accessibility for listeners.
Charlie Puth
Q: What was it like to work with Kenny G on a track?
The process was casual and collaborative; Kenny brought a distinct soprano saxophone layer that aligned with the track's vibe, and hearing him play live felt almost magical, confirming that the concept could become the centerpiece of the song Cry.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Broken Record

What is Broken Record about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Broken Record features in-depth conversations with musicians, producers, and cultural voices about the craft, career journeys, and the emotional textures of making music. Across episodes, guests share intimate stories—songwriting habits, influences, creative breakthroughs, and the tension between art and life—often blending personal history with practical insight for fellow artists and music lovers. The show stands out for its thoughtful, unhurried interviews with both legendary icons and rising artists, offering a rare window into the human side of making music and living a life driven by creativity.

Where can I find podcast stats for Broken Record?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Broken Record. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Broken Record and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Broken Record get?

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What are the audience demographics for Broken Record?

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How many subscribers and views does Broken Record have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Broken Record has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Broken Record?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Broken Record:

1. Song Exploder
2. Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin
3. One Song
4. The Questlove Show
5. Sound Opinions

How many episodes of Broken Record are there?

Broken Record launched 8 years ago and published 414 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Broken Record?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Broken Record?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Broken Record from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Broken Record?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Broken Record. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Broken Record?

Recent guests on Broken Record include:

1. Wyclef Jean
2. Jessie Ware
3. Ariel Engle
4. Charlie Puth
5. Chris Robinson
6. Tommy Emmanuel
7. Rodney Crowell
8. Labi Siffre

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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