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Artwork for Broken Record

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

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

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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes446Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
MusicSociety & Culture

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Artwork for Broken Record

Latest Episodes

To close out the year we’ve been revisiting some favorite conversations from over the years. We started a couple of weeks ago with Patti Smith and Raphael Saadiq. This week we’re revisiting a conversation with English pop singer/songwriter RAYE. RAYE... more

For more than 20 years, Rhiannon Giddens has explored the musical traditions that shaped American culture, often bringing overlooked Black musicians and their contributions into focus. On her new album, Hope Is the Thing with Feathers, she brings tog... more

YouTube

Today we’re revisiting a conversation with R&B great Raphael Saadiq. Since this conversation aired, Raphael’s brother and bandmate in trio Tony! Toni! Toné!, D’Wayne Wiggins, passed away. In this episode we revisit some of the early days and recordin... more

Australian singer-songwriter Grace Cummings has one of those voices that’s hard to forget. It’s raw, powerful and deeply expressive, capable of moving from a delicate whisper to a full-throated roar.

Broken Record host Justin Richmond first discove... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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

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Recent Guests

Grace Cummings
Australian singer-songwriter and actor
Episode: Grace Cummings
Patti Smith
Poet, performer, recording artist and author of Just Kids
Episode: Revisiting: Patti Smith
Susanna Hoffs
Singer, guitarist and songwriter with the Bangles, and novelist
The Bangles
Episode: Susanna Hoffs
Abdullah Pratt
Physician working in Chicago, discussing gun violence and first-responder training with students
University of Chicago Medical Center (implied)
Episode: The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic | Malcolm Gladwell's New Audiobook
Elvis Costello
Musician and songwriter known for My Aim Is True and The Attractions
Episode: Elvis Costello
Lee Ranaldo
Guitarist of Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Episode: Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo
Brandon Flowers
Singer-songwriter known for The Killers; country project in Nashville
The Killers; Brandon Flowers country album
Episode: Brandon Flowers
David Porter
Producer, arranger, singer, composer; core figure at Stax Records
Stax Records
Episode: David Porter
Travis Barker
Drummer and producer known for Blink-182, Transplants, and extensive production work across genres
Musician and Producer
Episode: Travis Barker

Host

Justin Richmond
Host of Broken Record / interview conversation host for Broken Record; multiple episode references

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 7.5k ratings
  • New Pornographers

    Bruce Headlam is one of the great interviewers of musicians which is on display on his interview with the New Pornographers and all his other work including his recent interview of Patrick Watson. Who else would bring up a James Joyce short story.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    where the hell is bill?
    Canada3 months ago
  • More interviews with W.Kamau Bell please!

    That interview with Daveed from Blindspotting etc. was top notch stuff! Really enjoyed Feist’s interview as well.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Oiseaublue
    Canada3 months ago
  • Broken records

    MusicNew said that while it would take the company some time before just a few days before making revisions of a proposed merger agreement for its existing business line and a plan that will make a big impact for both companies and its customers and new businesses that would help them grow the company out there is still much work that could go ahead in a year to be put to rest over time for new customers and the future plans to emerge as well in terms to market the future of their business as ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    city Cody pass
    United States6 months ago
  • Best Music Podcast. But one criticism

    I love Broken Record. I find it so insightful. I learn so much from my favorite artists, it really is a gift.

    I just played the bonus episode, George Michael - Beyond the Controversy, and thought it missed the mark.

    It glossed over George's music, and betraying the episode title, it dwells too much on the controversial, and iconography bits.

    "Listen Without Prejudice" isn't mentioned at all, and to to many, this was a major album of the era. While the first album had the sales, this seco... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Doug why
    United States6 months ago
  • Bruce Headlam face palm

    Bruce, stop dropping scale terminology every 5 minutes. Audience doesn’t know what you’re referring to (mixolydian) and you’re not impressing someone like Richard Thompson. You don’t know what you’re talking about half the time. Was embarrassed for you in that interview.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    bcsquest
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Thoughtful, deep conversations with artists; great access to industry insiders.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#33
United States/Music
Spotify
#50
United Kingdom/Music
Apple Podcasts
#22
Canada/Music
Apple Podcasts
#50
United Kingdom/Music
Spotify
#41
Australia/Music
Apple Podcasts
#22
Australia/Music

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Grace Cummings
Q: How did your start in music come about?
Cummings played drums and sang in a band as a teenager, then wrote and performed songs privately. Her friend Leah Senior encouraged her to share her original music, which led to the recordings that became her debut album, Refuge Cove.
Grace Cummings
Q: What did you grow up listening to?
Cummings grew up hearing a wide range of music from her parents, including traditional Irish music, opera, classical music, and well-known popular artists. She also discovered music independently through radio, magazines, and collecting recordings.
Revisiting: Patti Smith
Q: Would you share that writing with people? What were you doing with it?
Smith says she often kept her writing in notebooks and moved on to new work, seeing older material as a source for what she writes in the present.
Revisiting: Patti Smith
Q: When did you first come here? What is your history with Electric Lady?
Smith first visited Electric Lady Studios at Jimi Hendrix's opening party in August 1970. She later recorded Piss Factory, Horses and many other albums there.
Susanna Hoffs
Q: How did you get the Columbia contract?
Hoffs says Columbia was the only label showing interest. A&R representative Peter Philbin brought Bruce Springsteen to see the Bangles play at Magic Mountain, and she believes his reaction may have helped the label decide to sign them.

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?

The show centers on deep-dive conversations with artists and creators about the craft, storytelling, and business of making music. Episodes routinely explore how musicians balance artistic integrity with branding, collaboration across genres, and the evolving landscape of the industry—from studio tactics and production choices to touring realities and leadership within creative communities. A standout through-line is the way guests illuminate both technical discipline (drumming, arrangement, songwriting) and personal philosophy (process, mentorship, resilience), often weaving in vivid anecdotes from their careers. Listeners get thoughtful, character-first looks at creative decision-making, with a strong emphasis on cross-genre dialogue and ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Broken Record?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Broken Record:

1. Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin
2. Rolling Stone All Access
3. Song Exploder
4. One Song
5. Sound Opinions

How many episodes of Broken Record are there?

Broken Record launched 9 years ago and published 446 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Broken Record?

Recent guests on Broken Record include:

1. Grace Cummings
2. Patti Smith
3. Susanna Hoffs
4. Abdullah Pratt
5. Elvis Costello
6. Lee Ranaldo
7. Brandon Flowers
8. David Porter

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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