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Artwork for What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Music

What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Music

Adam Scott Glasspool, Steve Murphy, Lucas Way
R.E.M.
Arctic Monkeys
Radiohead
Around the Sun
Manic Street Preachers
Nostalgia
Michael Stipe
Billie Eilish
Bill Berry
Collapse Into Now
Music Industry
Automatic For the People
Humbug
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Accelerate
Murmur
New Adventures In Hi-Fi
Patreon
Alternative Rock
Björk

A podcast that dives deep into discographies - one artist per season. Hosts Adam, Steve, and Lucas go album by album, track by track, exploring how context shapes our experience of music, why fans become obsessed, and what music really is. With three hosts coming from wildly different levels of musical knowledge, expect sharp analysis, wild tangents, hot takes, and more information about the artis... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes348Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Music CommentaryComedyMusic

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Music

Latest Episodes

The Big Mates discuss the launch of Channel 5, magical crime, “intelligent” dance music and Homogenic by Björk. 

Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of her third album by looking at how Björk wrote and recorded it, the collaborations she s... more

The Big Mates provide a large kind of audio accompaniment for a variety of clips from the Post era of Björk’s career. 

Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss dolphin noises, Burger King pens, the sartorial instincts of Sporty Spice, vocal gymnastics, and be... more

The Big Mates discuss studying, relaxing, chilling, and Post by Björk. 

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Björk and their track-by-track analysis of her second studio album. 

They explore the composition, tone, lyri... more

The Big Mates discuss chance, big band jazz, sampling, and Post by Björk. 

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Björk and their track-by-track analysis of her second studio album. 

They explore the composition, tone, l... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
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Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Alain Johannes
Musician and producer known for work with Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures
Episode: Recording Humbug with Alain Johannes
Bertis Downs
Longtime legal advisor and manager for R.E.M., passionate advocate for public education and civil rights.
R.E.M.
Episode: Managing R.E.M. with Bertis Downs
Scott McCaughey
A close collaborator of R.E.M. and prolific songwriter with numerous bands.
Episode: Playing in R.E.M. with Scott McCaughey
Peter Ames Carlin
Acclaimed author and biographer known for his deep dives into the lives of music legends
Episode: The Name Of This Book Is The Name Of This Band Is R.E.M. with Peter Ames Carlin
Ethan Kaplan
Music industry professional and founder of murmurs.com, the primary R.E.M. fan site
Universal Audio
Episode: R.E.M. Fandom with Ethan Kaplan
Patti Smith
American singer-songwriter, poet, and punk rock icon.
N/A
Episode: New Adventures in Hi-Fi (Pt. 2)
John Hunter
Author of *Maps and Legends: The Story of R.E.M.*
Episode: Writing About R.E.M. with John Hunter
Greg Haver
Producer of the Manic Street Preachers' album Lifeblood
Self-Employed
Episode: BONUS: Lifeblood 20 (with Greg Haver)
Don Dixon
Record producer known for his work with R.E.M.
Episode: Producing R.E.M. with Don Dixon

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 740 ratings
  • Good Podcast

    This is a really good podcast but having to hear Lucas continually deviate the conversation to utter nonsense is exhausting. I’m listening to the Radiohead season and good lord. Idk what the purpose of Lucas agreeing to do a season on an artist you clearly dislike or don’t find interesting enough to do any research prior to recording these. This podcast would legitimately be so much better if he wasn’t on it. Bro is not funny either, he just leans on whatever’s contrarian and adds nothing to the... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Ravid I
    United States17 days ago
  • My Fav Podcast!

    Joined on early in the arctic monkeys season, and heard Lucas go on and on about “ Mews” ( how I thought it was spelt at the time)

    So naturally I went back to season 2 and listened to it. They are now one of my favourite bands ever, and I recently picked up “ Origin of Symmetry” on 12”

    Then I went to the Billie Eilish season. I know love Billie Rilish. Went back to the Manics season. I now love them. Point is, this podcast is the reason I love music. I also got into songwriting, and I know ho... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Is-it-rad-in-yo-head?
    United Kingdom4 months ago
  • I love this podcast

    Listen to this podcast, it's ace. Season one made 2020 lockdown the best thing ever. I still feel nostalgia for Steve talking about feeling nostalgia in The Holy Bible episode. Let's make it clear: Steve is 'not just there', he absolutely NEEDS to be there to make the whole dynamic work. I love Adam's knowledgeable approach to the subjects. Shines a light on it all. I used to find Lucas annoying but this new season (Radiohead) he has been immense. Respect! Still don't like M**E, though.

    UPDATE T... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Neighbour of the belst
    United Kingdom4 months ago
  • Brilliant

    The amount of research that goes into this is unbelievable. Found out things about my favourite bands and helped me to hear their songs in a different context.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cee of Law
    United Kingdom10 months ago
  • three mates talk about music

    The unique concept, a deep dive into an artist, song-by-song, track-by-track, is great both if you already know the artist well or know nothing about that music. You get history and context and different viewpoints from three people who engage with music in different ways.

    Takes a few eps or more to understand the in-jokes and appreciate the banter style, but when it clicks it makes for a fun listen. They are people who you would like to have as friends, to meet at the pub or coffee shop to ta... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    greg_kj
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners praise the show for meticulous research and strong chemistry among the hosts.
Fans love the season-by-season focus and the way deep dives become accessible to casual listeners.
Some feedback notes that humor and banter can overwhelm the subject matter for hardcore fans, but the hosts balance it with solid analysis.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Season 8 Introduction: Do You All Is Full Of Love Us?
Q: What is Björk Björk? You know, she's Björk.
The hosts discuss Björk as a singular, influential solo artist who defies simple categorization and engages with audiences on multiple levels, from music to image and performance.
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (Pt. 3)
Q: How do you feel about explaining the increase in police presence in schools to kids?
It can be confronting and difficult to explain certain societal issues to children in a way that's appropriate and non-graphic, hoping to avoid them ever experiencing such realities themselves.
Album Club: Sigur Ros - Takk...
Q: When did you first get into Sigur Rós?
He first got into them with the album "Takk" when he was hanging out with friends, associating it with a tranquil, relaxed atmosphere.
Bigma''s
Q: What was your best or worst Christmas experience?
Lucas shared a story about being disappointed with receiving a controller instead of the console he wanted for Christmas.
Bigma''s
Q: What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?
Adam mentioned classics like 'Last Christmas' and 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' Lucas shared his preferences as well.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Three hosts conduct rigorous, album-by-album explorations of artists, weaving historical context, production details, and cultural resonance with warm banter. Across seasons they blend meticulous analysis with personable storytelling, occasionally incorporating watch-along style moments and viewer/listener engagement, all while shaping listenership around fan culture and deeper musical understanding. Noteworthy is the long-running, multi-host dynamic that mixes different levels of musical knowledge, creating approachable yet deeply informed conversations that appeal to dedicated music nerds and casual listeners alike. Potential listeners can expect thoughtful dives into discographies, clear storytelling around context and influence, and a h... more

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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Bandsplain
2. 1001 Album Complaints
3. Song Exploder
4. One Song
5. Word In Your Ear

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 7 years ago and published 348 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 this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Alain Johannes
2. Bertis Downs
3. Scott McCaughey
4. Peter Ames Carlin
5. Ethan Kaplan
6. Patti Smith
7. John Hunter
8. Greg Haver

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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