Rephonic
Artwork for Music Makes Us
Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
Olivia Rodrigo
Prince
B-52s
Grammy Awards
The Beatles
Björk
Music
Amyl and the Sniffers
New Wave
Paul Mccartney
John Lennon
Chaka Khan
Revolutionary Women In Music
Joan Jett
Paramore
Rock Music
Kathleen Hanna
Talking Heads
Shaka Khan

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s new podcast Music Makes Us gives listeners a backstage pass to artist on artist conversations about the things artists *really* want to talk about - perfect lyrics, unforgettable shows, treasured artifacts, and more.

Season 1 is hosted by cultural icon Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre) and brings together revolutionary musicians for funny, unfiltered conversations t... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes23Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Music

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Music Makes Us

Latest Episodes

Rebel girls unite! Liz Phair, Sleater-Kinney, and Kathleen Hanna team up on this episode of Music Makes Us to reminisce about making zines, playing at “Girl Night,” exchanging cassette tapes, and more. Listen to go behind the scenes of the alt-rock e... more

YouTube

On this episode of Music Makes Us, Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes chats with our host Kathleen Hanna about some of her favorite things – getting dirt under your nails in the garden, knowing your neighbors, Alabama, and (of course) music. Hear ... more

YouTube

Can you imagine performing with Led Zeppelin, Yo-Yo Ma, and the Obamas in the audience? Hear about the time 2013 Inductee Ann Wilson of Heart did just that on this episode of Music Makes Us. Tune in as our host, Kathleen Hanna, chats with Ann about s... more

Music Makes Us is back for season 2! Host Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre) and an all-star lineup of guests share stories about going on tour, making art, and making noise — all the beautiful chaos that makes music matter.

Coming up this seaso... more

Key Facts

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

Recent Guests

Brittany Howard
Lead singer and guitarist of Alabama Shakes
Alabama Shakes
Episode: Brittany Howard on the Simple Stuff
Ann Wilson
Lead singer and co-founder of Heart
Heart
Episode: Ann Wilson on Musical Umami
Sheila E
Percussionist and musician
Episode: Welcome to Season 2
Tegan and Sara
Musician duo
Episode: Welcome to Season 2
Shirley Manson
Lead singer of Garbage, noted for outspoken feminism and longevity in rock
Garbage
Episode: Shirley Manson on Embracing Your Evolution
Joan Jett
One of the greatest rock musicians of all time and an influential figure in female rock music
Joan Jett and the Black Hearts
Episode: Joan Jett on Choosing Your Battles
Kathleen Hanna
cultural icon and host of Music Makes Us
Episode: Into The Vault: Björk’s Jacket
Towa Bird
Guitar wizard and rising musician known for her debut album American Hero
Episode: Towa Bird on the Lesbian Renaissance
Dave Rusan
Owner of Rusan Guitar Works and maker of the iconic cloud guitar for Prince
Rusan Guitar Works
Episode: Into The Vault: Prince’s Guitar

Hosts

Kathleen Hanna
Lead singer of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre; host of Music Makes Us; influential voice in rock and feminist punk.
Shelby Morrison
Music historian, resident rebel girl, and VP of curatorial operations at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 140 ratings
  • Love!

    I love everything about this. Community is so important and I can feel it through this podcast. Learning about peoples experiences is such a treat.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sallykitten
    Australia6 months ago
  • A must listen for the rock fan

    Kathleen is an incredible interviewer and instead of just asking questions she has really interesting conversations with her guests. You can tell that both she and her guest have carefully prepared for the show and there’s a level of quality and love of rock ‘n’ roll in this podcast that is lacking in so many other others. I hope she makes another 100 episodes. I would listen to every single one of them.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sport Coach.
    United States9 months ago
  • Unlistenable

    Lasted 10 minutes before I had to turn it off. Let Amy speak and shut up about yourself!

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    kelleroon
    Australia10 months ago
  • This will be EPIC💪🏼⚡️🔥

    ♥️🎸🤘🏼

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Chickfactor
    United States10 months ago
  • Perfect host

    Super enjoyable !

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    girlvile
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Overall, episodes are regarded as thoughtful, with strong guest selections and artifacts-focused storytelling.
Quality and passion for rock are evident; chemistry and prep stand out to listeners.
Hosts deliver deep, well-prepared conversations with engaging guests.
Some listeners feel the host talks too much and should let guests speak more.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#57
United States/Music
Apple Podcasts
#62
Canada/Music
Apple Podcasts
#117
Australia/Music
Apple Podcasts
#28
Sweden/Music
Apple Podcasts
#84
Ireland/Music
Apple Podcasts
#100
Philippines/Music

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Shirley Manson on Embracing Your Evolution
Q: How did the response to your early work shape your career?
She reflects on being perceived as a sham at first, the shock of success, and the realization that aging in the music industry comes with the need to redefine artistry and ownership of one's career.
Joan Jett on Choosing Your Battles
Q: And I'm wondering if you can talk about how that record came to be?
Basically, the record that we had, I Love Rock and Roll, was a lot of the songs we were doing live at the time.
Joan Jett on Choosing Your Battles
Q: Is it healing at all?
It feels great. And of course, you want to get mad and say, well, where were you then?
Joan Jett on Choosing Your Battles
Q: And I'm wondering if The Runaways finally kind of history catching up to you and people acknowledging you all were musical innovators?
It makes me very happy that people speak about The Runaways the way they do.
Laufey on Breaking the Rules
Q: Was there a fork in the road where you decided to change your lifestyle?
After moving to Boston to attend Berklee, Laufey adopted a 'who cares what happens' mindset, allowing her to break free from the strict confines of her classical training.

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 Music Makes Us

What is Music Makes Us about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A backstage-access podcast that centers high-profile women in rock, blending deep discussions about artistry, longevity, identity, and the cultural impact of artifacts and performances. Guests range from veteran pioneers to rising icons, with conversations often bridging past influences and current creative work. The show leans into feminist perspectives, mentorship, and the politics of gender in music, delivering candid storytelling, playful interactions, and thoughtful artifact-focused storytelling that stands out in the genre.

Where can I find podcast stats for Music Makes Us?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Music Makes Us. 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 Music Makes Us and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Music Makes Us get?

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What are the audience demographics for Music Makes Us?

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How many subscribers and views does Music Makes Us have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Music Makes Us 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 Music Makes Us?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Music Makes Us:

1. Good Hang with Amy Poehler
2. Wild Card with Rachel Martin
3. Pop Culture Happy Hour
4. Tom & Lorenzo’s Pop Style Opinionfest
5. How Did We Get Weird with Vanessa Bayer and Jonah Bayer

How many episodes of Music Makes Us are there?

Music Makes Us launched a year ago and published 23 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 Music Makes Us?

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 Music Makes Us?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Music Makes Us from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Music Makes Us?

Recent guests on Music Makes Us include:

1. Brittany Howard
2. Ann Wilson
3. Sheila E
4. Tegan and Sara
5. Shirley Manson
6. Joan Jett
7. Kathleen Hanna
8. Towa Bird

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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