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Artwork for Sound Opinions

Sound Opinions

Sound Opinions
Chicago
Goose Island Beer Company
Soul Music
Punk Rock
Music
Desert Island Jukebox
Rock Music
Grateful Dead
Music Industry
Bob Weir
Neil Young
Redd Kross
Witches
Ghosts
Sound Opinions
Fruit Bats
South African Music
Roberta Flack
D'angelo
Bob Dylan

Take two nationally respected rock critics, the latest music news, personal commentary, and exclusive interviews and performances, add a huge pile of records old and new, and the result is Sound Opinions, where people who love music can come together.

PublishesDailyEpisodes1376Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
MusicArts

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Artwork for Sound Opinions

Latest Episodes

This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot talk with author Erin Osmon about her new book on "heartland rock." She argues that artists like John Mellencamp and Tom Petty filled stadiums in the 1980s, but also pushed back against the politics of the ... more

In this bonus episode, Greg tells the story of a classic song that took the perfect voice to become a hit.

Join our Facebook Group: bit.ly/3sivr9T

Become a member on Patreon: bit.ly/3slWZvc

Sign up for our newsletter: www.p... more

This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot dig into a record review roundup full of summertime releases. The hosts discuss new albums from Olivia Rodrigo, Jack White, Margo Price, Robyn Hitchcock, and Swamp Dogg.

Join our Facebook Group: bi... more

In 2008 Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová performed their soon-to-be Oscar winning song "Falling Slowly" on Sound Opinions. As an act of mourning Glen Hansard's tragic death on July 29, we're sharing that interview and performance with The Swell Seaso... more

Key Facts

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

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Recent Guests

Glen Hansard
Leader of The Frames and member of The Swell Season
The Frames; The Swell Season
Episode: RIP Glen Hansard
Markéta Irglová
Musician and actress, part of The Swell Season
The Swell Season
Episode: RIP Glen Hansard
Steve Almaas
Beat Rodeo member, former Suicide Commandos member, central figure in Minneapolis punk scene
Beat Rodeo
Episode: RIP Steve Almaas of Beat Rodeo
Yi Ling Liu
Author of The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet
Author/Scholar
Episode: Chinese Hip Hop
Bill Million
The Feelies member and main songwriter
The Feelies
Episode: The Feelies' "The Good Earth"
Glenn Mercer
Band member, The Feelies
The Feelies
Episode: The Feelies' "Crazy Rhythms"
Bill Millian
Band member, The Feelies
The Feelies
Episode: The Feelies' "Crazy Rhythms"
Patterson Hood
Frontman, Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Episode: Drive-By Truckers' "Southern Rock Opera" 25th Anniversary
Barry Walters
Music journalist and author
Author of Mighty Real, A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000
Episode: LGBTQ Music 1969-2000 with Barry Walters

Hosts

Greg Kot
Co-host of Sound Opinions; music critic with deep background in rock history and production.
Jim DeRogatis
Host; renowned music critic known for in-depth cultural and historical analysis of rock and related genres.

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 2.4k ratings
  • Sound Interviews, Unsound Opinions

    The interviews are good but the new music reviews drag the whole program down. If they don’t like something they’re just going to dump on it and provide little in the way of actual informative music criticism. A good review should inform the audience about the music, just telling us how much you hate something is not enough. It’s okay to not like everything but they’re so negative when they don’t like something I can’t listen anymore. I was genuinely surprised to learn how long they’ve been on t... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    binibob
    United Statesa month ago
  • Where is the kneecap review?

    It was advertised on NPR but is not available here

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    frederick7
    United States3 months ago
  • Too short. Go deeper

    Why do a podcast, a platform that allows long from discussions, when you only barley scratch the surface?

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Rivermantengo
    United States4 months ago
  • Updated review

    Sorry guys but you are losing the plot. You chat about something for 5 minutes, interspersed with smokers cough laughing and the obligatory name dropping (Brian Eno - DING!), and then you play a small snippet of whatever you claimed was so great. But increasingly, the music isn’t great. And you miss dozens of regional bands, innovative players, and even classic sounds from all over the world. PLEASE, play more diverse music besides your favorite punk/grunge acts, and PLEASE lay off the cig... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Another Anonymous ID
    United States4 months ago
  • This one is special. My introduction to REM was during college attending a tiny venue concert performed and produced by fellow students: rare artsy kids in a conservative engineering university. Themes were youth, DIY, artsy vibe, and music that was in the zeitgeist. The lights were controlled by a Commodore 64 from a student's own project. It was a special experience, and I link it to my introduction to REM. Thanks for doing the deep dive on this lifetime band.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    jdspatula
    5 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Longtime fans praise deep dives into music history and interviews with artists.
Critics point to strong host chemistry and insightful contextual analysis, with occasional strong opinions.
A segment of listeners wants broader genre coverage and less repetition of familiar acts.
Some listeners feel pacing can be slow and ad-laden at times.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#64
United States/Music
Apple Podcasts
#187
Australia/Music
Apple Podcasts
#39
New Zealand/Music
Apple Podcasts
#168
Finland/Music
Apple Podcasts
#181
Norway/Music
Apple Podcasts
#182
Colombia/Music

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

RIP Glen Hansard
Q: Markéta, what was it like being cast at a young age and working with Glen on this project?
She discusses being cast due to a shared musical chemistry, the experience of acting and piano performance, and how the process felt both unusual and transformative for her.
RIP Glen Hansard
Q: Where's Glen Hansard's head at right now after the film's success and the tour?
He expresses gratitude and describes the whirlwind of attention as overwhelming yet exciting, acknowledging the long journey and the overnight-tinged success of years of work.
Chinese Hip Hop
Q: Can you discuss a track that pokes fun at national pride without being state-driven propaganda?
Made In China by The Higher Brothers is discussed as tongue-in-cheek, balancing national pride with a critique of global dependence on Chinese-made goods, without being overtly propagandistic.
Chinese Hip Hop
Q: Why do you think some artists want to cross over to global audiences?
Crossovers depend on language and audience; English-language accessibility can help but is not the sole determinant, and some artists prefer to stay rooted in Chinese language and culture while still achieving international recognition.
Chinese Hip Hop
Q: How did the Beijing Olympics era affect the underground hip hop scene in 2008?
There was a liberalizing aura and more space for underground music to bloom, though certain tracks later faced bans; the broader openness helped songs like Beijing Evening News gain notoriety.

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 Sound Opinions

What is Sound Opinions about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show features two veteran rock critics who unpack music history, production, and cultural context through long-form discussions and interviews. Episodes often swing between in-depth album analyses, artist spotlights, and vivid storytelling, with a mix of sharp critical insight, personal anecdotes, and occasional live performances or guest conversations. Notable strengths include rigorous historical framing, cross-genre references, and a knack for connecting classic records to contemporary scenes, making it appealing to listeners who love thoughtful music criticism and deep-dive conversations. A distinctive quality is the blend of scholarly context with accessible, conversational banter that invites both music nerds and casual fans to e... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Sound Opinions?

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How many listeners does Sound Opinions get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Sound Opinions, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Sound Opinions?

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How many subscribers and views does Sound Opinions have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Sound Opinions 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 Sound Opinions?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Sound Opinions:

1. Life of the Record
2. Rolling Stone All Access
3. NPR Music
4. Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond
5. World Cafe Words and Music Podcast

How many episodes of Sound Opinions are there?

Sound Opinions launched 21 years ago and published 1376 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 Sound Opinions?

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 Sound Opinions?

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

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Sound Opinions?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Sound Opinions. 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 Sound Opinions?

Recent guests on Sound Opinions include:

1. Glen Hansard
2. Markéta Irglová
3. Steve Almaas
4. Yi Ling Liu
5. Bill Million
6. Glenn Mercer
7. Bill Millian
8. Patterson Hood

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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