POP, RACE, AND THE ’60S

WITH JACK HAMILTON

Join Slate pop critic Jack Hamilton for a bold re-examination of the music of the ’60s. Hamilton and his guests tease out the musical subtleties and historical origins of songs by Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, and more. Come away with a fresh perspective on some classic records and an enriched understanding of the tangled relationship between pop and soul, music and politics, entertainment and struggle.

Read Jack's introduction to the series.

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This Slate Academy includes:

A five-episode podcast featuring Jack Hamilton and leading critics and experts on the music of the ’60s.
A lively Facebook group to discuss the podcast and the music with Jack and your fellow Slate Academy members.
Illuminating essays and book excerpts to take you deeper into the music and history.

Episodes

Free! Episode 1: Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" (1963), Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" (1964)

Guest: Barry Shank

Two iconic protest anthems reveal the deeply interconnected—and interracial—roots of ’60s folk, soul, and rock and roll.

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Episode 2: Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" (1968), Aretha Franklin's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (1971)

Guest: Emily Lordi

A deep dive into the subject of "soul" by way of one of the decade's most famous singers, and one of its most overlooked.

Preview // Playing Now

Episode 3: The Beatles' "Money (That's What I Want)" (1963), Stevie Wonder's "We Can Work It Out" (1970)

Guests: Chris Molanphy and Oliver Wang

The transatlantic musical conversation between the Beatles and Motown, and how it changed the course of popular music.

Preview // Playing Now

Episode 4: Janis Joplin's "Ball and Chain" (Live at Monterey, 1967), Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (1968)

Guest: Ann Powers

A glimpse into late-’60s rock’s tangled relationship to race, gender, and sexuality via the music of two of the decade's most controversial musicians.

Episode 5: Sly and the Family Stone's “Family Affair” (1971), The Rolling Stones' “Brown Sugar” (1971)

Guest: Scott Poulson-Bryant

Two of the decade’s most influential artists transition into the 1970s in bold, groundbreaking, and troubling fashion.

Episodes

Free! Episode 1: Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" (1963), Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" (1964)

Episode 2: Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" (1968), Aretha Franklin's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (1971)

Episode 3: The Beatles' "Money (That's What I Want)" (1963), Stevie Wonder's "We Can Work It Out" (1970)

Episode 4: Janis Joplin's "Ball and Chain" (Live at Monterey, 1967), Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (1968)

Episode 5: Sly and the Family Stone's “Family Affair” (1971), The Rolling Stones' “Brown Sugar” (1971)

Music