Think you know music? Hit Parade is back with a new episode of The Bridge. This month, we honor Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, who died on August 16th. If you’d like to be a contestant on an upcoming show, sign up for a Slate Plus membership <a href="https://my.slate.com/plus/?utm_medium=audio&amp;utm_campaign=plus_pod&amp;utm_content=Hit_Parade&amp;utm_source=podcast">here</a>, and enter as a contestant <a href="http://slate.me/hitparade">here</a>. You can also enter to play if you’re already a Slate Plus member. Want your question featured in an upcoming show? Email a voice memo to <a href="mailto:hitparade@slate.com">hitparade@slate.com</a>.  Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

The Nights on Broadway Edition

What makes a song a smash? Talent? Luck? Timing? All that—and more. Chris Molanphy, pop-chart analyst and author of Slate’s “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series, tells tales from a half-century of chart history. Through storytelling, trivia and song snippets, Chris dissects how that song you love—or hate—dominated the airwaves, made its way to the top of the charts and shaped your memories forever.

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