Stephen Thompson
Stories
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What the 'KPop Demon Hunters' and 'Waiting to Exhale' soundtracks have in common
This week on the pop music charts, a film soundtrack has done something that no other soundtrack had done in nearly 30 years.
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There's a new number one song in the country, and it comes from an unlikely source
Nearly every week this summer, there's been an immovable object at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart: It's "Ordinary" by the singer Alex Warren. That changed this week.
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What is 2025's song of the summer? It's complicated
Stephen Thompson breaks down the few songs of the summer contenders in a year of musical stagnancy.
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Ozzy Osbourne's music climbs the pop charts after his death as fans pay tribute
The death of a beloved musician often reverberates across the pop charts, as fans turn to streaming services, retailers and request lines to pay tribute. That's what's happening with Ozzy Osbourne.
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'Sequelmania' is real, but is it worth reviving decades-old movie franchises?
With the release of sequels to "The Naked Gun" and "Happy Gilmore," the Pop Culture Happy Hour team has been considering the successes and pitfalls of reviving decades-old franchises.
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Two fictional bands are topping the Billboard charts
NPR's Stephen Thompson reports on two new bands that are topping the Billboard charts despite being fictional K- pop groups from a new Netflix movie.
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A COVID-era Western, a slasher sequel and a 50-year-old classic to watch this week
Filmmaker Ari Aster, who wrote and directed Midsommar and Hereditary, returns to theaters this weekend with a conspiracy-laden story set in the spring of 2020.
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Taylor Swift buys back master recordings, now she controls all of her music
Taylor Swift has purchased the rights to the master recordings of her early albums, giving her control over all her music.
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When it comes to movies, how much horror is too much for kids?
In our latest installment of Cineplexity, NPR staffers discuss how much horror is too much for kids to watch in movies.
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Jack Black sets a new Billboard chart record with shortest song ever
This week, his life as a singer and his life as an actor have dovetailed, as Jack Black has just set an all-time record on the Billboard Hot 100. He's recorded the shortest song ever to hit the chart.
