Best Smashing Magazine Podcasts (2025)

1
Indonesia 8:25

4d ago8:25

8:25

Monocle’s editors are in Jakarta for our annual business-and-leadership summit, The Chiefs. This week, Monocle Radio’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco looks at the top songs in the Indonesian charts. Expect plenty of romance and a highly successful Phil Collins cover. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Moon Zappa remembers life with her father Frank. ‘Pagan absurdists’ aren’t great parents 49:54

5d ago49:54

49:54

Moon Zappa grew up in what appeared, on the outside, to be an enviably free-wheeling and creative household in Laurel Canyon. On the inside, not so much. Her extremely funny, soul-baring and colourful account of dysfunctional family life in her memoir Earth To Moon is as gripping as it’s unsettling. A typical day: “Your mother’s on the rampage, I n…

1
Daryl Hall - ‘60s soul session work, the right shoes and a barge trip with Bob Dylan 29:14

7d ago29:14

29:14

We like to think of Daryl Hall as a kindred spirit, his home-recorded Live At Daryl’s House series with its magnificent roster of guests now racking up 90 episodes. He’s about to tour in May and talks to us here from his house in the Bahamas – straw hat, roosters crowing! – looking back at the first gigs he ever saw and played and other delights su…

1
Rock star pilots, sacking Zak Starkey and bold pioneers of the psychedelic moustache 52:19

7d ago52:19

52:19

The chocolate Easter bunny of rock and roll news in highly nutritious and digestible fragments, such as … … the Who’s very public sacking of Zak Starkey. … why no band ever wants to play quietly. … how a magazine in a shop window sparked the Neil Tennant/Mark Springer album. … Katy Perry’s space ‘mission’ and the trenchant observations by her and t…

1
Chile 7:11

11d ago7:11

7:11

Fernando Augusto Pacheco explores the Chilean pop charts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Dave Pegg, Fairport’s “longest-serving member” (fnarr!) looks back at hippie chaos and old heroes 42:53

11d ago42:53

42:53

Dave Pegg joined Fairport Convention 56 years ago and fully deserves some sort of medal. They’re playing their 49th Cropredy in August and touring the UK later in the year. He talks to us here about the first gigs he ever saw and played which, delightfully, involves … … the night Hank Marvin took him to see Bjork. … an all-nighter in Birmingham wit…

1
Withering reviews of famous albums, Jaws versus Jeeves and the genius of Blondie’s Clem Burke 52:55

13d ago52:55

52:55

Boldly pursuing tariff-free trade in rock and roll news, nostalgia, gossip and old hokum since 2007 and, this week, featuring … … the romantic allure of life as a critic. … Sting’s part in the success of ‘Adolescence’. … Mick Jagger’s long engagement to Melanie Hamrick (born when Steel Wheels came out!) … "Contained within these grooves are twelve …

1
Eurovision all-time victors 8:15

17d ago8:15

8:15

Fernando Augusto Pacheco picks his all-time Eurovision victors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Why Sparks’ Russell Mael preferred British acts to the ‘faux honesty’ of Laurel Canyon 24:56

20d ago24:56

24:56

Sparks are touring – playing dates in the UK and Ireland in June and July – and with a new (and 28th) album, Mad!. Russell Mael looks back at the first shows he ever saw and played which entails … … sitting on the floors of LA clubs watching Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Move, the Faces, the Who and Tyrannosaurus Rex. … his Mum taking him to see th…

1
Seven ‘lost’ Springsteen albums, romance in sitcoms and the age of spectacle 38:09

20d ago38:09

38:09

The runners and riders in the rock and roll steeplechase first past the post this week include … … how Ed Sheeran protects himself against song theft claims. … ‘lost’ Hendrix, Beach Boys, Amy Winehouse and Jeff Buckley records: is anything unfinished ever any good? … “The Unauthorised Breakfast Item”: can YOU tell a Bob Newhart sketch title from a …

1
Romania 8:49

25d ago8:49

8:49

Fernando Augusto Pacheco tunes in to the Romanian pop charts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Ed Tudor Pole – singer, actor, serial showman – saw the pop and punk wars as ‘pure theatre’. 39:03

26d ago39:03

39:03

Ed Tudor Pole entered punk rock from stage school and always felt he was playing a part. After being hired to act in the Great Rock’N’Roll Swindle, he formed Tenpole Tudor and had a brief and dramatic moment in the sun, all recorded in his rollicking memoir ‘The Pen Is Mightier.’ He talks here about … … his “quite posh” ancestry and a great-grandfa…

1
AI’s Word In Your Ear theme tune (!!), the four stages of showbiz & taking kids to concerts 39:22

29d ago39:22

39:22

Scanning the rock and roll ether with our patent heat-seeking Ripple-Detector®️ to see what rings the bell. Which this week includes … … how reformed ‘90s pop groups all look like Paul Whitehouse characters from the Fast Show. … the mutual agony of parents taking kids to concerts. … “Tap! Tap! Tap!”, the “gacked up” sound of the Heartbreakers’ at w…

1
Rising music markets 10:40

1M ago10:40

10:40

Fernando Augusto Pacheco tunes in to the rising music markets that were singled out in IFPI’s Global Music Report 2025. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Hearing 45 year-old records you’d never played & the least likely-looking person to become a rock star 42:06

1M ago42:06

42:06

The super-trouper of scrutiny scans this week’s events and lands upon … … the man who’s played on 21,000 records. … how Joni Mitchell is still stirring it up aged 81 and why we love her for it. ... the impact of the stadium circuit on rock festivals. … the longest-surviving group in the world – bowing out at Glastonbury after 66 years! … “fake indi…

1
What Kate Mossman discovered about rock’s elder statesmen 42:56

1M ago42:56

42:56

Kate’s an old pal from our days at Word magazine. She was on the staff for six years before heading off to the New Statesman and has just put out a collection of the sizzling and revelatory profiles she wrote for us, them and the Observer about a particular sector of the musical landscape for whom she’s always carried a torch. As she wonders in ‘Me…

1
How John Harris and his son found a life-changing connection through music 51:31

1M ago51:31

51:31

John Harris is an old pal from our days in the music press. You might remember him from Sounds, the NME and Select (which he edited) and he’s been one of the mainstays of the Guardian ever since, writing mostly about pop culture and politics. When his son James was diagnosed with autism and, looking for ways to connect with him and help his develop…

1
Top five music markets 10:02

1M ago10:02

10:02

Fernando Augusto Pacheco tunes in to the top five music markets, according to IFPI’s Global Music Report 2025. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Mike Rutherford looks back at 60 years onstage and the art of cheap rock theatre 26:00

1M ago26:00

26:00

This one starts with memories of Genesis at Farnborough Tech in 1972 – Batwings? Fox heads? - looks back at school bands and the early ‘70s and ends with the current Mike & the Mechanics tour. But it mostly centres on the first live shows Mike Rutherford ever saw and played which features … … his mum making him wash the Brylcreem from his hair befo…

1
Mike Scott of the Waterboys remembers the shows that inspired him 16:08

1M ago16:08

16:08

The Waterboys’ new album comes with the magnificent title ‘Life, Death & Dennis Hopper’ and the band start touring in May. Mike Scott looks back here at the first gigs he ever saw and played and the performers he watched closely, which involves … the Stones “when they were still dangerous” and the connective genius of Mick Jagger, Dennis Hopper’s l…

1
The lost world of teenage love songs – and the best pop song ever written! 47:16

1M ago47:16

47:16

In eager pursuit of dance and merriment, we dust down the current events. Which this week involves …. … are teenagers no longer in love? And what does this mean for pop music? … are people better musicians now than 40 years ago? And is that because you can get online tutorials explaining how to play everything? … Paul McCartney taking two buses acr…

1
Nik Kershaw remembers Live Aid, snoods, fingerless gloves & a sudden male-female audience shift 27:04

1M ago27:04

27:04

Someone else we put on the cover of Smash Hits 40 years ago who’s touring in 2025! He’s playing European festivals, ‘80s packages, dates with his band and a string of solo shows billed as ‘Musings & Lyrics With Nik Kershaw’, and talks to us here about the first gigs he ever saw and played, which involves … … a bad case of Imposter Syndrome. … how t…

1
Mexican music charts 9:00

2M ago9:00

9:00

Monocle Radio’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco looks at the increasingly influential Mexican music charts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Gang Of Four’s Jon King now sees the comedy in their endless self-sabotage 52:24

2M ago52:24

52:24

Gang Of Four’s moment was dramatic but brief. It was littered with times when the future seemed impossibly bright before disaster crept up with a cosh in their relentless “refusal to do the obvious”. Being a musician, he points out, is a ridiculous life best not taken seriously. His memoir ‘To Hell With Poverty!’ rightly describes itself as “rich w…

1
Has politics eaten entertainment? What’s ‘perfect sound’? Plus Brian James & how to make a speech 55:34

2M ago55:34

55:34

Tyres pumped, engine cranked, chromework winking in the Springtime sun, the two-man conversational jalopy sets off on its weekly spin and visits … … the day America broke the news and showed its dark side. … Brian James RIP and Stiff’s brilliant ad campaign for the first Damned album: “Play it at your sister!” … has entertainment been dwarfed by wo…

1
Spring playlist 8:24

2M ago8:24

8:24

Fernando Augusto Pacheco celebrates spring with a few new tunes from the Monocle Radio playlist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Film-maker Denny Tedesco on dad’s old band The Wrecking Crew and new doc “Immediate Family” 24:06

2M ago24:06

24:06

We’re long-time admirers of Denny Tedesco’s “Wrecking Crew” doc which celebrated the studio musicians of 60s Hollywood, the unseen hands who can be heard on all those Beach Boys and Spector hits. Now he’s done something similar with the musicians who were so much part of the success of James Taylor, Carole King and Warren Zevon in the next decade i…

1
Lennon & McCartney seen in a fresh, stirring and original new light by Ian Leslie 44:21

2M ago44:21

44:21

Ian Leslie posted his ‘64 Reasons To Celebrate Paul McCartney’ in 2020 and the viral reaction to its piercing and original points encouraged him to write ‘John & Paul: A Love Story In Songs’. Do we need another Beatles book? We do if it’s this one! It’s exceptionally good and highly recommended. The conventional wisdom for decades was that John was…

1
The threat of AI, the appeal of Gene Hackman & the filthy glamour of Exile On Main St 54:01

2M ago54:01

54:01

In which we pedal the conversational tandem uphill and down dale, like a rabbit through the pea-vine or a turkey through the corn, stopping for moments of reflection which include … … “If someone wants to steal your music, it means your music’s worth stealing.” … cats, birdsong: spot the ‘silent track’ by Kate Bush. … when Gene Hackman smiles, be v…

1
Graham Fellows, “the comedy of the underdog” and inventing John Shuttleworth and Jilted John 26:09

2M ago26:09

26:09

We first saw Graham Fellows as Jilted John on Top of the Pops in 1978 and we’ve followed his characters ever since, especially drawn to the keyboard-prodding, car-coated John Shuttleworth and his deathless pop anthems ‘Pigeons In Flight’, ‘Up And Down Like A Bride’s Nightie’ and ‘I Can’t Go Back To Savoury Now’. Graham talks here about how and why …

1
Carnival special 8:58

2M ago8:58

8:58

Fernando Augusto Pacheco celebrates Carnival with the songs that Brazilians will be dancing to at this year’s festivities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Eternally cool rock stars, the Bond takeover and remembering Rick Buckler 57:36

2M ago57:36

57:36

As sinister autocrats stroke Persian cats in shark-pooled underground bunkers, their bony fingers reaching for the nuclear button, we shake another Vodka Martini and reflect on the week’s events, among them … … Amazon buys Bond: but isn’t the essence of 007 its droll and unimpressible Britishness? … and haven’t the lunatics taken over the asylum? C…

1
Justin Hayward – ‘60s package tours, lost profits & the highpoint of the Moody Blues 28:32

2M ago28:32

28:32

Nights In White Satin - 260 million streams on Spotify - is still the central plank in the set Justin Hayward’s touring in October. He talks to us here about the first shows he ever saw and played, the ballroom circuit of the mid-’60s remembered in particularly vivid detail and involving the odd burst of song - “My kind of town, Great Yarmouth is ……

1
Estonian beats 8:51

2M ago8:51

8:51

Fernando Augusto Pacheco dances the day away while listening to the Estonian music charts, including the country’s extravagant entry for this year’s Eurovision. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Your guided tour of David Bowie’s London with Paul Gorman’s stories about its key locations 55:16

2M ago55:16

55:16

No musician is more closely associated with London or left more footprints than Bowie, and you can trace its influence on his life and work (and vice versa) through a series of landmarks from the suburbs to the centre. Author and curator Paul Gorman has just published an annotated street-map – David Bowie’s London - listing the places that played a…

1
Eddi Reader - busking, singing radio jingles and “men you put on the shoulder-pads for” 40:27

2M ago40:27

40:27

We first saw Eddi Reader singing with the Gang Of Four on Whistle Test in 1982. This eventful pod traces her story from seven kids in a two-bedroom council flat (“me in the toilet with a guitar singing Your Cheating Heart”), to the Scottish folk clubs, busking with circus acrobats on the Left Bank, to radio jingles, life as a backing singer and the…

1
Why all great pop stars are cartoons, Bowie doing mime and people whose voices we’ve never heard 46:29

2M ago46:29

46:29

Passing the Dutchie 'pon the left-hand side, we sift through this week’s events, rants and theories which absorbingly include … … that Drake v Kendrick Lamar beef in full! … was Bowie only as good as his collaborators? … Kingmaker, Toploader, Feeder, Slayer, Longdancer, Widowmaker …. has there ever been a good band with a name ending ‘-er’? …… seei…

1
Nepalese music special 8:18

2M ago8:18

8:18

Fernando Augusto Pacheco listens to the top songs in Nepal, including one by Kathmandu’s mayor, Balen Shah. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Bob Marley in London, Chappell Roan’s outburst & records that sound best in the dark 45:21

3M ago45:21

45:21

Direct from the Government Yard in Trenchtown where, over cornmeal porridge by a log wood fire, the events of the week are gently appraised, among them … … how Bob Marley, the Walker Brothers, the Byrds, Hendrix, Ramones, Blondie and Nirvana “got the dust of England on their boots”. … Chappell Roan’s demands for “a living wage” in a business built …

1
The rise of David Bowie and the Spiders From Mars through the eyes of Woody Woodmansey 36:41

3M ago36:41

36:41

The teenage Woody Woodmansey was offered the job of under-foreman in the Vertex spectacle factory in Hull but then got a call from Bowie inviting him to move to London and play drums on his new album - “plus food and somewhere to stay”. It took him all weekend to decide. And involved some cultural readjustment when he did. 56 years later he’s a fou…

1
Exploring Finnish pop 8:47

3M ago8:47

8:47

Fernando Augusto Pacheco tunes in to the Finnish music charts, including a pleasure-seeking track by Erika Vikman and bars from the Finnish-Greek rapper Ares. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
So Long, Marianne Faithfull plus the Shipping Forecast as read by Nick Cave 53:40

3M ago53:40

53:40

In a courageous stand against AI technology, a pair of old lags communing via two cocoa tins and a piece of string attempt to put the rock and roll world to rights. Which this week involves … … what David saw in the HMV record store in Oxford Street “that shook me to the ground”. ... music that only works played loud. … Marianne Faithfull - there’s…

1
Thailand 7:43

3M ago7:43

7:43

Monocle Radio’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco listens to the Thai music charts. From synth-inflected indie music to heartwarming ballads, it’s an exciting scene. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Did Britain invent the rock band? - plus our new laws about music & Garth Hudson RIP 37:25

3M ago37:25

37:25

When we get off of this mountain, you know where we want to go? Straight down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. While surveying the week’s events as we paddle, which involves … … the genius of Garth Hudson and the magnificent way he looked - “part lumberjack, part Old Testament prophet, part Brahms.” … how Glyn Johns invented the sound o…

1
Howard Jones has ‘the best job in the world’ 20:49

3M ago20:49

20:49

We put Howard Jones on the cover of Smash Hits in 1983 billed as ‘the Most Promising New Act’ and, 15 albums and 42 years later, he’s about to set out on another tour, a double-bill with ABC. He looks back here at the first shows he ever saw and played which involves … … rehearsing his Live Aid slot backstage to an audience of one: David Bowie. … p…

1
Andy Fairweather Low’s teenage psychedelic stardom 28:03

3M ago28:03

28:03

Another great hero on the podcast! We first heard Andy Fairweather Low with Amen Corner on jukeboxes in the late ‘60s and he’s touring the UK from February. Ten albums and countless collaborations later, he looks back here at teenage life on the psychedelic circuit and the first shows he saw and played, stopping off at … … the Stones in Cardiff in …

1
A 3-part rant about LPs sold as ‘antiques’, TikTok & the shameful AI Michael Parkinson 50:10

3M ago50:10

50:10

David feels a rant coming on. Mark lights the blue touchpaper, pulls on a tin hat and retires to a safe distance as they consider … … the US closure of TikTok: has a single governmental act ever had such impact on the music business? … film posters, Dinky Toys, “obscure vinyls”: the new record stores that are effectively antique shops. .. why Virtu…

1
The unstoppable Francis Rossi – open the fridge door and he’ll do 30 minutes 33:21

3M ago33:21

33:21

Something happens when he walks out under the lights. He can never predict what but he’s programmed to perform. As he has for over 60 years and will again when he sets out on a 63-date tour in April peppered with stories of an extravagant life and billed as ‘an evening of Francis Rossi songs from the Status Quo songbook and more’. He looks back her…

1
Sounds of South Africa 7:17

3M ago7:17

7:17

Fernando Augusto Pacheco listens to the best music from South Africa. Expect sultry amapiano mixes and dancefloor-ready tunes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Monocle

1
Graham Nash beat the Beatles in a talent contest 13:14

3M ago13:14

13:14

We both first heard Graham Nash just over 60 years ago when the Hollies’ Just One Look was on the BBC’s swinging Light Programme and we’ve followed him ever since, not least his transformational shift in the late-‘60s from suburban Salford to the wood cabins of Laurel Canyon. He’s touring the UK in October, An Evening of Songs and Stories with Pete…

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