Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs

When Donna Summer was recording her album I Remember Yesterday, she wanted each song to evoke a different decade. "I Feel Love" was meant to represent the future of music, and as time has gone on, that label has been proven to be a prophecy. Co-produced by Giorgio Moroder and Peter Bellotte, "I Feel Love" is a hypnotic, ethereal piece of synth music that’s left an incomparable mark on music that still lingers to this day. From the house and techno movement to pop and R&B, Summer's song opened new doors and is still wildly beloved and popular on the dancefloor. On this week’s episode, hosts Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos celebrate Donna Summer’s massive impact on pop, R&B, electronic music and beyond and are joined by Bruce Sudano, Summer's husband, who began dating Summer around the time she recorded the song. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

It took two years for Nicki Minaj to take over the world. Following her 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty, she caught the attention of Lil Wayne who signed her. Minaj quickly became ubiquitous, taking over the charts and winning over rap heavyweights and pop divas with her next level guest verses. It was Nicki’s debut album Pink Friday and single “Super Bass” that made her a force to be reckoned with across the board. Her pop pivot was a huge risk, especially as she pulled double duty singing and rapping on the hit. But it paid off: the song was her first Top 10 single and became the highest charting song by a female rapper since Missy Elliott’s “Work It.” Joining us to discuss the song’s impact and the ups and downs of Minaj’s legacy is Rolling Stone staff writer Mankaprr Conteh. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

When OutKast dropped “Ms. Jackson” in the fall of 2000, the world was stunned. Nobody had ever heard a hip-hop song that sounded anything like this. But there’s never been anybody like OutKast before. On this week’s episode, hosts Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos discuss “Ms. Jackson,” and how it fits into the long illustrious OutKast story. They’re joined by their brilliant Rolling Stone colleague Simon Vozick-Levinson as they break down this song, its timeless appeal and the mighty legacy of OutKast. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

One thing Cher's career has never been is predictable.This week, hosts Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos celebrate Cher's incredible legacy with her 1998 hit and best-selling song "Believe" as the focal point. They are joined by artist and DJ Bright Light Bright Light who opened for Cher on tour several years ago and has been a lifelong fan of the legend. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Only a few rare songs ever turn into pop classics. But this one turned into a classic twice. “Killing Me Softly” not only made Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time with the 1973 Roberta Flack hit at Number 273, but also with the 1996 Fugees hit which comes in at Number 359. It’s the only song on the list that appears in two different versions. On this week’s episode, hosts Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos discuss the long-running story of “Killing Me Softly,” and how both these different versions just keep growing in stature over the years. They’re joined by their brilliant Rolling Stone colleague David Browne, breaking down how a Seventies pop ballad became a Nineties hip-hop smash, and why both versions remain universally beloved. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.