What music would you have heard if you worked in a small radio station in the early 1990s? Saturn's Favorite Music will answer that question. Author Laura Lee and guests will take a deep dive into the music references in the novel of the same name one by one. Reading the book is not required-- it's all about the music. You'll get background on the songs you loved or loved to hate. There will be adult contemporary hits as well as the songs the DJs loved, from alternative to classic rock and the British Invasion. Join us as we dissect the music and lyrics, and decide which songs stand up and which should be left behind.
In this fun, conversational episode Jon Francois, host of the Delicious Culture podcast joins Laura to discuss whether 18th century instruments enhance or detract from pop songs, how much reggae is too much, and a song that some contemporary reviewers called a Beatles flop. We ask if you can be nostalgic for times to come. Did an Alka Seltzer jingle really top The Beatles in the U.S. Billboard charts? There is radio reminiscence pre and post automation. Plus, tune in to find out what song Jon called “a big morose sandwich.” Artists this episode are The Beatles, Billy Joel, Linda Ronstadt and Jimmy Cliff.
Do you agree with our rankings? Here's your chance to share your opinions. Visit the Saturn's Favorite Music Substack, see the entire list of podcast songs and send in your rankings. We'll count down the best and worst in our final episodes. https://lauraleeauthor.substack.com/p/its-your-turn-to-rate-the-songs
15 Jul 2026
What Makes a Song Work?
Songwriter, producer, author, and songwriting mentor Greig Watts joins Laura to talk about four songs and why some give you the feels and others leave you flat. Along the way they touch on the Eurovision Song Contest, the impact of the soap opera Neighbours on the UK charts, and just how many tracks a record could have before it stopped counting as a single. They explore how the context, from radio airplay to MTV to smoky blues bars affect how a song is received and give a pair of vocalists high marks but find their songs a bit lacking. Artists this episode include INXS, Sade, Janet Jackson and Jon Secada.
Do you agree with the guests? It's your turn to vote. Find the full list of episode songs via the link below and send in your top and bottom 10. We'll countdown the winners and losers at the end of the series. https://lauraleeauthor.substack.com/p/its-your-turn-to-rate-the-songs?r=a1m6a
1 Jul 2026
UK Hits, US Misses
Justin and Jane are back! We talk tremendous tremolo, zero hit wonders, and early MTV weirdness. We discuss whether MTV hurt some artists more than it helped, and ask if the 80s produced the worst band names of all time. There is an S&M-themed pop song by Depeche Mode that leads to a discussion of whether being banned by the BBC is a good career move. We wonder at the fact that a ubiquitous alternative club anthem by The Smiths never charted in the US. Finally, we rate just about every U2 song, besides the one on our list. Jane picks a deep cut as her favorite.
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