Kenneth Partridge
Joined: Jul 4, 2016
Kenneth Partridge is a music and pop-culture writer based in Brooklyn. He's written for such publications as Billboard, The AV Club, Pitchfork, and Refinery29. His hobbies include reading, running, shopping for records, and attempting to justify his love of ska.
The Wild Ride of “Dominick the Donkey”—the Holiday Earworm You Love to Hate
A History of Concept Albums In 15 Albums
The 10 Highest Grossing Tours of All Time
20 Albums Turning 50 in 2024
Everything from ‘Jolene’ to ‘Waterloo’ is hitting the big 5-0 in 2024. Give ’em a spin.
How James Blunt’s “You're Beautiful” Became the Most Misunderstood—and Hated—Song of the 2000s
British singer-songwriter James Blunt has never been able to escape his signature song, the 2004 smash “You’re Beautiful,” a misunderstood ballad that masks a much darker meaning.
The Nine Lives of MC Skat Kat, Paula Abdul’s Co-Star in “Opposites Attract”
The animated rapping cat helped propel “Opposite’s Attract” to No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1990—and he still occasionally pops up in some surprising places.
When Kriss Kross Launched a Backward Clothing Trend
Featuring rappers Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly and Chris “Daddy Mac” Smith, Kris Kross rose to international fame with their infectious 1992 debut single, “Jump.” The duo rocked mega-baggy jeans, baseball caps, and oversized sports jerseys—all worn backward.
Cult of Musicality: How Living Colour Defied Expectations and Defined Hard Rock in the ‘80s
How Living Colour fought their way to the top of the charts—and is still going strong.
Why Do Some Songs Fade Out at the End?
Taylor Swift is just the latest in a long line of musicians who like to employ a “fade-out,” where the song gets gradually quieter in the closing seconds.
“Blackbird” Revisited: How The Beatles’ Civil Rights Anthem Has Been Inspiring Artists for More Than 50 Years
How Johann Sebastian Bach and the Little Rock Nine inspired one of The Beatles’ biggest hits—and one of the most covered songs ever recorded.
For Sale: John Lennon’s Long-Lost ‘Help!’ Guitar
You can’t buy me love, but one lucky Beatles fan can fork over a small fortune to own John Lennon’s beloved guitar.
“I Want It That Way”: How Max Martin’s ‘Melodic Math’ Led to This Enduring (and Confusing) Backstreet Boys Hit
The Backstreet Boys’ 1999 smash “I Want It That Way,” which celebrates its 25th anniversary in April 2024, is among the definitive songs—if not the definitive song—of the ’90s teen-pop explosion.
The Surprising Name Origins of 20 Famous 1980s Bands
The decade of shoulder pads, leg warmers, and piano-keyboard neckties brought with it some ridiculously awesome band names.
The Great Milli Vanilli Hoax: The Truth Behind the Music Scandal That Rocked the 1990s
In 1990, Grammy-winning duo Milli Vanilli went from 'Top of the Pops' to laughing stocks when it was revealed that they had not sung a note on their own album.
The Romantic Rivalry Behind Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’
The 50-year-old song has remained relevant because, according to Dolly Parton, “Most of us have actually had a Jolene or a Joe in our lives at one time or another.”