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.

Time After Time: The Surprising Connection Between Taylor Swift’s “22” and Hanson’s “MMMBop”

The Backstreet Boys in a late ’90s portrait session.

“I Want It That Way”: How Max Martin’s ‘Melodic Math’ Led to This Enduring (and Confusing) Backstreet Boys Hit

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of Wham!

10 Surprising Facts About Wham!

15 Memorable Facts About Amy Winehouse

30 Years Ago: When Alicia Silverstone and Aerosmith Ruled MTV

In 1993, a teenaged Alicia Silverstone changed the rules for video vixens everywhere with Aerosmith's "Cryin'"—and cemented her place in pop culture history.

In 1985, Sting sang that he hoped "the Russians love their children too." James Cameron and Christopher Nolan were listening.

The Curious Link Between 'Oppenheimer,' The Terminator, and a Forgotten '80s Sting Tune

For years, Sting’s 1985 anti-war song “Russians” seemed to be something of an afterthought. But it made a lasting impression on two future filmmakers and a pair of summer blockbusters released more than 30 years apart.

A Tale of Two Creeps: Radiohead, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Great 'Creep' Face-Off of 1992

If you wanted to hear your favorite band sing "Creep" in the early '90s, you had a plethora of choices.

“An Erotic Motorcycle”: The Surprisingly Surreal Subtext Behind Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”

It involves one man’s obsession with Peter Pan, the Emily Brontë novel ‘Wuthering Heights,’ and Meat Loaf.

(Not the actual insects who rained on Elton John's parade.)

Thirty Years Ago, Elton John Was Forced Offstage By a Swarm of Crickets

In 1993, Elton John had to abruptly end a concert in Melbourne 30 minutes early due to an uninvited swarm of insects.

When Tina Turner Set a Guinness World Record

On January 16, 1988, Tina Turner performed for approximately 188,000 fans at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—and made history.

Phil Collins and Sting at Live Aid in 1985.

10 Iconic Moments in MTV News History

Gen Xers and Millennials uttered a collective gasp on May 9, 2023, when Paramount announced it was shutting down MTV News after more than three decades of operation.

"Careless Whisper": How George Michael's "Flippantly" Written Song Became a Career-Defining Hit That Still Endures

Although “Careless Whisper” just might be George Michael's most enduring hit, the singer (who also wrote it) wasn’t a huge fan of the song.

10 Facts About The Police's 'Synchronicity'

With their fifth and final album, 1983’s 'Synchronicity,' The Police were on the verge of something big.

Paul McCartney is simply having a "Wonderful Christmastime" ... but are you?

Why People Hate Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime," According to a Musicologist

Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" is both a song people love to hate and a song people love to love. Musicologist Nate Sloan has some ideas as to why the song is so polarizing.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, photographed in 1980.

The Final Days of John Lennon

Shortly before 11 p.m. on Monday, December 8, 1980, John Lennon was gunned down in front of his New York City apartment building by an obsessed fan. This is the story of the days leading up to that tragedy.

The Complicated, Controversial History of "Baby, It's Cold Outside"

Each December, "Baby, It’s Cold Outside"—a ’40s-era American standard that some modern listeners hear as a depiction of sexual misconduct—invites a barrage of controversies, radio bans, and think pieces.