Writing, One Music Podcast at a Time

Ted is joined by Rob Harvilla, the host of the podcast 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s and a senior staff writer at The Ringer. A professional rock critic for 20-plus years, Rob has had stops at the Village Voice, SPIN, Deadspin, and various other alt-weeklies.

His podcast, which has now moved beyond the 1990s to consider the music of the 2000s, was the basis for his 2023 book 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s. And as a regular listener of the show, Ted knows that in making it, Rob pens scripts that see him produce the same number of words as a novel roughly every eight to 10 episodes. It’s a writing feat that is equal parts distinctive and impressive—which of course meant Ted wanted to talk with him about it.

Together, they discuss the premise and evolution of the podcast, how Rob approaches picking songs and artists to feature, and his surprise at how pieces of his personal life have found their way into his scripts. Using Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” as an example, he also gives us a look inside the shaping of an episode.

He and Ted then dive into the relationship between lyrics and the vague legal requirements Rob has to meet to include clips of songs on the show as well as the challenge of not repeating himself across such a large body of written work. But they save perhaps the most important question for last:

What does the term “classic rock” actually mean in 2025?

Episode Links:

• Rob’s Website
• Rob’s Podcast

Working Drafts episodes and info for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, thetedfox.com.