Chris Dalla Riva
Musician and data analyst; writes Can't Get Much Higher, working through the history of popular music from the charts and the recordings.
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What they believe
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Being recognized as a one-hit wonder typically takes about a decade to solidify.
One-hit wonder status cements itself over time, usually at least a decade.
cantgetmuchhigher.comSaid 24 Sept 2026This on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These one: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
Beliefs
Korrents What they believe 2 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
Recent
Being recognized as a one-hit wonder typically takes about a decade to solidify.
One-hit wonder status cements itself over time, usually at least a decade.
The Biggest One-Hit Wonder Said 24 Sept 2026
Achieving 'one-hit wonder' status doesn't require having had an actual chart hit.
A one-hit wonder doesn't need to actually have a hit in the traditional sense.
The Biggest One-Hit Wonder Said 24 Sept 2026
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Recommends rcmnd
rcmnd What they recommend 34 things — each backed by an exact quote.
Compiled by rcmnd.app, not by them: the quotes are theirs, and each links to the post it was copied from.
Recent
Recommends Charting Hoops
Liked Train Dreams
A novella by a master, Johnson’s Train Dreams follows a man in the early 20th century whose life is transformed by tragedy and dramatically evolving technology.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
Liked See Friendship
A reporter attempts to make a podcast investigating the death of his high school buddy. A tale that is both contemporary and affecting.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
Show 31 more
Mixed on North Woods
Because of that, the book feels somewhat disjointed. It is beautifully written, though.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
Liked Glass Century
A compelling saga that traces a New York City family from the 1970s through today.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
Disliked The City and Its Uncertain Walls
this is the third book that I read by the Japanese master. It made me realize that I might just not be a fan.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
Recommends Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us about the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves
Of course, I read my own book this year. It’s fantastic. You should buy it.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
their own
Recommends Top Eight: How MySpace Changed Music
An exhaustive oral history of the MySpace era. If you were on the internet at this time, this is the book for you.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
What others say about Top Eight: How MySpace Changed Music →
Liked Retromania: Pop Culture’s Addiction to Its Own Past
Critic Simon Reynolds was early on the trend. He wrote a book-length treatise on the topic in 2011.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
What others say about Retromania: Pop Culture’s Addiction to Its Own Past →
Mixed on The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness
Though it lacks the hindsight of the last two decades and borders on hagiography, it does capture both how innovative and popular the iPod was.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
What others say about The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness →
Loved Music: A Subversive History
I’ve come to expect nothing but the best from Ted Gioia, but this book even outdid those expectations.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
Mixed on Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist
Liz Pelly’s account of how Spotify does things to hurt artists is well-researched and compelling. The second half of the book where she proposes solutions to these digital problems left me wanting more, though.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
What others say about Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist →
Liked How Music Got Free
You would think that every detail about how Napster upended the music industry has been written. Stephen Witt proves that’s not the case.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
Liked Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business
Though it was written in the 1990s, this account of the rise and fall of payola remains as relevant as ever.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
What others say about Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business →
Mixed on Every Song Ever: Twenty Ways to Listen in an Age of Musical Plenty
It was mostly a collection of essays. I might have enjoyed it more if I knew what I was getting into.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
What others say about Every Song Ever: Twenty Ways to Listen in an Age of Musical Plenty →
Mixed on Death Discs
Unless you are deeply interested in how we sing about death, this probably isn’t the book for you.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
Loved The B Side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song
An incredible history detailing the tumultuous changes that shaped the music industry in the late-1940s and early-1950s.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 14 Dec 2025
Recommends This American Life
That said, they have many short music-related stories that are worthy of your time.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 26 Jun 2025
Loved Ways of Hearing — "Time"
This episode on sound and time permanently rearranged my brain not just because Krukowski is a wonderful storyteller but because he knows how to use the podcast medium to demonstrate what he’s saying as he talks about it.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 26 Jun 2025
Recommends One Year — "1942: The Day the Music Stopped"
Still, they devote an entire episode to one of the most important but under-discussed events in music history: when musicians went on strike and stopped recording new songs for two years.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 26 Jun 2025
What others say about One Year — "1942: The Day the Music Stopped" →
Loved Song Exploder — "Lorde - Sober"
In fact, by the time you get to the end of every episode, you’re almost guaranteed to like the song they’ve been discussing even if you’ve previously detested the artist. This episode featuring New Zealand pop star Lorde talking about her song “Sober” is no different.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 26 Jun 2025
Loved A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
While every podcast episode in this list is well-researched, I don’t think anybody’s depth of research approaches Andrew Hickey of A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs .
cantgetmuchhigher.com 26 Jun 2025
What others say about A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs →
Liked 99% Invisible — "As Slow as Possible"
Though 99% Invisible is broadly a podcast about how architecture and design impact the world, they have delivered fascinating episodes on music over the years.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 26 Jun 2025
What others say about 99% Invisible — "As Slow as Possible" →
Loved Switched On Pop
There’s a strong case that Switched on Pop is the greatest music podcast in existence.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 26 Jun 2025
Recommends Louder Than a Riot — "The Conspiracy Against Hip-Hop"
The debut episode of Louder Than a Riot explores all of these questions and more.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 26 Jun 2025
What others say about Louder Than a Riot — "The Conspiracy Against Hip-Hop" →
Loved Cocaine & Rhinestones — "Bobbie Gentry: Exit Stage Left"
This skill is best displayed in his episode on Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe,” a song that really isn’t even a country song. Not only will you learn about Gentry’s massive hit, but you will think deeply about the nature of fame and authorship.
cantgetmuchhigher.com 26 Jun 2025
What others say about Cocaine & Rhinestones — "Bobbie Gentry: Exit Stage Left" →
Recommends Hidden Japan
Recommends Network Notes
My favorite place to get quick but deep insights on music's most pressing issues
cantgetmuchhigher.com 7 Aug 2024
Recommends AI Supremacy
The best newsletter to understand how AI is shaping our world
cantgetmuchhigher.com 18 Nov 2023
Recommends On Repeat Records
Recommendations, interviews, and insights from Kevin Alexander
cantgetmuchhigher.com 4 Oct 2023
Recommends Stat Significant
Picking apart popular culture with data
cantgetmuchhigher.com 5 Sept 2023
Recommends The Run Out Grooves
Diving into the highs and lows of an album's last track
cantgetmuchhigher.com 17 May 2023
Recommends Songletter
Unexpected song recommendations every week
cantgetmuchhigher.com 20 Apr 2023
Recommends Numlock News
The perfect combination of data-driven news and humor
cantgetmuchhigher.com 20 Jan 2023
Where they publish
Newsletter Can't Get Much Higher His newsletter on music and the data behind it. Has a feed.
Recent
- 21st Century Covers: An Album a Day 3 Nov 2026 Featuring Rihanna, Luke Combs, Disturbed, and others
- What’s the Best Rock Song of the 21st Century? Mailbag 1 Nov 2026 Today’s newsletter is another mailbag edition of Can’t Get Much Higher, or the newsletter where I answer reader questions.
- The Scariest Song 31 Oct 2026
Show 16 more
- The Worst Taylor Swift Song 29 Oct 2026 Because everyone writes a bad song sometimes
- Artists with Honorifics: An Album a Day 27 Oct 2026 Featuring Duke Ellington, Dr. Dre, Mr. Mister, and others
- Physical Media Lives: A Conversation with Jeff Walker 25 Oct 2026 The CEO of Alliance Entertainment stopped by to talk about the surge in vinyl and CDs
- Can Music Change How We Speak? 22 Oct 2026 Or, when the dictionary listens
- Not That Guy: An Album a Day 20 Oct 2026 Featuring James Taylor, Ray Charles, Oasis, and others
- The Indie Rock Explosion: A Conversation with Chris DeVille 18 Oct 2026 Chris DeVille stops by to talk about his excellent history of indie rock
- A Song for Every Place 15 Oct 2026 Welcome back to Can’t Get Much Higher, the internet’s favorite place for music and data.
- 1977: An Album a Day 13 Oct 2026 Featuring Steely Dan, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, and others
- Here’s How the Future of AI and Music Will Play Out: Link Drop 11 Oct 2026 Creed breaks Instagram, Billy Joel shocks me, and Lucian Grainge’s lack of fear
- It’s Not about You 8 Oct 2026 How autobiography took over the world
- The Song is the Album is the Artist: An Album a Day 6 Oct 2026 Featuring Motörhead, Wilco, Bo Diddley, and others
- Guard Your Publishing: A Conversation with Liz Kamlet 4 Oct 2026 Manager and licensing guru Liz Kamlet stops by to talk social media, music publishing, and Stephen Bishop
- Did Guitar Hero Change Classic Rock? 1 Oct 2026 Or, did it just make us really good at tapping buttons?
- Murdered Musicians: An Album a Day 29 Sept 2026 Featuring Selena, Blaze Foley, Marvin Gaye, and others
- The Biggest One-Hit Wonder 24 Sept 2026 One-hit wonder math is more confusing than you think
- Random Rolling Stone: An Album a Day 22 Sept 2026 Featuring Tom Petty, Diana Ross, New Order, and others
Link verified 20 Sept 2026. Recent items update automatically from the channel.
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