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.
30 Years Ago: When Alicia Silverstone and Aerosmith Ruled MTV
The Curious Link Between 'Oppenheimer,' The Terminator, and a Forgotten '80s Sting Tune
A Tale of Two Creeps: Radiohead, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Great 'Creep' Face-Off of 1992
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
10 Surprising Facts About Wham!’s "Last Christmas"
Over the course of his illustrious career, George Michael gave the world many gifts. One that keeps on giving is “Last Christmas,” the 1984 holiday classic by Wham!, Michael's pop duo with Andrew Ridgeley.
Unraveling the Many Mysteries of New Order's "Blue Monday"
Equal parts happy accident and technological triumph, “Blue Monday” is a supremely weird and brilliant song that continues to pack dance floors and transfix listeners 40 years after its original release.
The Murky Origins and Controversial History Behind the Song “Cotton Eye Joe”
Rednex's fiddle-fueled '90s hit “Cotton Eye Joe” was a reworking of an old American folk song that do-si-doed all the way to No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.