Maura Johnston

For "One-Hit Wonders/Second-Best Songs," veteran music writer Maura Johnston recommends "The Sweetest Girl" by the band Scritti Politti. They're known mostly for their 1985 hit "Perfect Way."

The Go-Betweens made music that hit people's pop-pleasure receptors in an almost sneaky, definitely brainy sort of way. The band's second anthology hints at what might have been.

In WHAM!, the singer-songwriter reminds readers of Michael's songwriting genius, often overlooked by pop-averse critics and taken for granted by listeners who gorged on the hooky riches of the '80s.

The Kelly Clarkson smash wasn't just a great pop song: In 2004 it was a cultural bellwether, a sign that the walls between mainstream and underground were starting to crack.

Writer Maura Johnston talks about some of her favorite music from the summer of 1993, including The Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream, PJ Harvey's Rid of Me, The Breeders' Last Splash,...

Maura Johnston reviews “Spectacle: The Music Video'' at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria.

When people talk about Marnie Stern, they generally focus on her guitar playing. This is understandable; like Eddie Van Halen, she's an adept fingertapper, creating blindingly fast riffs that float like bubbles, even as they speed along at Malmsteenian notes-per-second. But the focus on her artistry elides the fact that ...

Enough about the good stuff! We turn our music survey on its head and ask music critic Maura Johnston and SPIN senior editor Chris Weingarten about the music that made them writhe in ...

Last week, British boy band One Direction debuted at the top of the U.S. album chart with their album “Up All Night” – a one-two punch for teen idols and British artists alike. Today, we’re joined by Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston and Slate and Rolling Stone music critic Jody Rosen to discuss the cyclical nature of boy bands… and to take an international look at the young heartthrobs singing and dancing their way into tween hearts worldwide.

Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston joins us with three must-listens for this holiday season.

It’s a Christmas pop hit with such ubiquity that hundreds of people have joined a challenge this year to dodge it coming from radios, televisions and choruses this season. Today, we explore the power of The Little Drummer Boy – from its “Carol of the Drum” origins to its ability to bring together David Bowie and Bing Crosby in one very memorable performance. Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston joins us along with challenge founder Michael Peck. Plus, Emmy-winning composer and lyricist Alan "Buz" Kohan joins us to share the story of how the famous David Bowie and Bing Crosby duet of "Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy" came to be.

Lou Reed and Metallica have just released this year’s frontrunner for strangest musical collaboration: Lulu, a 10-song album inspired by the work of German Expressionist playwright Frank Wedekind. We get reactions from Maura Johnston of the Village Voice and Phil Freeman, music writer and editor of RoadRunnerRecords.com. Plus, Maura and Phil help us explore unusual musical partnerships – and they offer their picks of the good and not so good.

Last week, in response to Steve Jobs’ announcement that he’s stepping down from Apple, our host John Schaefer wrote this on his blog: “Steve Jobs has probably had more of an impact on the music world than any other person in the last quarter century - and possibly since Thomas Edison.” Needless to say, not everyone agreed with his statement. Today, we explore just how important has Steve Jobs been to the music world – and, if he’s NOT the most influential person in music in the past 25 years … who is? Rolling Stone managing deputy editor Nathan Brackett and Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston join us to discuss. Plus, we’ll take calls from our listeners.

When historians reflect on the 1990s and popular music, 1991 tends to get all the glory. After all, it was the breakthrough year for Nirvana, the genre-hopping Lollapalooza music festival, and a slate of progressive hip hop artists led by A Tribe Called Quest. But Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston has another year in mind: 1992. In the next installment of our "Year to Remember" series, Johnston joins us to discuss the year that brought us not one, but three classic debuts: Pavement's "Slanted and Enchanted," Mary J. Blige's "What's the 411?" and PJ Harvey's "Dry."

From David Bowie's ever-evolving flaming red 'do to Justin Bieber's perfectly swooped locks, musicians often sport eclectic and trend-setting hair styles. Today, we explore the past and present of iconic hairdos with Maura Johnston, music editor for The Village Voice, and  Christina Christoforou, illustrator of the new book, "Whose Hair?" Plus, we'll be joined by hair stylist and creator of the Ziggy Stardust mullet, Suzi Ronson, and musician Mike Score of A Flock of Seagulls-- whose hair we don't quite know how to describe. 

Pop lyrics seem to have taken a turn towards the "me" and "I" variety, according to a new study. The study analyzed three decades of songs, and concluded that song lyrics have become more narcissistic in recent years, reflecting current youth culture. Is that really true? Maura Johnston, music editor for The Village Voice, lends her thoughts on this topic.

We want to know: Do you believe you are narcissistic? Take this test and find out.

American Idol's tenth season has been underway for a few weeks, but tonight the auditions have been whittled down to 24 semi-finalists. Viewers are waiting to see how the singers fare -- and they also have their eyes on this season's new judges. Popdust writer Maura Johnston joins us to explain how this new season is shaping up. Plus, she shares her early favorites.