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.

10 Surprising Facts About Wham!’s “Last Christmas”

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

The Surprising Name Origins of 20 Famous 1980s Bands

Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli.

The Great Milli Vanilli Hoax: The Truth Behind the Music Scandal That Rocked the 1990s

The Romantic Rivalry Behind Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’

The 50-year-old song has remained relevant because, according to Dolly Parton, “Most of us have actually had a Jolene or a Joe in our lives at one time or another.”

If You Knew: The Short, Brilliant Life—and Lasting Legacy—of Jeff Buckley

If the only thing Jeff Buckley ever did was record his 1994 cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” he would still have a permanent spot in music history.

The Long, Contentious History of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”

The winding tale of “Nothing Compares 2 U” begins in 1984, when Prince wrote the song, and continues through to 2021, when Sinead O’Connor declared it “my song.”

Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst doesn't care if you think 'Limp Bizkit' sucks.

The Surprising Name Origins of 20 Famous 1990s Bands

Limp Bizkit did it all for the nookie ... and the chance to make people not want to listen to their music?

How Nelson Mandela Helped Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” Become a Hit

Tracy Chapman’s 1988 classic “Fast Car” might never have risen to the near top of the charts if it wasn't for a technical mishap.

A scene from “The Greatest Night in Pop”

The Greatest Night in Pop: 10 Facts About the Making of “We Are the World”

In the ’80s, pop music decided to take on the world’s problems. There was Band Aid, Live Aid, Farm Aid, and of course, USA for Africa's “We Are the World.”

Mark Mothersbaugh performs with Devo at the Whiskey A Go Go in 1979.

Why Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh Turned Down the Chance to Play Doc Brown in ‘Back to the Future’

Mark Mothersbaugh—frontman for Devo, the band behind the 1980 mega-hit “Whip It”—could have also played a role in one of the biggest movies of the '80s.

1999 in Review: 25 Songs Everyone Was Listening to 25 Years Ago

From TLC's “No Scrubs” to Limp Bizkit's “Nookie,” 1999 was both a good year for pop music and a weird one.

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.

Not the Same: How Creative Strife Led to the Creation of U2’s “One”

U2 was at a breaking point when “One,” which has been repeatedly named one of the greatest songs of all time, brought the band back together.

December 25, 1066, was a big day for William the Conqueror.

25 Non-Christmas Things That Have Happened on December 25

Other momentous events have happened on December 25, like Washington crossing the Delaware and the birth of Jimmy Buffett.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in 'The X-Files.'

The Truth Is Out There: The 25-Year Mystery of a Song From ’The X-Files’ Has Been Solved

For 25 years, a segment of 'The X-Files' fans have been wondering about the creative origins of a country song that played in the background of a scene in season 6. Finally, they have their answer.