Podcast episodes
NKOTB: Origin Story, Fall & the 2008 Comeback | The Cool Check-In
Garrett and Mike break down the full NKOTB story: how five kids from Boston became the biggest pop act on the planet, why the Step by Step era marked the beginning of the end, and what brought them back in 2008 when nobody sa...
Turning 50: Reflecting on 20 Episodes, Our Best & What's Next | The Cool Check-In
It's a milestone episode — both Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales have officially turned 50, and that calls for a real conversation. In this Cool Check-In, the guys take stock of the 50 For 50 journey so far, looking back on t...
Whitney Houston Top 5: Ranking the Vocal Queen's Hits
What are the absolute best Whitney Houston songs? Hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph rank their Top 5 tracks and debate her biggest anthems. With a catalog as legendary and influential as Whitney Houston's, narrowing down...
Whitney Houston's Final Album: 'I Look To You' | 50 For 50
How did Whitney Houston transition from an elite vocal powerhouse to her tragic final album, I Look To You ? Many pop culture fans miss the deeper industry context behind her historic record sales, the infamous Soul Train Mus...
Best Mary J. Blige Songs: Top 5 Tracks Ranked
What are the absolute best Mary J. Blige songs of all time? Narrowing down the legendary discography of the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul is a massive challenge for music lovers. In this edition of Top 5 , hosts Garrett Gonzales and ...
Mary J. Blige's What's the 411? Deep Dive and the Year of 1992 | 50 For 50
How did R&B change forever in 1992? Hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph break down Mary J. Blige's groundbreaking debut album, What's the 411? In this comprehensive episode of 50 For 50 , we solve the mystery of how hip-ho...
Late Night Legend: Reviewing Arsenio Hall’s New Book | The Cool Check-In
Arsenio Hall’s new memoir, Arsenio: A Memoir , takes us back to when late night felt like the ultimate party. Many fans of the 90s era feel that today’s late-night landscape lacks the raw energy and cultural impact that Arsen...
Best Ne-Yo Hits: From Sexy Love to Deep Cuts | Top 5
Ne-Yo dominated the 2000s R&B scene, but which tracks truly define his legacy as a songwriter and performer? In this episode of Top 5 , hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph take on the difficult task of narrowing down Ne-Yo...
Ne-Yo’s Rat Pack Rebrand: Year of the Gentleman | 50 For 50
Ne-Yo defined the sound of 2008. In this episode of 50 For 50 , hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph dive deep into the sharp suits and sharper songwriting of Year of the Gentleman . While the industry was shifting, Ne-Yo l...
Michael Jackson Top 5: Favorite Songs from 1979 to 1991
Michael Jackson’s solo career from 1979 to 1991 redefined the global pop landscape, but with four back-to-back masterpiece albums, picking the absolute best tracks is a nearly impossible task for any music fan. In this episod...
MJ’s Off The Wall: The 1979 Snub That Built Thriller | 50 For 50
Michael Jackson's Off The Wall redefined pop music in 1979, yet it often sits in the shadow of its successor. Many fans and critics argue whether this disco-infused masterpiece actually surpasses Thriller in terms of pure mus...
Michael Jackson Movie Review: Estate Image Over Artistry | The Cool Check-In
Is the Michael biopic a cinematic masterpiece or a high-gloss commercial for the Jackson Estate? In this episode of The Cool Check-In , hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph dive deep into the newly released Michael Jackson ...
Jay-Z & Kanye West Top 5: The Blueprint or The Black Album? What's Kanye's best?
Jay-Z or Kanye West? Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph settle the ultimate Hip Hop debate by ranking the best albums and tracks from The Throne. Deciding between The Blueprint and The Black Album is a challenge every rap fan f...
Jay-Z & Kanye West’s Watch The Throne Deep Dive |
Watch The Throne represented a peak in hip-hop gravity that we may never see again. In this deep dive, hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph break down the 2011 blockbuster collaboration between Jay-Z and Kanye West . We exp...
Best Alanis Morissette Songs: Top 5 Deep Dive
Alanis Morissette redefined a generation of alt-rock, but which of her iconic tracks truly stand the test of time? Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph take on the impossible task of narrowing down the legendary discography of Al...
Jagged Little Pill: Alanis Morissette & 1995 Music History | 50 For 50
Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill defined the sound of 1995 , but how did a former Canadian pop star create a global phenomenon? In this episode of 50 For 50 , hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph dissect the cultural ...
Top 5 Alicia Keys Hits: From Fallin’ to Heartburn
Alicia Keys redefined the sound of the 2000s, but which of her hits are truly the "best of the best"? In this episode of Top 5 , hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph take on the impossible task of ranking the top five songs...
Alicia Keys’ Diary: Evaluating the Follow-Up To A Legendary Debut | 50 For 50
The Diary of Alicia Keys remains a pivotal moment in R&B history, yet many fans struggle to rank it against her massive debut. Hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph dive deep into this 2003 classic to determine if it truly c...
Top 5 Huey Lewis Hits: From Sports to Back to the Future
Huey Lewis and the News dominated the 80s with blue-collar rock and infectious hooks, but which tracks are truly the best? For many fans, choosing between a movie anthem like "The Power of Love" and a vocal masterclass like "...
Huey Lewis & The News: Sports, Lawsuits & the Power of Love (1983) | 50 For 50
Huey Lewis and the News dominated 1984 with Sports , but how did they maintain such massive appeal? In this episode of 50 For 50 , Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph break down why Sports wasn't just a hit album—it was a cultur...
Top 5 MC Hammer Songs: Our Hardest List Yet
90s pop rap defined an era, but has MC Hammer’s discography truly stood the test of time? In this challenging edition of Top 5 , hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph attempt the impossible: ranking the best tracks from an i...
MC Hammer's Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: Inside the First Diamond Selling Rap Album (1990) | 50 For 50
Can a Diamond selling rap album actually alienate its own genre? In this episode of 50 For 50 , hosts Garrett Gonzales and Mike Joseph dissect the massive 1990 cultural shift caused by MC Hammer’s Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘E...
Beastie Boys Top 5: Ranking Sabotage to The New Style
Looking for the best Beastie Boys songs to add to your rotation? With a discography spanning punk, hip-hop, and funk, narrowing down the definitive hits of Ad-Rock, MCA, and Mike D is no easy task. In this episode of Top 5 , ...
Paul’s Boutique, the Maturation of the Beastie Boys & Adam Yauch's Legacy (1989) | 50 For 50
RIP Adam Yauch: Exploring the artistic maturation of the Beastie Boys. Many dismissed them as party-obsessed kids, but Paul’s Boutique proved they were visionary artists. In this deep dive on 50 For 50 , hosts Garrett Gonzale...