Why hello there! You might remember me from my Substack blog Dispatches From Darling. Welcome to the new digs, pull up a chair, let me take your coat. Anyway, I’ve moved because the old neighborhood had a fascism problem, like a huge fascism problem, and the landlords weren’t great to their tenants. Hopefully Beehiiv will be a nicer part of town. Anyway, let me show you around. We’ve got some nice new features to talk to you about.
1) Subscriptions
First, business. The good news is that if you were already subscribed to the Substack version of this newsletter, I’ve migrated your subscription here. The even better news is that this newsletter will remain free. Now, if you want to support me, we have means that we’ll talk about in a moment, but let’s get to the real attraction first:
2) Introducing The Warm 100
The main focus of this ol’ blog will be a new column I call The Warm 100. For years now I’ve been following Tom Breihan’s epic undertaking “The Number Ones” over at Stereogum. Since 2018, Breihan has set out to review ever single one* of the 1182 and counting songs to top the Billboard Hot 100 since the chart’s debut on August 4, 1958.
*Breihan has readily admitted that his column is based on British blogger Tom Ewing's column Popular, which does the same for the UK charts.
While Breihan focuses on the megahits that changed the world, with The Warm 100, I seek to do the opposite: Looking at the very bottom of the chart to explore the songs and artists that hit #100, barely got onto the Billboard chart. Hitting #100 is music’s lanterne rouge, a somewhat dubious honor that is still a feat that millions of other artists have never even achieved. The #100 slot is home to novelty songs, trend chasers, bands that barely exist, and the odd classic that is leaving the chart; it’s chaotic in a way the #1 slot rarely is. I believe that even the bottom of the chart can tell us something about the history of pop song.
Given that nearly 3,500 songs have hit #100, it would be nearly impossible to try to review every song. So, every week, I’ll pick a random week on the Hot 100 and dive into its Mr. Irrelevant and attempt to determine how it got there.
The Warm 100 launches next Monday, on the Hot 100’s 67th birthday.
3) Patreon
I don’t know about you, but I like exchanging money for goods and services. Well, if you’d like to put a little scratch in my tip jar, I’ve now got a Patreon! For just $5 a month you can help keep food on my head and a roof over my table. In return, I’ll be posting monthly original found footage compilations. I’ve already posted what happened when football legend Marshawn Lynch entered the Bake Off tent and broke Paul Hollywood’s spirits. Currently in the works are projects related to Twin Peaks, Miss America, the musical guests of In Living Color, and so much more. Here’s a sizzle reel of what’s in the works:
4) CHiPs Freeze Frames
Last and certainly least, I recently set up a very dumb Bluesky account devoted to the almost avant-garde freeze frame images that would end episodes of the ‘70s/’80s cop show CHiPs. If that kind of thing appeals to you, you can find it here.
Anyhow, that’s all the news from here. I’ll see you Monday with the first edition of The Warm 100. Until then, here’s a very normal CHiPs freeze frame!
Thank you for reading Dispatches From Darling; please consider supporting us on Patreon.