There's no place like KickAss for the holidays - and that's exactly what we're gonna be talking about here. Specifically, those standards that you hear - on the radio, in the supermarket, walking down the street in some cases. How did those songs come to be "standards", anyway? Which ones were written in the 19th century - or earlier - and which are less than 100 years old? And what does the future hold for holiday standards?
Thankfully, we have answers to all those questions and more in this Vibes episode. We vibe. We talk. We chat. No structure, no lists, no BS. Just vibes.
Did you vibe with the episode? Let us know in all the usual ways:
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Website (for Ride-Along Playlists): https://fairlykickass.com/
Next week: An FKA rewind! We gave you the holiday standards, and next week we'll give you the unique, the weird, the fun.
You know what else is fun? YOU are. Keep being fun, and Keep. Kicking. Ass.

Hi! KickAss here. This is our Billboard Rerank/Rerack/Reorder episode type... call it any/all of the above, or anything else that you'd like!
The premise is simple: we take the Billboard Year-End chart for a given year - this episode was 2003, which was admittedly less than ideal - and we update the ranking to what is correct. And by "correct", we mean each of our three hosts' versions of correct. That's a lot of correctness, I tell you hwhat.
TBut enough about us! It's time to talk about you. Namely, how you can talk to us - preferably about us:
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Next week: We finally kick off our holiday episodes, starting with a discussion on what makes a holiday standard. Old? New? Borrowed or blue? We'll cover a great many of them.
But until then, we will be sure to cover when you Keep. Kicking. Ass.

We regret to inform you, KickAss Faithful, that there were gremlins afoot.
The previous episode, as you may already know, was either posted, or maybe was unposted, or there was a glitch in the matrix... I don't know. It's weird. It's all weird.
This episode - our November 2025 album and charting single reviews - was also probably impacted by gremlins, and definitely not by just being late to post it. That would be weird. Blame the gremlins, please.
While you're at it, drop us a line and tell us how much you hate those pesky buggers for messing with this lovely podcast
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Next week: Billboard. Rerank. 2023. It was a rough year for the charts, and we'll tell you all about it. Right after we tell you to Keep. Kicking. Ass.

We regret to inform you, KickAss Faithful, that there are gremlins afoot.
(No, unfortunately this isn't how we tell all of you that we somehow secured a partnership with Chris Columbus, Steven Spielberg, and Warner Bros., for the upcoming Gremlins movie, releasing November 19th, at a theater near you!) (Yes, we are actively trying to pursue this very partnership.) (No, it's not going well.)
You might have seen this episode out in the wild already, because, as far as we know, it was already posted. Whyfore is it not posted now? Please see above for discussion of gremlins. But all that matters is that it's here now, for as long as it's here, before it's not. If it ever was. Ugh, maybe we'll have to cut down on the late night McDonald's runs for the lil guys.
Since this is a sort of repost, I'll keep it brief: each of us takes a #1 song and talks about it. #1 on any chart, in any country, on any planet. It's been Earth so far, but will it always be Earth? Hard to say.
What's much easier to say is the names of all of these social media accounts, since it's the same exact name for each, that being @fairlykickass! Seriously, check out how good we did with our brand synergy:
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Threads: https://www.threads.net/@fairlykickass
Website (for Ride-Along Playlists): https://fairlykickass.com/
Next week: Last review of the year! Only a month or so of Kicking. Ass. left for 2025, but you can't stop now: you gotta Keep. doing it.

We confessed again!
Musically!!
That's right, our critically-unacclaimed episode type, Musical Confessions, is getting another go-round. For those who didn't catch the first one from back in July of 2025, let me paint the scene for you: each of us poop-for-brains hosts went around and told a music-y thing. A statement, a story... anything. The rub: it may or may not have been true. It was up to the other two hosts to suss out the lies and hitch their wagons to the truths.
Same deal again, but with another batch from Dan, J, and Zack. Are we telling the truth? Are we full of the aforementioned poop?
I'm not tellin'. You gotta listen. Sorry.
And once you listen, let us know what you think about our, uhhh, things. How, you wonder? Observe:
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Next week: Ones. Lots of ones. Three of them, at least. Is that "lots"? I dunno, I just write the things. And you just Keep. Kicking. Ass.

BOO!!!!
Did I sc-oh heck, it's November now. Plus we did that same thing last week. Going to the well too many times? Can't be us. I digress.
This is the Unsung, where we talk about folks that don't typically get talked about. We discuss influential people in the music industry whose popularity and acknowledgement doesn't always match their accomplishments and contributions. And Maestro David Kyle is no exception.
To be faiiiiiir, there's not necessarily a Maestro-ing board. There's no governing body, no application to fill out, no professional development or continuing education credits to maintain your Maestro certification. It's a pretty sweet deal.
And, in this case, it's a fitting title, considering what David Kyle did as a vocal instructor for many uniquely talented - and just downright unique - artists. We wove our way through a number of them, across different genres and styles, but all sharing the distinction of being awesome - and all sharing the disctinction of working directly with Kyle.
But don't take our word for it! Take a listen to the ep instead, and let us know how you feel about the vocalists we mentioned - or if you have other examples of vocal coaches or instructors helping artists reach the next level. Hitting us up is simple! Observe:
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Next week: I'm gonna level with you: not sure. That's another straight copy from last week, but it fits this time too. We'll figure somethingout, like we always do. Until then, Keep. Kicking. Ass.

BOO!!!!
Did I scare ya? I don't need to ask, of course I didn't. I'm sorry for wasting your time trying to tie this review to a nearby holiday. It was a mistake, and I regret the error.
You know what I DON'T regret? These October reviews. That's not to say that things was great though. It was a solid, if mostly unimpressive, month on the album front. And the newly-charting singles were nearly all from one album. You know the one.*
We got one more month of reviews for the year, and then we shelve this particular feature until we cover January 2026 reviews. But fear not! There are plenty of other features to tide you over in the meantime.
But we still need to hear from you. How was your October? What music - new or old - was in your ears this month? Let us know in all the usual ways:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fairlykickass.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/fairlykickass
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Website (for Ride-Along Playlists): https://fairlykickass.com/
Next week: I'm gonna level with you: not sure. We have a few options in front of us, and I'm not sure which one we'll go with. But you'll be among the first to know, as long as you follow us wherever you get your podcasts.
And no matter what nonsense we come out with, we're still gonna need every one of you to Keep. Kicking. Ass.

Over 75 million record sales worldwide.
32 total awards spread out across the biggest of 'em all in the UK - the Brit awards - as well as yearlies handed out on behalf of UK music magazines NME and Q.
10 successful tours, spanning the world over several times - including tour dates every year between 1994 and 2009 (with the execptions of 2004 and 2007).
Responsible for the first billion-stream song on Spotify from the 1990s - a song that still remains in the list of 100 most streamed songs of all time on the platform.
A nomination to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which didn't come through this year, but I doubt it'll be long before it does.
With all those accolades, there's still one thing that Manchester's finest, Oasis, didn't have... and that's a Fairly KickAss episode.
...until now.
We decided to do a One Song for the band, to find the best song in a seven-album discography. Guest host to the stars, Lisa, was kind enough to grace us with her presence as well. As the only true Oasis fan of the lot of us, she brought some awesome perspective, and of course a great song choice.
But was her choice the best? What about the other three jerks? Let us know what you think in all the usual ways:
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Website (for Ride-Along Playlists): https://fairlykickass.com/

Next week: The penultimate monthly review of 2025. The last one before the start of the holiday season. Get your shopping done early, people!
I would ask y'all to buy some KickAss gifts for the people that you love and care for... but that's a given, because they're coming from all of you. You Keep. Kicking. Ass, and your gifts do too. <3

I'm keeping this description short, because no matter how many words, or how big of language I use, I could never be as grandiose and over-the-top as hair metal is. It was a huge sound, made by huge personas, and delivered to huge audiences.
We may be a few decades removed here in 2025, but the music still rings true - and we give it the ol' Mt. Rushmore treatment.
It was one of the more interesting podcast results for one of these dealios, based on the songs we all picked.
But jeez Jouise I'm getting ahead of myself! I said short, and short it is. As always, let us know what you thought, and whether we missed a song - or even an entire artist - here:
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Next week: A little necessary business to tidy up, as we move closer to the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Which is all well and good, because we know who the real Hall of Famers are. (spoiler: it's y'all) And as HoFers, you know damn well that you gotta Keep. Kicking. Ass.

So we did a Billboard Rerank episode, where we reranked the Billboard End-of-Year chart to be more accurate to what is objectively correct. Because we know these things.
We did 1990. Holy moly, 1990 was a year. Bangers, ballads, unexpected tracks from all genres. It truly was the sort of crossroads for the end of the 1980s, and what would come years later in the 90s.
You know a lot of these songs, and perhaps there are some new favorites on this list? Only one way to find out.
Well, two ways, I suppose. You could listen to the list yourself, or you could just ask us! I'm not sure how we can tell you what your new favorites are, but we'll try! And if we can't do that, then we'll send you a funny gif that we may or may not have lifted from Reddit.
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Next week: We goodmouth a band that has been badmouthed throughout the years. We'll probably also badmouth them a bit. That's just how this thing goes.
We would never badmouth you though, listeners! Because you all Keep. Kicking. Ass.

Oh hey! It's a little something I like to call "The Fairly KickAss Podcast". Ever heard of it?
And to that end, have you ever heard of Max Martin?
You may not realize that you are already acutely familiar of him, at least through his songwriting and production work.
Early 2000s darlings like The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, and Bon Jovi? Check. Big artists of today, like Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Coldplay, The Weeknd, and Lisa of Blackpink? Double-check. Most recently worked on Taylor Swift's latest full-length, The Life of a Showgirl.
This episode is an Unsung episode, in which we talk about those influential folks in the music industry that you may not be familiar with, and I'd say that Max qualifies. From his upbringing in Stockholm County, Sweden, to his initial dabblings in the music industry, I (Zack - your Unsung host for this ep!) give all y'all the skinny.
This is also a Rewind episode that we pulled out of the ol' Vault, and in that brief time - from March of 2023 to now - Martin has added three more Billboard #1 singles to his already-ridiculous list of 25, bringing the sum total to 28. Paul McCartney has written 32. John Lennon has written 26. That's your top three.
Top three all time, of everyone! Safe to say, Max knows his way around a hit song, and I'm stoked to be able to bring his particular brand of songwriting magic to all of you. Again, as it were.
As always, let us know what you think! Which #1 hits that Max Martin wrote are your favorites? Which artists that he worked with do you also vibe with? Let us know in all the usual ways:
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Website (for Ride-Along Playlists): https://fairlykickass.com/

Next week: We talk about the dawn of a new decade! Albeit a decade that was new like 35 years ago.
You know what's NOT new? You. Kicking. Ass. That's been happening for a long while now. I lost track of how long, that's how long it's been.

It's the "30 Days" month! You know the rhyme. You've recited the rhyme to yourself, perhaps during the month of September. Does it have anything to do with music?
Does it ever?
As usual, I digress. It's best albums. It's newly-charting singles. It's a LOT of Sabrina Carpenter. It's the hand that was dealt, as most of her most recent album, Man's Best Friend, charted. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I guess you'll have to listen to find out! (it was a pretty good album, I'll give you that breadcrumb.)
Bread to the side, we always want to hear from you. Was it a good month of listening for you? Hell, what were you listening to full stop - even if it wasn't new? Let us know in all the usual ways:
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Website (for Ride-Along Playlists): https://fairlykickass.com/

Next week: We talk about the dawn of a new decade! Albeit a decade that was new like 35 years ago.
You know what's NOT new? You. Kicking. Ass. That's been happening for a long while now. I lost track of how long, that's how long it's been.

Oh heck, the game is on! I better make this quick.
Which game, you ask? Any of them! Take your pick. With so many beloved sports, that have been around for so long, fandom is a time-honored tradition. And a time-honored sort of sub-tradition is that of the tailgate. The literal meaning evokes imagery of the open tailgate of a pickup truck, playing the part of buffet table much better than anything else you might find at a random parking lot.
Nowadays, it's a whole production - actual tables, along with all manner of cooking devices, cooling devices (for food and person), and maybe a TV or a radio to keep up with pre-game festivities. The concept is most commonly associated with American football, but could apply to any sport in the same way.
But, regardless of the sport, or the spread, there's one thing I didn't mention: music. It's as integral to a tailgate as it is to any gathering. And you know us - if music is involved, we're involved. (New motto?!?)
We get in, talk about our Top 5 tailgating jams, and get out. All three of us approached the assignment in vastly different ways. You're shocked, I know. That is your shocked face.
But how would you have approached it, Dear Listener? Would you have gone with one of our paths, but using a different list? Or would you have thought up completely different criteria? Let us know what you thought in the usual ways:
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Website (for Ride-Along Playlists): https://fairlykickass.com/

Next week: Do you remember? Because we don't. September has been a BLUR, but we gotta talk about it, and we hope you listen to that episode next week! And this episode this week! And previous episodes in prev-look, just listen to all of 'em. They're all good.
You know what else is good? When you Keep. Kicking. Ass, that's what.

To say that Joni Mitchell is one of the most influential songwriters, singers, and guitarists in the history of modern music is not hyperbolic. In fact, it's among the most truthful and least BS-based things we've said on this show.
I believe we've said this about others before, but it applies here as well: Joni Mitchell recorded standards, sure, but she herself IS a standard. Legend. 1 of 1. Folk music was not nearly the same prior to her first album, 1968's Song to a Seagull, and it was forever changed throughout her run of 19 studio albums (and one day growing to 20, hopefully). She has left an indelible mark on the face of music.
And, as we tend to do 'round these parts, we celebrated her. Since this is a Coverlutions episode, you know that we talked about one of her songs. Interestingly, this song was never a single - in fact, it was the B-side to a different song from its album, being California off of 1971's Blue.
But that didn't stop scores and scores of people from covering the song over the past 50+ years. And for good reason: A Case of You is absolutely magnificent. It's subtle, it's understated, it's meaningful, and it's beautiful.
As for the episode, we came equipped with eight different covers, ready to do battle with the other hosts. We went in a round, sharing our versions with each other; any overlaps would be crossed out. Whoever had songs left at the end won nothing, in typical FKA fashion. It was neat.
As always though, we need you to tell us what you thought. Was it actually neat? Was there a version that we didn't cover that you liked better than what we presented? Let us know in all the usual ways:
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Next week: hang out in the parking lot of your favorite team, fire up your portable grill, and put on these songs before the big game. It's tailgating songs. I kinda gave that one away. That's my bad. That's on me.
You know what you should give away? Ass kickings. Because you should Keep. Kicking. Ass.

Is three too many new episode types for one year? Because that's what we're bringing to the table.
Two words: Greatest Sh**s. (You can fill in the blanks. I believe in you.) The premise is this: we take an artist that is seen by a wide group of people - including some or all of us jerk hosts - as not being great. Critically panned. Goofed on.
You can certainly think of some immediately, as could we... but there was always going to be one artist that we dissected as the subject of the first episode. Chances are, it's an artist you thought of as you read this
That artist is none other than Nickelback.
Once we had the artist nailed down, the goal was simple: build a sort of "greatest hits" album, spanning their entire discography. One song per album. We couldn't skip albums; rather, we had to pick one song from every single full-length release, to make up our Greatest Sh**s album.
Sure, we're covering powerhouse albums such as Silver Side Up and All the Right Reasons. We're also covering far less popular releases, like Curb and Feed the Machine. No stone is left unturned, no sh** left ungreatened. Ew. Sorry.
But how did we do? Was Nickelback deserving of our ire in the first place? Did we find the diamonds in the very, very rough? Let us know in all the usual ways:
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Next week: we talk about an iconic song from an iconic artist. Many folks have agreed with that sentiment, at least enough to cover the song, and we covered several of those covers. It's covers all the way down.
You know what else is down? You are, Dear Listener. You are down with us, and we appreciate that. Now Keep. Kicking. Ass.

I apparently love August, at least inasmuch as what the "food months" are for August, according to Wikipedia. I haven't looked at other months, so I may love them all - food do be like that, after all. But here's what we were working with in August:
National Catfish Month, National Dippin' Dots Month, Family Meals Month, National Goat Cheese Month, National Panini Month, Peach Month, Sandwich Month.
All of the above, please. Maybe not the dippin' dots... let's just double up on the goat cheese instead. But the rest are solid.
What was I... OH! August reviews. Yes. We review August. Albums, newly-charting singles, the works. And by "the works", I mean "specifically the two things that I pointed out before I said 'the works'". Words are hards.
As always though, our words are only as good as you'll allow them to be. So what do you allow from our lists? What did you like, and what would you replace our albums and charting singles with if you could? Let us know in all the usual ways:

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Website (for Ride-Along Playlists): https://fairlykickass.com/

Next week: a terrible thing. It involves a lot of Nickelback, and we hated it, and we can only hope that you hate it slightly less than we did.
Until then, make sure to Keep. Kicking. Ass.

When we write up these descriptions, we love to give you some funny insight, some witty repartee, some... something. However, when the thing does exactly what it says on the tin, it's tough.
Enter: this week's REWIND episode, straight out of our vault, originally posted on September 27, 2023. The episode title is "Top 5 Happy-Sounding Sad Songs". And... yeah. That's pretty much it right there. The songs are sad lyrically, but if you don't listen closely enough they sound happy to the ear. That's the thing. I can't tell you more, as there's no more to tell.
What I CAN tell you, however, is that there were some surprises here! Some unexpected songs that ended up being real bummers, some popular songs with deeper meanings, and tons of fun to be had talking about absolute downer after downer. It's what we signed up for, nearly two years ago from where we sit now, but... damn.
Did we get it right back then? Is it any more right or wrong now than it was in 2023? Let us know in all the usual ways, and think for a minute about how a word as short as "usual" has two u's in it, like really what the hell is up with that:
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Next week: August reviews! But for real, since our last description also mentioned August reviews and was very wrong. Will it stack up to the powerhouse that was July? We still don't know! Well, we know, but you will still have to tune in to find out.
And until then, make sure to Keep. Kicking. Ass.

John, Paul, George, and Ringo?
Not today.
Instead, let's go with John Paul (that's one guy), John, Jimmy, and Robert.
We One Song'd the HELL out of one of the most legendary bands of all time. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? First ballot, of course. An entry on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, from 2003? Try five... along with six songs on the Greatest Songs list from 2004. GQ Men of the Year from 2008, for what that's worth. Oddly, only one Grammy - for live album Celebration Day, released in 2012, over 30 years after the band's breakup. Let's call that a miss from the Recording Academy.
And, most importantly, one song that can be considered their very best work. 1 of 1. The top of Mount Zeppmore (analogy not to be confused with our Rush episodes, which you can also find wherever you get your ass kicked).
Yes, we tell you exactly which song we feel is the best of their catalog. We made our cases throughout the episode, and as always, it's up to all of you to tell us who was right... or were none of us right? Let us know the correct answer to the question of best Led Zeppelin song of all time, in all the usual ways:
But we're not here to drop insider tennis terms on you: we're here to talk about music. And in this episode, our years were J with 1988, Dan with 2004, and Zack bringing up the rear (front, I guess?) with 2023.
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Next week: August reviews! Will it stack up to the powerhouse that was July? Tune in to find out.
And until then, make sure to Keep. Kicking. Ass.

Ah, SomeOnes. That time-honored tradition that we have tradished only once before, but traditions gotta start somewhere, right? ...right?

The premise is simple in its complexity: each of us (Dan, J, and Zack, your KickAss Krew) get a randomly-generated year before the show. We then have to find a song that hit #1 on a chart (thus the name!), and write about it. That's it. That's the sum total of the guardrails that we have.
Which chart? All of 'em. Which country even? All of 'em. What do we have to write about our song of choice? Literally anything.
We go in a few directions, as you can guess, but that's part of the fun! Because really, this podcast is about expecting the unexpected, and if you don't even know what to expect, then you don't know what to unexpect either. Game. Set. Win.
But we're not here to drop insider tennis terms on you: we're here to talk about music. And in this episode, our years were J with 1988, Dan with 2004, and Zack bringing up the rear (front, I guess?) with 2023.
How did we do with our assignments? Would you have picked a different song from a different chart for a different reason? Let us know in all the usual ways:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fairlykickass.bsky.social
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Website (for Ride-Along Playlists): https://fairlykickass.com/

Next week: TBD. We're taking our time and casually figuring out which direction to go, but as soon as we know, you'll know.
Luckily, you already know what else you should know: and that's to Keep. Kicking. Ass.

I feel like, the more we do this podcast, the quicker things come back around. Like Monthly Reviews: we just did those a few days ago! Or so it seems. In reality, the reviews for June were posted on July 9th, which is about a month ago, which makes perfect sense. And yet... it feels so recent.
Maybe this podcast is aging, right alongside us. Maybe this podcast is no longer "hip" with all the "lingo". Maybe this podcast longs for a better time, a simpler time, a time when Justin Bieber wasn't hogging a good percentage of the Billboard Hot 100.
In a way, we're ALL this podcast.
Thankfully, besides Bieber's Swag (the album, not the personality trait), the rest of the month was pretty solid! Dan has much to say about all the newly-charting top 40 singles, and J and Zack both hit you with the best albums of the month.
But we didn't listen to everything, and certainly missed out on some gems. So let us have it in the comments for overlooking one of your favorite artists/albums/songs:
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Next week: We transport you all back to 1988, 2004, and 2023 - all at the same time. Eat your sometimes-poisoned heart out, Erwin Schrödinger.
But instead of that, all of YOU should eat a snack! And then you should Keep. Kicking. Ass.