Hitmaker Chronicles

Hitmaker Chronicles

Welcome to Hitmaker Chronicles, the podcast where music's hidden stories come to life. Every episode we take you behind the scenes of the world's most iconic songs, exploring the magic woven into every note and lyric. From pop anthems to timeless classics, Hitmaker Chronicles delves deep into the heart of each track giving you an insider's view into the creative process that shapes the songs you love. Discover the inspiration behind the hits, the struggles and triumphs of creation, and the cultural impact that turns a song into a phenomenon. Whether you're a lifelong music fan, or just curious about the stories behind the sound, Hitmaker Chronicles is your guide to the soul of music. Portions of this podcast were created with the assistance of AI, From Toby Keith's country anthem "Beer For My Horses" to Billie Eilish's haunting "What Was I Made For," and from Olivia Rodrigo's breakout hit "Vampire" to Jelly Roll’s powerful anthem “Son of a Sinner”, we cover a wide range of genres and styles. Plus, don't miss our analysis of Taylor Swift's thought-provoking "Anti-Hero," nominated for a Grammy, and Miley Cyrus's soul-stirring "Flowers," a Grammy-winning masterpiece.

Episodes

SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus "Old Town Road"

August 24, 2025 • 13 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 6, we're diving into Lil Nas X's genre-defying phenomenon "Old Town Road" featuring Billy Ray Cyrus — a track that broke the internet, challenged musical categorization, and spent a record-breaking 19 weeks at #1. We'll trace how a 20-year-old's $30 beat ...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Robin Thicke - "Blurred Lines"

August 17, 2025 • 14 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 7, we're diving into Robin Thicke's controversial 2013 smash "Blurred Lines" featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams — a track that dominated the summer with its infectious groove while sparking intense debates about consent and artistic expression. We'll ex...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Prince - "When Doves Cry"

August 10, 2025 • 15 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 8, we're diving into Prince's revolutionary 1984 masterpiece "When Doves Cry" — a track that broke every rule of pop music production while dominating the summer that "Purple Rain" conquered both screens and airwaves. We'll trace how a Minneapolis genius ...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Cardi B feat. Bad Bunny & J Balvin "I Like It"

August 3, 2025 • 16 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 9, we're diving into Cardi B's explosive 2018 collaboration "I Like It" featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin — a track that merged hip-hop swagger with Latin rhythms to create an unstoppable summer anthem. We'll trace how a Bronx rapper's meteoric rise collid...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Bananarama - "Cruel Summer"

July 27, 2025 • 17 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 10, we're diving into Bananarama's synth-pop masterpiece "Cruel Summer" — a track that transformed the traditionally sunny season into something darker and more complex with its driving beat and melancholy undertones. We'll trace how three friends from Lo...
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Special Tribute - Ozzy Osbourne: The Prince of Darkness Who Brought Heavy Metal to the World

July 22, 2025 • 16 mins
Welcome to another special commemorative episode of Hitmaker Chronicles. I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. In what continues to be a heartbreaking period for music, we gather to honor Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary Black Sabbath frontman and solo artist known as the "Prince of Darkness," who passed away at age 76 after a courageous battle with Parkinson's disease. From his working-class Birmingham roots to co-creating heavy metal with B...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Len - "Steal My Sunshine"

July 20, 2025 • 16 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 11, we're diving into Len's wonderfully weird 1999 one-hit wonder "Steal My Sunshine" — a track that captured the carefree spirit of the last summer before Y2K with its lazy rap-sung vocals and irresistible Andrea True Connection sample. We'll trace how t...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Seals And Crofts - "Summer Breeze"

July 13, 2025 • 17 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 12, we're diving into Seals & Crofts' timeless 1972 classic "Summer Breeze" — a track that captures the gentle, dreamy essence of summer evenings with its perfect blend of folk harmonies and soft rock sophistication. We'll trace how two Texas musician...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Luis Fonsi feat. Justin Bieber & Daddy Yankee - "Despacito"

July 6, 2025 • 16 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 13, we're diving into the global phenomenon that was Luis Fonsi's "Despacito" — a track that dominated 2017's summer by seamlessly blending reggaeton with pop sensibilities. With assists from reggaeton pioneer Daddy Yankee and pop superstar Justin Bieber,...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City

June 29, 2025 • 16 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 14, we're diving into The Lovin' Spoonful's sweltering 1966 classic "Summer in the City" — a track that captured urban heat and desire with groundbreaking production techniques. We'll trace how John Sebastian's Greenwich Village folk-rockers created the d...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Harry Stiles - "As It Was"

June 22, 2025 • 16 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 16, we're diving into Harry Styles' melancholic masterpiece "As It Was" — a track that dominated 2022's summer with its deceptively upbeat melody wrapped around themes of change and loss. We'll trace how Styles evolved from One Direction heartthrob to sop...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Sam Cooke - "Summertime"

June 15, 2025 • 16 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 15, we're diving into Sam Cooke's transcendent 1957 interpretation of "Summertime" — a performance that transformed Gershwin's opera aria into a soul masterpiece. We'll trace how the son of a Baptist preacher evolved from gospel's golden voice to the arch...
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Special Tribute - Brian Wilson: The Musical Genius Who Heard Tomorrow's Songs Today

June 11, 2025 • 15 mins
Welcome to another special commemorative episode of Hitmaker Chronicles. I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. In what has been a devastating week for music, we gather again to honor another towering figure we've lost. Brian Wilson, the visionary co-founder and primary songwriter of The Beach Boys, passed away at age 82 after living with a neurocognitive disorder. From teenage surf anthems to the revolutionary studio masterpiece "Pet Soun...
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Special Tribute - Sly Stone: The Revolutionary Genius Who Changed Music Forever

June 10, 2025 • 14 mins
Welcome to a special commemorative episode of Hitmaker Chronicles. I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Today we pause our countdown to honor the extraordinary life and revolutionary musical legacy of Sly Stone, the visionary leader of Sly and the Family Stone, who passed away at age 82 after a battle with COPD. From his early days as a San Francisco DJ to creating the template for funk music and breaking down barriers of race and gender...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Taylor Swift - "Cruel Summer"

June 8, 2025 • 16 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 17, we're diving into Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer" — a track with one of the most unusual summer song trajectories ever, becoming a massive hit four years after its release. We'll trace how Swift's collaboration with Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent created...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Superchunk - "This Summer"

June 1, 2025 • 15 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 18, we're diving into Superchunk's bittersweet indie rocker "This Summer" — a 2012 gem that captures both the season's euphoria and its fleeting nature. We'll trace how these Chapel Hill indie pioneers evolved from scrappy punk upstarts to elder statesmen...
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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: B-52's - "Rock Lobster"

May 25, 2025 • 14 mins
Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 19, we're diving into The B-52's quirky new wave classic "Rock Lobster" — that delightfully bizarre underwater dance party that emerged from Athens, Georgia during the summer of 1978. We'll trace how five friends with thrift-store aesthetics and zero musi...
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SUMMER"S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Nelly - "It's Getting Hot In Here"

May 18, 2025 • 13 mins
Welcome to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 20, we're diving into Nelly's sweat-inducing 2002 smash "Hot in Here" — that club anthem that had us all contemplating our clothing choices during a summer when Tobey Maguire was swinging through theaters and Kelly Clarkson was just becoming a household name. ...
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Bruce Springsteen - "Born To Run"

May 11, 2025 • 19 mins
This episode explores Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run," the thunderous 1975 masterpiece that transformed a struggling New Jersey songwriter into rock's great American storyteller. We trace Springsteen's journey from working-class roots to his make-or-break third album, examining how his cinematic vision of escape and transcendence captured America's post-Vietnam anxiety and yearning. From its wall-of-sound production to its street...
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Aretha Franklin - "Respect"

May 4, 2025 • 20 mins
This episode explores Aretha Franklin's transformative 1967 reimagining of "Respect," a song that transcended its origins to become an enduring anthem for civil rights and women's empowerment. But beyond this iconic track, we trace Franklin's extraordinary journey from gospel prodigy to the undisputed Queen of Soul and one of the most influential vocalists in recording history. From her early years singing in her father's church to...
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