by Joe Bennett | May 16, 2026 | Education, Eurovision, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
[The next day] results v my predictions So, even though I was right here in Vienna, soaking up the vibes, this wasn’t my best prediction work! All my top 3 made the top 10, but although I loved Bangaranga, I didn’t see its runaway success coming! Top 10 at... 
by Joe Bennett | Mar 18, 2026 | 5live, berklee, boston, Education, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I cut through the noise and broke through! They say it takes 10 years to become an overnight success, but for some stars the success that now defines them remained elusive for much longer. Social media and the internet have redefined... 
by Joe Bennett | Dec 16, 2025 | 5live, Education, fm, Forensic Musicology, music education, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I explored songs of Revolution! Throughout modern history, songwriters have used music to comment on and engage with political change, social inequality, and shifts in collective identity. Some songs engage directly with protest and revolution,... 
by Joe Bennett | Oct 30, 2025 | 5live, berklee, Education, fm, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Popular Music, Songwriting
This week Tony and I explored two-chord songs. There are a lot – indeed an almost infinite number – of chords available to composers and songwriters, but this week we heard songs from those who only needed two… The Beatles & Bill Withers... 
by Joe Bennett | Oct 19, 2025 | 5live, Education, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I explored the theme of personification in song. Personification is a literary techniquethat songwriters have empoyed to express emotion through metaphor rather than direct statement. We heard a selection of songs that exhibit how artists across... 
by Joe Bennett | Sep 17, 2025 | 5live, Education, musicology, Popular Music, Research, Songwriting
This week Tony and I trended (hopefully…). The rise of social media has meant that a song’s popularity is no longer dependent solely on its chart performance. Songs now explode online, fuelled by TikTok dances, Facebook groups, memes, and whatever laws...
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