Debut episode, out now, features Thelma Houston and The Fleetwoods’ Gretchen Christopher in conversation with leading Billboard chart experts
October 6, 2026 (Menomonee Falls, WI) – Record Research Inc., the authority on music industry chart performance, has launched its first-ever podcast: A Heart for the Charts. Each episode will use the charts as a jumping-off point for conversations that bring together music history, data, and firsthand stories from the artists, experts, and industry figures who made and documented that history. The debut episode is available today on major podcast and video platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subsequent episodes will be released bi-weekly on Tuesdays through December 1.
A Heart for the Charts is hosted by five leading experts on the Billboard charts:
- Fred Bronson, longtime Billboard reporter and author of The Billboard Book of Number One Hits
- Michael Ellis, former Director of Charts for Billboard, who was in charge of the Hot 100 singles chart, the Billboard 200 album chart, and every other weekly tally
- Paul Haney, Head Researcher at Record Research and an avid fan of the charts from Billboard, Cash Box, and Record World
- Joe Marchese, Founder of the Second Disc record label, with an extensive catalog of CD reissues of classic albums
- Andy Skurow, Motown historian and former keeper of the vaults for Universal Music Group
On the podcast’s first episode, titled “The Day I Went to Number One,” the hosts welcome Thelma Houston and The Fleetwoods’ Gretchen Christopher to discuss the experiences behind their chart-topping records. Houston recalls the years of work leading up to “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” hearing the song on the radio for the first time, and the promotional push that followed, while Christopher traces The Fleetwoods from their high school beginnings through “Come Softly to Me” reaching #1 and the group’s subsequent chart milestones. Throughout the conversations, the hosts add historical context, clarify chart distinctions, and connect the records to the ways they have continued to reach listeners decades later.
Future episodes of A Heart for the Charts will feature guests such as:
- October 20: Kim Bloxdorf, Publisher of Record Research, who will explore the life and legacy of her father, Joel Whitburn, and the origins and evolution of Record Research
- November 3: Kim Carnes, a singer and songwriter who will discuss her 1981 hit single “Bette Davis Eyes”
- November 17: Rupert Holmes, a composer, songwriter, and producer who will talk about the week his single “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” topped the Billboard Hot 100
- December 1: Season 1 finale
“Record Research has spent more than five decades documenting music chart history, and A Heart for the Charts gives us a new way to bring that history to life,” said Vinnie Freda, CEO of Record Research. “By pairing an extraordinary depth of chart knowledge with the firsthand experiences of artists and other guests, we can go beyond the numbers and explore the stories behind the records, careers, and moments that shaped popular music.”
A Heart for the Charts is produced by Benztown, with Freda serving as executive producer. For more information or to listen to the podcast, visit omny.fm/shows/a-heart-for-the-charts.
About Record Research
Record Research Inc. is the authority on music industry chart performance with over 240 published reference books. The company was founded by author and music historian Joel Whitburn in 1970, publishing music reference books that are relied upon by music industry professionals and devoted music fans worldwide. Covering 1890 through the present day, Record Research documents the music charts for genres including Pop, Country, R&B, Rock, Adult Contemporary, and Dance, detailing the complete history of the singles and albums that have appeared on the charts of Billboard magazine, as well as the singles charts of other music industry periodicals such as Cash Box, Gavin Report, Radio & Records, and Record World/Music Vendor.
Following Whitburn’s passing in 2022, Vinnie Freda joined Record Research as CEO and majority owner in September 2025, working with Publisher Kim Bloxdorf and Head Researcher Paul Haney to preserve and expand upon Whitburn’s legacy. The company is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
For more information, visit recordresearch.com.
Record Research Media Contacts
Laurie Jakobsen, Jaybird Communications, laurie@jaybirdcom.com
Bill Greenwood, Jaybird Communications, bill@jaybirdcom.com