MOSTOV'S MUSINGS

Every year, couples place line dances and participation songs on their Do Not Play lists. I understand why. They are overplayed. They are predictable. Some are downright ridiculous. But what if we have been asking the wrong question all along? This essay began as an exploration of line dances and ended somewhere far more interesting. From Cab Calloway and Freddie Mercury to church congregations, baseball stadiums, Rocky Horror screenings, and wedding receptions, the same patt

There was a moment in the 1980s when music didn’t just top charts — it walked straight into the U.S. Senate and forced lawmakers to admit songs had real cultural power. The PMRC hearings weren’t just about lyrics or morality; they were about control, youth culture, and what happens when art becomes loud enough that authority can’t ignore it anymore. From Prince and Madonna to Twisted Sister and Judas Priest, and stretching all the way back through jazz raids and rock-and-roll