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Pop & Hiss

Is rock dead? DJ Earworm releases his annual United State of Pop mashup

By Randall Roberts
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Here’s a track that’ll make your Shazam iPhone app explode: DJ Earworm’s annual collection of the year’s biggest hits, mashed up into one catchy (synthetic, faux-rave) hit. Since 2007, the San Francisco based producer and DJ has collected Billboard’s top 25 songs of the year and blended them together into one song. This year he tweezes out selected melodies, rhythms, synth-washes and choruses from Katy Perry, Kesha, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, B.o.B. and a few dozen others and carefully weaves them into something resembling a hit song. The end result offers a snapshot moment of 2010, one that will either torture or tease you. Question for the rock fans: Is there any guitar in this thing? Any rockers other than, um, Train make the cut? Is rock dead?

-- Randall Roberts

Pop & Hiss
Randall Roberts

Former staff writer Randall Roberts covered Los Angeles music culture for the Los Angeles Times. He had served various roles since arriving at The Times in 2010, including music editor and pop music critic. As a staff writer, he explored the layered history of L.A. music, from Rosecrans and Sunset to Ventura Boulevard and beyond. His 2020 project on the early Southern California phonograph industry helped identify the first-ever commercial recording made in Los Angeles.

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