About this Event
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WHAT IS PHILLYPOP? PhillyPOP is a meetup group for discussing popular music–it’s like a book club for playlists. Every month we all listen to a playlist, then we meet in person to talk about it. Each playlist has a theme, and attendees are encouraged (but not required) to contribute songs that fit the theme as they understand it. It's a great way to connect with local music superfans and hear stuff you wouldn't have otherwise. You can find more info about us on our profile page, where you can also follow us to be notified about future events. (You may also notice a checkbox marked "Keep me updated on more events and news from this event organizer" when you RSVP, but I recommend following the profile page instead, which will email you every time I schedule a new event.)
NEXT EVENT: Oscar season is upon us and I've got cinema on the brain. Now I thought about doing a look at the last 30 years of Oscar-winning songs, but then I checked and realized most of them are pretty wack. So what we're gonna do instead is celebrate some of our own favorite songs from film and TV: all genres and eras are fair game (even commercials). Then we'll have an open discussion on the role of music in the cinematic and televisual arts, touching on such questions as:
- What are some of our favorite scenes set to music?
- What songs far outshine the films and TV shows they're from?
- Which TV theme songs hold their own apart from the show?
- Needle-drops: cheap cinematic hackery or brilliant reinterpretations of past classics?
- Are there any genres that are soundtrack-specific?
- Is there really any point to those fancy closing credit sequences that have become all the rage lately?
For this event I've created two separate YouTube playlists, the first being the usual "full songs" version containing the complete tracks and music videos when available. For the "in media res" version, I tried to identify the specific scene or trailer where each song was used--often it's only an excerpt. The idea is to show the song and visual together to open up avenues of discussion that don't apply to most of our monthly themes. Watching it isn't mandatory, but I hope some of you will check it out so we can dig a little deeper into how soundtracks work.
The starter playlist is not meant to be definitive in the least--it leans heavily on the decade of my birth (the 80s), the high-water mark of the blockbuster soundtrack. It's got some stuff you've probably heard and some you probably haven't, from Tom Jones to Patti Labelle to Adele to the Weeknd. As always, I hope you'll send me some of your own favorites. For those who do, I'll try to look up the scenes they're from for the "in media res" playlist (actually it'd be helpful if you could let me know what movie or show each song is from if it's not obvious). Submit up to ten tracks via the "Contact" link below (under the "Organized by" header) or email them to [email protected].
FUTURE EVENTS:
- April 2026 -> Songs About Jobs and Work
- May 2026 - > Let's Go Crazy: Songs About Mental Health
ABOUT YOUR HOST:
Hello everyone, I'm Deen, a 40something Black husband and father of two living in West Philly who spends way too much time thinking about all kinds of music--from rock to pop to hip-hop to soul to country to synthwave.
WANT TO HOST A PHILLYPOP CONVERSATION?
Got a great idea for a musical topic you'd like to discuss? You should host your own PhillyPOP conversation! Just follow these four steps:
- Attend at least one event hosted by someone else
- Email your theme idea to [email protected]
- Create a starter playlist with 20-30 songs demonstrating your theme
- Set an event date
I'll handle the venue reservations, promo, and Eventbrite logistics--all you have to do is show up and lead the discussion.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Renata's Kitchen, 3940 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, United States
USD 0.00
