Where Did “Killing Me Softly with His Song” Come From?
About this episode
Only a few rare songs ever turn into pop classics. But this one turned into a classic twice. “Killing Me Softly” not only made Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time with the 1973 Roberta Flack hit at Number 273, but also with the 1996 Fugees hit which comes in at Number 359. It’s the only song on the list that appears in two different versions.
On this week’s episode, hosts Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos discuss the long-running story of “Killing Me Softly,” and how both these different versions just keep growing in stature over the years. They’re joined by their brilliant Rolling Stone colleague David Browne, breaking down how a Seventies pop ballad became a Nineties hip-hop smash, and why both versions remain universally beloved.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Get every episode summarized
Each time Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs
How Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love' Changed Pop Music Forever
Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs
Nicki Minaj’s Seminal Pivot to Pop with “Super Bass”
Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs
How OutKast Took the World By Surprise with “Ms. Jackson”
Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs
How Cher's 'Believe' Has Ruled Dance Floors For Nearly Three Decades
Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs