The 2020 Countdown After Dark: Five things you might have missed late night on Saturday
This year, XPN’s countdown is going full-on, unrelenting, 24/7 until we listen back to all 2,020 songs you voted for and reach number one. All of our specialty shows and features have been pre-empted. And quite a lot of music is happening in the overnights; on day three, we heard 74 songs between midnight and 6:00 a.m. If you’re not a night owl, here are five highlights you missed.
1. Rahman Wortman sings the hits, from The Who to Dr. Dre
XPN’s new host Rahman Wortman was the 2020 guide from midnight to three a.m., and he loves to sing. You could catch him delivering the hooks from “I Could See For Miles” at 12:09 a.m., “Nuthin But A ‘G’ Thang” at 2:17 a.m., and more, while also talking about the music we were hearing in the countdown.
2. A Raspberries double shot
Cleveland pop rock band Raspberries made their first showing in the #XPN2020 at 1:38 a.m., and their second showing immediately thereafter when “Go All The Way” spun into “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record).”
3. An Isaac Hayes epic
The 2:00 a.m. hour opened with a glorious, expansive song by Isaac Hayes, “Walk On By,” which was notable sampled in Beyonce and The Weeknd’s “6 Inch.”
4. Steely Dan making up ground
Though they’re not yet in the top five, Steely Dan is teetering on the brink of breaking in, especially after the overnight hours included “The Royal Scam” at 12:25 a.m., “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” at 4:23 a.m., and “Doctor Wu” at 4:55 a.m.. Prior to last night, they’d only appeared in the countdown 6 times; by 6 a.m. they’d appeared nine times.
5. Back to back songs from Donnie Darko
The synchronicity of the #XPN2020 strikes again when Gary Jules’ cover of “Mad World” by Tears for Fears spun at 5:33 a.m., immediately followed by Echo and the Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon,” two songs prominently featured in the 2001 film Donnie Darko.