J. Clarke articles

Beyoncé has never been the type to simply drop an album—she drops events. But when she released Lemonade in 2016, she delivered something far bigger than a collection of songs. She handed the world a deeply personal story wrapped in stunning visuals, ancestral symbolism, cultural commentary, and enough emotional voltage to light up an entire art form. This wasn’t just pop music; it was a reckoning. A reclamation. A reminder that even the world’s biggest superstar can bleed and rebuild at the same time.

Something happens to TV every December, and it’s not just the sudden appearance of decorative mugs and fake snow. Shows that normally thrive on sarcasm, chaos, or existential dread suddenly lean into joy, nostalgia, and questionable sweaters. Characters who can barely stand each other unite for tree-trimming, gift-giving, or attempts at reinventing the holiday altogether. These Christmas episodes don’t just fill airtime—they become comfort food, traditions, and in some cases cultural landmarks. Here are 22 of the greatest holiday episodes ever to air, each one doing its part to keep the season merry, bright, and occasionally unhinged.

Rick James didn’t just walk into pop culture—he strutted in wearing leather, lace, and enough attitude to power an arena tour. He was the self-crowned king of punk-funk, the man behind one of the most unforgettable basslines ever recorded, and a performer whose swagger could light up a city block. But behind the wild persona was a deeply talented musician who kept getting swallowed by the very chaos he made look effortless. His life was a high-speed chase between brilliance and disaster—and both sides fought hard for the wheel.

The moment MTV burst onto the scene, it didn’t just reshape music. It reshaped everything—style, language, teen bedrooms, and the way albums became cultural events. Suddenly, a record wasn’t just something you listened to. It was something you watched. These 20 albums didn’t just ride the MTV wave; they created it, fueled it, and made the network feel like a wild new frontier. Think neon, synths, leather, and that unmistakable sense that music had somehow gotten bigger, louder, and more cinematic.

There’s nothing more unsettling than watching a movie, clocking the supposed “big bad”...and slowly realizing you kind of agree with them. Sure, they’re blowing things up, kidnapping people, or plotting galactic genocide—that’s not ideal. But under all the chaos there’s often a pretty reasonable thesis statement the heroes are too blinkered, privileged, or naïve to admit.

Weddings are full of surprises—emotional vows, questionable dance moves, and at least one uncle who misjudges the power of an open bar. But one thing that's never surprising? The music. For better or worse, certain songs have cemented themselves as wedding-playlist royalty, popping up so often they practically carry engraved invitations.

Before Bill Withers ever considered walking away from the spotlight, he had already carved his name into music history with songs that still feel like warm sunlight. His story isn’t the typical rise-and-fall arc—if anything, it’s the tale of a man who realized he didn’t need fame to validate his talent. Instead of clinging to the spotlight, he shrugged, stepped back, and proved that sometimes disappearing is the loudest statement an artist can make.

Before we dive into the songs that accidentally became the emotional Yelp reviews of the whole decade, let’s take a moment to appreciate just how bonkers the 2020s have been so far. One minute we’re baking sourdough, the next we’re dancing in parking lots, and somehow we’re all drinking iced coffee through it. If any era ever needed a soundtrack that’s equal parts glitter, doom, swagger, and glitch, it’s this one. Lucky for us, the music delivered.

There was a time when TV was the “cheap” sibling of cinema. You flipped it on, watched a multi-cam sitcom or a cop show, and nobody was dropping blockbuster-level money to make it happen. Now? Some episodes cost more than classic movies.