The Week contest: Short hit
This week’s question: Since 1990, the average length of a song on the Billboard Hot 100 has dropped from over four minutes to about three. If a classic pop act were to edit down a hit single to cater to listeners’ shrinking attention spans, what should the updated track be titled?
Click here to see the results of last week's contest: Parent matchmakers
RESULTS:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
THE WINNER: “Bohemian Rhap-it-up”
Roger Lewis, Burlington, Vermont
SECOND PLACE: “Uptown Shrunk”
Laurel Rose, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
THIRD PLACE: “Less It Be”
Bill Wilwers, Barling, Arkansas
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
“The Quick and Linear Road”
Rebecca Burgan, Grass Valley, California
“Working 9 to Noon”
Ken Kellam III, Dallas, Texas
“I Run the Line”
Josephine Policastro, West Milford, New Jersey
“Stop Now! You've Had Enough”
Skip Flanagan, Roseville, California
“Scene From an Italian Takeout”
Bill Levine, Belmont, Mass.
“Elevator to Heaven”
Alan Glass, West Hartford, Connecticut
“Midnight Jet to Georgia”
Bill Muse, Seattle, Washington
“Baby One Less Time”
Mathison Hall, Annapolis, Maryland
“Text Me Maybe”
Jon Goranson, Chattanooga, Tennessee
“Reined-In Melody”
Ellen Owens, Fayetteville, New York
“Truly Madly Briefly”
Beth Dokolasa, Indian Hills, Colorado
-
Film review: ‘The Choral’Feature Ralph Fiennes plays a demanding aesthete
-
Political cartoons for January 19Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include Greenland tariffs, fighting the Fed, and more
-
Spain’s deadly high-speed train crashThe Explainer The country experienced its worst rail accident since 2013, with the death toll of 39 ‘not yet final’
-
Quiz of The Week: 10 – 16 JanuaryQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
Magazine solutions - January 16, 2026Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - January 16, 2026
-
The Week contest: Post-surgery SpanishPuzzles and Quizzes
-
Magazine printables - January 16, 2026Puzzle and Quizzes Magazine printables - January 16, 2026
-
Quiz of The Week: 3 – 9 JanuaryQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
Magazine solutions - December 26-January 2Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 26-January 2
-
The Week contest: Romance and recruitmentPuzzles and Quizzes
-
Magazine printables - Dec. 12, 2025Puzzle and Quizzes Magazine printables - Dec. 12, 2025