Location
Chicago, Illinois
Expertise
The Beatles, Bob Dylan, 1960s pop
- Erika is a lifelong music fan with a particular interest in the '60s and '70s, sparked by a teenage obsession with the Beatles and Bob Dylan.
- She loves going to concerts in Chicago, where she lives.
- She began playing piano at eight years old—but the classical music she studied was very different from the pop and rock music she listened to in her downtime.
Experience
Erika studied journalism in college and had some of her early pieces published by Boston.com, as well as student publications. Upon graduation, she interned at BUST magazine, kicking off a career in women's lifestyle media. After holding staff positions at BUST, Refinery29, and Cosmopolitan, she went freelance with pieces published in Vogue, PopSugar, and Consequence. Erika has interviewed Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokno, covered the reasons behind the high cost of concert tickets, discussed political activism among Swifties during the 2024 presidential election, and dissected The Beatles' history of talking about self-love. Erika joined Static Media in 2025, where she writes extensively about travel and music. Along with journalism, she has published a book, "Astrosex: How to Have the Best Sex According to Your Star Sign."
Education
Erika double-majored in magazine journalism and English literature, earning bachlor's degrees from Boston University. She spent a semester studying abroad in London.
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Teenaged rebellion is something all generations have in common, and these hits from the '70s will take boomers back to their door-slamming high school days.
By Erika W. Smith
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For anyone who was in high school in the '90s, certain songs stick in your memory, taking you back to a time before cell phones, social media, and skinny jeans.
By Erika W. Smith
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You have to admire artists who take a song beloved by fans and remake it, and some covers of '70s songs ended up even better than the original tracks.
By Erika W. Smith
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Classic Rock
By Erika W. Smith
When a reunion tour goes right, it's a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and there are some '70s classic rock groups that many fans are hoping get back together.
By Erika W. Smith
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In the 1970s, music critics didn't hold back, but they sometimes misjudged rock fans, who adored critically panned songs by legends such as Queen and Bob Dylan.
By Erika W. Smith
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Take a hit classic rock song, give it to an A-list musician, and watch the money roll in. Job done? Not according to fans of the original, in these cases.
By Erika W. Smith
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The Beatles still hold the record for the most No. 1 Billboard hits, but this 1968 classic was also the song that stayed at the top the longest for them.
By Erika W. Smith
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These five songs from Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, and other artists have only gotten more romantic, moving, or poignant with the passage of time.
By Erika W. Smith
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From anti-war protests to environmental pleas and cathartic advice that would put any therapist to shame, these acclaimed songs from 1970 cut to life's core.
By Erika W. Smith
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