Testing Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Music Knowledge | The Track Star Podcast

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer joins The Track Star Podcast for a conversation that moves from Motown to modern Detroit, using music as a way into the state she represents.

Through artists like Madonna, Aretha Franklin, and Eminem, Whitmer reflects on growing up in Michigan, the state’s deep musical lineage, and how Detroit became a global center for sound, from the Motown assembly line to rock and hip-hop.

The conversation also opens up into something broader: how listening shapes leadership, why asking questions matters more than having answers, and how the small, often invisible systems of everyday life, from roads to water to schools, shape whether people have the space to create at all.

Listen to our extended playlist for this episode:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4TQ2g4ZX1NI6SXj6BYC17a?si=0670ce76a72742cd
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/the-track-star-podcast-episode-24/pl.u-11zBPLYINrg3rNY
YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJwfZsOZW3kVHMLsqHlzBigcGcjPPfkkm&si=g0FZaCmOsgF9sgrw

This Episode’s Tracklist:
00:00 - Intro
1:10 - Madonna – Into the Groove
3:13 - Aretha Franklin – Think
8:05 - Eminem – Lose Yourself
10:43 - The Supremes – Baby Love
14:40 - The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
24:33 - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – Against the Wind
27:57 - The Chicks – Not Ready to Make Nice
30:36 - Elton John – I’m Still Standing
36:48 - MC5 – Kick Out the Jams

New episodes of The Track Star Podcast drop every Wednesday. Let us know what artist, theme, or unexpected guest you want us to explore next.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1d5i6AQX4dZaO4MDCbdhjR
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-track-star-podcast/id1836496108
iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-track-star-podcast-294088650/
More platforms: https://play.megaphone.fm/f-rd86qotxojfhckdq6uaa

Track Star Team: Jack Coyne, Kieran Coyne, Henry Kornaros, Haley Sobel, Noah John, Alex Fabry, Sarah Mann, Ellie Aslanian, Ryan Dirgins, Lauren Kennedy