CHICAGO — I have known Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot for many years now, decades actually, because we have worked in various forms of communication, which have included newspapering, book writing and radio, sometimes at the same places, and I have long respected what they do in the world of popular music, though that world has long passed me by. But I’m better and smarter now, having spent much of the last month or so on a serious trip into the world of contemporary music by listening to dozens of episodes of Kot and DeRogatis’ long-running radio program, which is called “Sound Opinions.”

Syndicated to 100 public radio stations nationally via PRX and available online at soundopinions.org, it is a show with deep roots in Chicago. Earlier, there were some other co-hosts working with Dero (as DeRogatis is known) and Kot. There have been various radio homes. But once they formed a team, when Dero still wrote for the Sun-Times and Kot for the Tribune, things began to click and the show became a hit.

While the guys kept writing (and while DeRogatis taught at Columbia College), the show was celebrated on the occasion of its 500th show — and now with its 1,000th episode on the horizon (airing Jan. 24, 2025), I thought it a good idea to check in.

And so here they are, no longer newspaper guys but still influenced by colleagues from that realm and lessons learned there. I thought we might all get together but worried that our conversation would be filled with too much laughter, memories and digs at people we mutually disdained, so we communicated via email.

DeRogatis wrote, “Generally speaking, I am not one to look back — I hadn’t even realized that Greg and I have been at this ‘Sound Opinions’ thing for more than 25 years, though from the one- or two-page outline we follow as we record each week’s episode, I knew we were counting up toward 1,000.

Still, the show I am proudest of, and most looking forward to, always is the next one. What artists or albums have us excited to talk about this week, or what did we have expectations for that let us down? We always want to share that enthusiasm with the audience — our friends, even if we’ve met only a fraction of them — or warn them off a hype that we feel is overrated. Not that we ever consider ourselves the last word on anything we review.

Secret No. 1 of our longevity is that we approach every episode and every topic as simply starting the conversation. Here are our thoughts; now we want to hear what you think! The other secret is that we are always most excited about the next musical discovery. Any critic in any of the arts who’s worth their salt should always be thinking that way. My critical hero and former colleague Roger Ebert didn’t say, “I’ve seen ‘La Dolce Vita’ and ‘Vertigo,’ I never have to sit in the balcony again.” He was excited every time the lights went down and the screen lit up. So it is with us and the sound player of the moment. What’s next? Tune in, and turn it up!”

Kot also responded: “We were inspired to start a talk show about music that mirrored the conversations our mentors Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert had about movies. Dero and I have been debating music ever since we were rival rock critics at the Sun-Times and the Tribune starting in the early ‘90s, so taking that give-and-take to radio felt natural. We always saw ‘Sound Opinions’ as a conversation-starter with our listeners about music, artists and culture, whether we were interviewing Aimee Mann, reviewing Kendrick Lamar’s latest single or picking the year’s top album. We’re not radio ‘professionals’ by any stretch, as anyone will notice within minutes of tuning in. But we try to keep it conversational, connect the past to the present, and remain curious about how music shifts to reflect the times we live in. From a personal standpoint, the show never feels like a chore,” he responded. “We appreciate that so many folks have come along for the ride.”

I am one of those people now, along for the ride, taken by episodes devoted to Jamila Woods, Buddy Guy and some character I have never heard of but glad I got to know, named Bob Mould. Kot and DeRogatis are lively hosts, probing, smart and with a non-confrontational tone. I have learned about new sounds and gained insight into the people who make them. I have also been drawn back to some of the host’s books, specifically Kot’s terrific biography of Mavis Staples, “I’ll Take You There,” and DeRogatis’ chillingly powerful “Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly.”

I also checked in with Joe Shanahan who, as owner of Metro, Smartbar and Gman Tavern, is an esteemed independent promoter and the most knowledgeable music man I know. “I have had a front seat since these guys started together, from the beginning,” he says. “I watched the show start sort as an entertainment but soon realized it was quickly developing a depth, historical and substantial.”

“I know a great deal about music but I found that I was always learning something new from the show. The thing is they have been able to remind fans through all these years. It’s in their DNA and I’ll be listening to the next 1,000 shows.”

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