Greatest Pop Stars

Sly & the Family Stone's 1969: Vintage Pop Stardom Jun 19, 2025

In 1969, Sly Stone and his Family Stone band reached superstardom and just kept climbing, with timeless singles, a classic album, and several of the year's most legendary live performances. On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Joe Lynch to pay tribute to the late Sly Stone with a look at his band's greatest year, one that saw him reach a level of all-consuming pop stardom that few have ever matched in the decades since.

And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠⁠⁠5Calls.org⁠⁠⁠.

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The Beach Boys' 1966: Vintage Pop Stardom Jun 17, 2025

In 1966, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys realized all their greatest artistic and commercial ambitions -- though not always at the same time -- with their 'Pet Sounds' album and "Good Vibrations" single, making for one of the greatest years in U.S. pop history. On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Katie Atkinson to pay tribute to the late Brian Wilson with a look at his greatest year, one whose music and lore continues to reverberate in pop music and culture multiple generations later.

And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠⁠5Calls.org⁠⁠.

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"Weird Al" Yankovic's "Eat It": Great Moments in Pop Star History Jun 12, 2025

On this week's Great Moments in Pop Star History episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Rebecca Milzoff to talk about her recent cover story subject, 'Weird Al' Yankovic, and his 1984 breakout hit "Eat It." We dive into the context that allowed "Weird Al" to crash the charts and MTV over 40 years ago and has allowed him to remain pretty much consistently popular for every decade since, and also dive into Yankovic's history with Michael Jackson and with junk food, and break down the feud between "Eat It" guitarist/producer Rick Derringer and Eddie Van Halen.

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Which Pop Stars Won May 2025? Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen & More Jun 05, 2025

On this week's episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard charts staffers Trevor Anderson and Eric Frankenberg to discuss the big pop stars and rising prospects who dominated May 2025 in pop stardom. We each choose our top fives for the month that was, then we talk some disappointing recent performances, and look ahead to who we're most anticipating hearing more from in the months to come.

If you enjoy the pod, check out our first three 2025 recaps:

Greatest Pop Stars of January 2025:

https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/greatest-pop-stars-podcast-who-wan-january-2025-1235894372/

Greatest Pop Stars of February 2025:

https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/greatest-pop-stars-podcast-who-won-february-2025-1235916447/

Greatest Pop Stars of March 2025:

https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/greatest-pop-stars-podcast-march-2025-who-won-the-month-1235938460/

Greatest Pop Stars of April 2025:

https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/greatest-pop-stars-podcast-who-won-april-2025-1235959818/

And please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠⁠5Calls.org⁠⁠.

https://5calls.org/

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1995 Hootie & The Blowfish: Vintage Pop Stardom May 29, 2025

It was the Year of Hootie: In 1995, an unassuming group of good-time frat-rockers unexpectedly became the biggest thing in popular music, with hit after hit and over 10 million in sales -- but their fall from pop stardom would come just as quickly and dramatically as their rise. On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Christine Werthman to look at the wildest one-and-done crossover year of any mid-'90s artist, and whether Hootie and the Blowfish deserve a better legacy than they currently have.

And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠5Calls.org⁠ -- and if you're in the D.C. area this weekend (May 30-31), definitely check out Liberation Weekend, a music festival supporting trans rights with an incredible lineup of trans artists and allies.

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Pop Star Performance Review: Morgan Wallen's New Album & Festival May 22, 2025

In addition to releasing his 37-track 'I'm the Problem' album last weekend (May 16), Morgan Wallen also headlined the first installment of his self-curated Sand in My Boots Festival in Alabama. On this week's Pop Star Performance Review, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by music and culture writer Meaghan Garvey -- who both recapped Sand in My Boots for Billboard and reviewed 'I'm the Problem' for Pitchfork -- to go over the weekend in Wallen, and how (if at all) it's changed our perception of him as an artist and as a pop star.

Meghan's Sand in My Boots recap and 'I'm the Problem' review:

https://www.billboard.com/music/country/sand-in-my-boots-fest-morgan-wallen-1235975456/

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/morgan-wallen-im-the-problem/

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following trans rights causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism ⁠⁠⁠of Erin Reed⁠⁠⁠ and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠⁠⁠5Calls.org⁠⁠⁠.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/

https://5calls.org/

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Maren Morris: Is She a Pop Star? May 15, 2025

On this week's Greatest Pop Stars, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by country writer Marissa Moss to size up the career of the country hitmaker Maren Morris, and ask the fundamental question: Is Maren a pop star? Along the way, we relive the major moments in her career, from becoming a country phenom the mid-'10s, to scoring massive crossover hits in the late decade and ultimately falling out with the country world -- but now reinventing herself with the fantastic new 'Dreamsicle' album.

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following trans rights causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism ⁠⁠of Erin Reed⁠⁠ and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠⁠5Calls.org⁠⁠.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/

https://5calls.org/

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Lorde's "Ribs": Great Moments in Pop Star History May 08, 2025

On this week's Great Moments in Pop Star History episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Hannah Dailey to talk about one of the most beloved pop non-singles of this century (and an unlikely recent Billboard Hot 100 debut): Lorde's "Ribs." We share when we first came to connect to the song, what makes it such an important song for the generation of pop fans who grew up with it, and whether it might one day pass "Royals" to be seen as Lorde's most-acclaimed, most-beloved song.

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following trans rights causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism ⁠of Erin Reed⁠ and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠5Calls.org⁠.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/

https://5calls.org/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which Pop Stars Won April 2025? Kendrick & SZA, Gaga, Lorde & More May 01, 2025

On this week's episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Stephen Daw and Eric Frankenberg to discuss the pop stars who dominated a live-heavy April 2025 in pop stardom. We each choose our top fives for the month that was, then we talk some disappointing recent performances, and look ahead to who we're most anticipating hearing more from in the months to come.

If you enjoy the pod, check out our first three 2025 recaps:

Greatest Pop Stars of January 2025:

https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/greatest-pop-stars-podcast-who-wan-january-2025-1235894372/

Greatest Pop Stars of February 2025:

https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/greatest-pop-stars-podcast-who-won-february-2025-1235916447/

Greatest Pop Stars of March 2025:

https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/greatest-pop-stars-podcast-march-2025-who-won-the-month-1235938460/

And please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism ⁠of Erin Reed⁠ and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠5Calls.org⁠.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/

https://5calls.org/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kendrick Lamar & SZA's Stadium Tour Kickoff: Pop Star Performance Review Apr 24, 2025

On this Pop Star Performance Review of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard deputy editor Joe Lynch -- a Minnesota native who was in attendance for the show at Minneapolis' U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday (Apr. 19) -- to go full "30 for 30" on the kickoff of Kendrick Lamar & SZA's Grand National tour, the year's most anticipated pop trek. Joe answers all our questions about the experience, from the crowd to the staging to the pacing to the energy to the "A minorrrrrrrrr.....," and concludes whether or not this felt like a proper stadium tour from two of the greatest pop stars of the 2020s.

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Vintage Pop Stardom: 2005 50 Cent (with Carl Lamarre & Michael Saponara) Apr 17, 2025

After became the hottest rapper in the game in 2003, 50 Cent returned in 2005 arguably bigger and more omnipresent than ever -- but after two years where it felt like he couldn't miss, 50's strike rate was finally starting to slip a little. On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard Hip-Hop's Carl Lamarre andMichael Saponara to continue celebrating our 2005 Week -- with 2005-themed content all this week (Apr. 14-18) on Billboard.com -- with a look at the year when 50 Cent still ruled all of hip-hop and pop, but where his fall from superstardom was now on the horizon.

Find all of Billboard's 2005 Week stuff here:

https://www.billboard.com/t/2005-week/

And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism of Erin Reed and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/

https://5calls.org/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vintage Pop Stardom: 2005 Ciara (with Natalie Weiner) Apr 14, 2025

After breaking through in late 2004, with her Goodies album and its seven-week Billboard Hot 100-topping title track, Ciara stayed winning all throughout 2005 -- with a run of top five hits that made her one of the biggest top 40 hitmakers, but which she had trouble equaling later in her career. On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by former Billboard writer Natalie Weiner to kick of our 2005 Week -- with 2005-themed content coming all next week (Apr. 14-18) on Billboard.com -- with a look at the year when Ciara defined mid-'00s pop music with a peerless run of still-beloved smashes.

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism of Erin Reed and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/

https://5calls.org/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vintage Pop Stardom: 2005 Green Day (with Eric Renner Brown) Apr 10, 2025

Green Day entered 2005 at the center of popular music for the second time in its career -- but the first time in a decade. On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Eric Renner Brown to preview our upcoming 2005 Week -- with 2005-themed content coming all next week (Apr. 14-18) on Billboard.com -- with a look at the year when Green Day springboarded from its comeback album (and single) 'American Idiot' to the biggest pop hits, videos and live shows of its career -- ending the year as the biggest rock band (and one of the biggest pop acts) in the world.

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism of Erin Reed and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/

https://5calls.org/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which Pop Stars Won March 2025? Apr 03, 2025

On this week's episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Kyle Denis and Danielle Pascual to discuss the pop stars who dominated a comeback-heavy March 2025 in pop stardom. We each choose our top fives for the month that was, then we talk some disappointing recent performances, and look ahead to who we're most anticipating hearing more from as winter turns to spring.

If you enjoy the pod, check out our first two 2025 recaps:

Greatest Pop Stars of January 2025:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4VmxZrL0P2Yv7JEt9IXdhF?si=196670ad2a744b0b

Greatest Pop Stars of February 2025:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6SMNh13HnopRm8n6YmqRkm?si=7e8b592f58a34820

And please consider donating to the following causes (and check out our Trans Day of Visibility discussion with eight trans and non-binary artists):

https://www.billboard.com/lists/trans-day-visibility/

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism of Erin Reed and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/

https://5calls.org/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Great Moments in Pop Star History: Selena Gomez's "Bad Liar" Mar 27, 2025

On this week's Great Moments in Pop Star History episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Jason Lipshutz, to talk about one of the most fascinating pop songs of the last decade, Selena Gomez's "Bad Liar." We look at why the song enraptured us upon release, why it won over so many critics but stalled on the charts, and whether it ended up being the major turning point in Selena Gomez's career that we thought it might be at the time.

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following trans rights causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism of Erin Reed and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/

https://5calls.org/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vintage Pop Stardom: 1995 Madonna (with Keith Caulfield) Mar 20, 2025

By 1995, Madonna was no longer the center-of-everything top 40 force she was a decade earlier, but she still a massive star about to enter one of the most fascinating phases of her career. On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Keith Caulfield of the Billboard charts department (and the Pop Shop Podcast) to discuss the Queen of Pop's 1995. We cover her 'Bedtime Stories' and 'Something to Remember' eras and how it all led up to 'Evita,' as she scored huge pop hits and pivoted to a more adult cross-platform stardom, but maintained the envelope-pushing edge that made her so enduringly vital.

1995 Madonna YouTube Playlist:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwFs58D1XAMZcTkwyaUHB8zRjUxqCc3QK&si=-XpD-FfzHrZis7Zr

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism of Erin Reed and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.

https://www.erininthemorning.com/

https://5calls.org/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rollout Report Card: Lady Gaga's 'Mayhem' Mar 13, 2025

We're spending the first Greatest Pop Stars episode since the long-awaited Friday (March 7) release of Lady Gaga's 'Mayhem' talking about the entire album era, with a new series we're calling the Pop Star Rollout Report Card. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Stephen Daw and Eric Frankenberg to evaluate everything that has gone into this Gaga era so far -- the old songs and the new songs of course, but also all her many interviews and performances, and what it all adds up to for each of us at the end of this extended rollout.

Lady Gaga's 'Mayhem' Rollout YouTube Playlist

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center.

Trans Lifeline

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism of Erin Reed and

giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which Pop Stars Won February 2025? Mar 06, 2025

On this week's episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Meghan Mahar and Mike Sapoanra to discuss the pop stars who dominated an impressively packed February 2025 in pop stardom. We each choose our top fives for the month that was, then we talk some disappointing recent performances, and look ahead to who we're most anticipating hearing more from as winter turns to spring.

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center.

Trans Lifeline

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

And subscribe to the trans legislation journalism of Erin Reed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Great Moments in Pop History: Jay-Z, Beyoncé & Solange See Grizzly Bear in Brooklyn (2009) Feb 27, 2025

As unremarkable as it would probably seem in 2025, when Solange brought her sister Beyoncé and Bey's husband Jay-Z to go check out a Brooklyn show by the indie band Grizzly Bear back in 2009, it ended up being major headline news -- and shaping and reflecting the careers of all four artists. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Stereogum writer Chris DeVille -- whose book Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion covers the complete context behind this moment -- to unpack this iconic point on the pop-meets-indie timeline, what made it so notable at the time, and what it would might look like if something equivalent happened today.

Listen here, pre-order Such Great Heights here, and if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center.

Trans Lifeline

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Pop Star Performance Improvement Plan for Drake; Plus Kendrick, Sabrina, SNL 50 & More From a Busy Pop Weekend Feb 20, 2025

Following the Grammys and the Super Bowl, it was yet another packed February weekend for pop stardom. Host Andrew Unterberger and regular GPS guest Kyle Denis hop around the cultural landscape to talk about big pop star moments from NBA All-Star Weekend and the 'SNL' 50th anniversary celebration, as well as big moments for Sabrina Carpenter, Selena Gomez and Kendrick Lamar. And of course, we cap it all with an extended look at Drake's comeback, and a strictly defined Pop Star Performance Improvement Plan that we're putting him on to help get him back on track for the rest of the decade.

Listen here, and if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center:

Trans Lifeline

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vintage Pop Stardom: 1985 Phil Collins (with Chris Molanphy) Feb 13, 2025

No one could've seen him coming, but by 1985, Phil Collins was one of the biggest, hardest working and most sheerly unavoidable pop stars on the planet -- and also one of the greatest. On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by pop and chart history expert Chris Molanphy to remember all things '85 Phil -- including "Easy Lover," 'No Jacket Required' and its many hits, 'Miami Vice,' and both coasts of Live Aid -- and answer the improbable question: Was Phil Collins the Greatest Pop Star of 1985?

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center:

Trans Lifeline

The Trevor Project

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Greatest Pop Star Instant Reaction: How'd Kendrick Lamar Do at the Super Bowl? Feb 11, 2025

It's our Greatest Pop Star of 2024's biggest moment yet! After many months of buzz and controversy, Kendrick Lamar took the stage at Super Bowl LIX to cap his last year of triumph, delivering one of the most-anticipated halftime show sets of our lifetime. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Eric Frankenberg and Meghan Mahar to discuss how Kendrick did in his career-culminating gig, what it means for his pop stardom moving forward, what parts of it feel like instantly iconic moments and what parts feel more like missed opportunities.

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Which Pop Stars Won January 2025? Feb 06, 2025

On this week's episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Stephen Daw and Kyle Denis to discuss the pop stars who are leading the Greatest Pop Stars race for 2025 after one month (plus Grammy weekend in February). We each choose our top fives, then we talk some disappointing starts to the season, and make some predictions about who we're going to be talking about at the end of February.

If you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center: https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Great Moments in Pop Star History: 2015 Grammys Jan 30, 2025

Beyoncé's first big AOTY loss! Sam Smith's career night! #WhoIsBeck?! Kanye doing stuff! It's the 2015 Grammys, a pivotal awards night with nearly all the biggest pop stars of the mid-2010s in attendance. On this episode of Greatest Pop Stars, we debut our Great Moments in Pop Star History series, with host Andrew Unterberger joined by Pop Shop Podcast co-host Katie Atkinson to recall the unforgettable night, which set a lot of the narratives into motion that hang over the Grammys to this day -- and may very well resurface at the awards again this Sunday.

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Vintage Pop Stardom: 2005 Kelly Clarkson (with Todd in the Shadows) Jan 23, 2025

On this week's episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, we're debuting our Vintage Pop Stardom series format -- looking at one pop star at one of their peak years, and going deep into everything that made their year so great and so fun and so impactful. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by YouTube's Todd in the Shadows to talk about all things 2005 Kelly Clarkson, the year of "Since U Been Gone," "AHHHHH KELLY CLARKSON" and Kelly's official breakaway from 'American Idol' as she rose to unquestioned pop-rock superstardom.

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Who Will Be the Greatest Pop Stars of 2025? A Fantasy Draft Jan 16, 2025

Welcome back to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast! Today, we kick off 2025 with some predictions for the year to come -- in the form of a fantasy pop star draft. Billboard's Andrew Unterberger is joined by fellow staffers Jason Lipshutz, Meghan Mahar and Kyle Denis to draft rosters of 2025 pop stars who we believe are going to define and dominate the year to come -- as well as some potential sleeper picks, comeback hopefuls, and even a few "pop stars" from outside the world of music.

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Greatest Pop Stars of 2024, Nos. 2 & 1: Sabrina Carpenter & Kendrick Lamar Dec 23, 2024

We finish our Greatest Pop Stars of 2024 top 10 countdown this episode with a look back at our Nos. 2 and 1 artists, unveiled this Monday on Billboard.com. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Mike Saponara and Meghan Mahar to talk about the years in Sabrina Carpenter and Kendrick Lamar (26:30). We remember all the essential moments from their respective incredible years, debating the case for No. 1 between the two of them -- and explaining why we ultimately made the call we made -- and then saving some of their year's best moments for our 2024 Time Capsule, and making predictions about their respective 2025s.

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Greatest Pop Stars of 2024, Nos. 6-3: Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan & Taylor Swift Dec 20, 2024

We continue our Greatest Pop Stars of 2024 top 10 countdown this episode with a look back at our Nos. 6 through 3 artists, unveiled this week on Billboard.com. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Stephen Daw and Hannah Dailey to dive deep into the Greatest Pop Star cases for Ariana Grande, Charli XCX (25:30), Chappell Roan (1:05:30) and Taylor Swift (1:42:30) -- explaining why each of them made the list (and debating whether they could or should have finished even higher), saving some of their year's best moments for our 2024 Time Capsule and making predictions about their respective 2025s.

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Greatest Pop Stars of 2024, Nos. 10-7: Jelly Roll, Billie Eilish, Post Malone & Beyoncé Dec 17, 2024

We kick off our Greatest Pop Stars of 2024 top 10 countdown this episode with a look back at our Nos. 10 through 7 artists, unveiled this week on Billboard.com. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Jason Lipshutz and Eric Frankenberg to do some quick 2024-in-review recapping, then to run down the cases for Jelly Roll (3:00), Billie Eilish (21:30), Post Malone (38:00) and Beyoncé (59:30) -- explaining why each of them made the list (and in some cases, making the argument for why they could have finished even higher), saving some of their year's best moments for our 2024 Time Capsule and making predictions about their respective 2025s.

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Greatest Pop Stars of 2024: Honorable Mentions, Rookie, Comeback & Best of the Rest Dec 13, 2024

Our Greatest Pop Stars of 2024 series gets underway with a look at our 10 Honorable Mention artists -- the stars who were great enough this year to get into the discussion but not quite onto our top 10. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Kyle Denis and Eric Renner Brown as we go over their cases -- and whether we disagree with any of them not making the proper list -- and then also discuss our Rookie (Shaboozey) and Comeback (Hozier) of the Year artists, and give shouts to some pop stars who couldn't quite make the cut this year but still deserve mention.

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21st Century List Recap With AJ Marks & Final Thank Yous Dec 06, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by AJ Marks, moderator of Reddit's r/Popheads forum and host of the stellar Main Pod Girl podcast, to help look back at our list's top 10, and the entire Greatest Pop Stars project. We talk about whether our rankings (and the criteria used for them) made sense to AJ, let him air out some of his own list-related grievances, and run through the categories one more time with AJ choosing from all 25 artists. Then, Andrew closes with some final thanks to the people who helped make the project possible.

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21st Century No. 1: Beyoncé Dec 04, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Beyoncé lifers Trevor Anderson and Kyle Denis to pay homage to the Queen, our No. 1 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st century. We break down the case for Bey as the greatest of the past 25 years, then remember her entire career -- from Destiny's Child fromwoman to solo pop superstar to industry-shifting albums artist to bar-setting veteran -- before playing a little "A or Bey" and breaking down some personal favorite songs, moments, performances and oddities from her peerless body of work.

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21st Century No. 2: Taylor Swift Nov 27, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by renowned Swiftie (and GPS essay writer) Hannah Dailey and former Woman of the Decade cover story author Jason Lipshutz to remember the one-and-only career of our No. 2 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Taylor Swift. We remember all the twists and turns that have brought Swift to her status now as the unquestioned biggest pop star on the planet, and discuss the reasons behind our incredibly difficult decision to place her at No. 2 on our list.

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21st Century No. 3: Rihanna Nov 20, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staff writer Kyle Denis and senior branded content producer/writer Walaa Elsiddig to remember the iconic career of our No. 3 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Rihanna. We remember everything there is to remember about Rihanna's incredible 13-year run at the center of pop music (and fashion and social media and everything else), and how even after the eight-year wait since her most-recent album -- with no end to that in sight -- she remains a towering figure in pop culture.

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21st Century No. 4: Drake Nov 13, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop team's Carl Lamarre and Michael Saponara to remember the brilliant career of our No. 4 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Drake. We try to explain why even though Drake doesn't fit the most classic pop star profile, he was still able to achieve the numbers, the impact and the overall greatness to make him one of the century's most important mainstream artists -- and we recount what made his recent L so shocking, and how he might still bounce back from it.

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21st Century No. 5: Lady Gaga Nov 06, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard Pride editor Stephen Daw and executive digital director Katie Atkinson to remember the brilliant career of our No. 5 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Lady Gaga. We try to capture what made Gaga's turn-of-the-'10s peak so shocking, so singular and so important, and remember the winding and occasionally rocky road Mother Monster took from there to where she is today, as one of the still-vital hitmakers and marquee touring artists of all 21st-century pop.

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21st Century No. 6: Britney Spears Oct 30, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard executive digital director Joe Lynch and senior charts/data analyst Eric Frankenberg to talk about our No. 6 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st century, Britney Spears. We talk about Britney's incomparably iconic 2000s run and the classic albums, singles, videos, performances and cultural moments that cemented her legacy -- as well as the triumphs and tragedies of her last 20 years in the limelight, and the few timing factors largely holding her back from making the list's top five.

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21st Century No. 7: Kanye West Oct 25, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B's Angel Diaz and Michael Saponara to talk about our No. 7 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Kanye West. We talk about how Kanye became both one of the greatest artists of his generation and one of the most all-consuming stars and celebrities -- and then, how over the past decade, he both retreated from pop stardom and did serious damage to his own legacy with some of his comments and actions.

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21st Century No. 8: Justin Bieber Oct 23, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Josh Glicksman and Kristen Wisneski to talk about our No. 8 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Justin Bieber. We talk about what makes The Bieb the highest-ranked traditional male pop artist on our list, and why his rise to ubiquity was still very representative of (and impactful on) the 21st century -- while also sharing some personal memories of peak Bieber Fever and attempting to defend some of his less successful periods.

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21st Century No. 9: Ariana Grande Oct 18, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staff writers Kyle Denis and Hannah Dailey to talk about our No. 9 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Ariana Grande. We make the case -- not obvious to or agreed upon by all -- that she is one of the 10 greatest pop stars of the century so far, despite being a relatively newer artist, and how everything from her deep cuts to her romantic drama to her evolving album rollout strategy to her sometimes-contentious relationship with her fans has helped make her an era-defining icon.

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21st Century No. 10: Adele Oct 16, 2024

Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by returning guests Joe Lynch and Jason Lipshutz to talk about our No. 10 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Adele. We debate what should weigh more on Adele's ranking on this list -- the fact that she only has four total albums to her name, or that two of them were among the biggest albums in pop music history -- while also trying to explain what made Adele such an unusual (and successful) phenomenon among 2010s pop music, and giving our hopes and predictions as to where her career may take her from here.

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21st Century No. 11: Usher & 25-11 Recap W/ AJ Marks Oct 11, 2024

This week on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by returning guests Kyle Denis and Trevor Anderson to talk all things Usher Raymond, about how incredible his '00s peak was, and how his recent '20s run was able to confirm his overall legacy. Then (at around 1:26:00), r/Popheads moderator AJ Marks joins the podcast to talk about the first 15 artists on the list so far, which rankings and snubs he disagrees with and his predictions for the top 10.

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21st Century Nos. 13 & 12: Nicki Minaj & Eminem Oct 04, 2024

This week, we've got a pair of "Roman's Revenge" collaborators in Nicki Minaj and Eminem. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by honorary Barbz Meghan Mahar and Michael Saponara to talk about the Queen of Rap's trailblazing career in pop and hip-hop. Then (at 48:58), it's a Billboard Unfiltered crossover, as Carl Lamarre and Damien Scott join to discuss the peaks and valleys of Eminem's unparalleled run of crossover superstardom, and talk about why his first three years of the century compare with any other pop star of our lifetime.

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21st Century Nos. 15 & 14: Miley Cyrus & Justin Timberlake Sep 27, 2024

This week, we've got a pair of Tennessee natives in Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by a pair of Smilers in Billboard Social's Danielle Pascual and Billboard Pride's Stephen Daw to talk about how they've grown up with Miley over the past 18 years. Then (at 59:03), Jason Lipshutz and Trevor Anderson return to Greatest Pop Stars to track the highs and lows of Justin Timberlake, and explain why you had to be there to understand just how great he was at his '00s peak.

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21st Century Nos. 17 & 16: Shakira & Jay-Z Sep 20, 2024

This week, we've got two artists who go back even further than the beginning of the 21st century: Shakira & Jay-Z. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Isabela Raygoza and Sigal Ratner-Arias of Billboard Español to talk about Shak's emergence as a global superstar and how she's maintained that status for 20-plus years, and then (38:38) Billboard Hip-Hop's Angel Diaz and Michael Saponara tap in to discuss Hov's reign as the closest thing to a consensus greatest rapper of all time, and how he also intersected and helped shape the pop world at his peak.

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21st Century Nos. 19 & 18: BTS & The Weeknd Sep 13, 2024

This week, it's a 2020 flashback as Billboard takes on perhaps the two biggest pop acts of the first year of this decade: BTS and The Weeknd. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined first by Jason Lipshutz and Billboard K-pop correspondent Jeff Benjamin to go deep on the Bangtan Boys and their global impact as hitmakers and generational spokesmen, then Kyle Denis and Senior R&B/Hip-Hop/Afrobeats Writer Heran Mamo stop by to talk Abel Tesfaye (1:08:05), and how a guy who emerged in the shadows eventually scored the biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit of all time.

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21st Century Nos. 21 & 20: Lil Wayne & Bruno Mars Sep 06, 2024

This week on Greatest Pop Stars, we're talking about the men in the "Mirror": Lil Wayne (No. 21) and Bruno Mars (No. 20). First, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Kyle Denis and Carl Lamarre to talk about the pop star qualifications of the self-proclaimed best rapper alive -- the peerlessly prolific Lil Wayne -- and then Andrew and Kyle return with Trevor Anderson to discuss the immaculately curated catalog of Bruno Mars (45:40), the rare pop star without a single true flop on his resume.

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21st Century Nos. 23 & 22: Bad Bunny and One Direction Aug 30, 2024

This week Billboard goes international, with Puerto Rico's Bad Bunny (No. 23) and England's One Direction (No. 22)! Host Andrew Unterberger is joined first by BB's preeminent Conejos, Isabela Raygoza and Emily Fuentes, to talk about Bad Bunny's historic rise to superstardom, and then staff Directioners Danielle Pascual and Rylee Johnston check in to discuss how 1D changed pop stardom (and pop standom) in the 2010s.

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21st Century Nos. 25 & 24: Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran Aug 23, 2024

Our countdown is officially underway with our first two Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century: Katy Perry (No. 25) and Ed Sheeran (No. 24)! Billboard's Andrew Unterberger and Jason Lipshutz are joined by longtime KatyKat Joe Lynch to remember the dizzying highs of Perry's early-2010s run, then Sheeran superfan (don't call her a Sheerio!) Walaa Elsiddiq comes on to discuss Ed's unlikely rise from coffeehouses to stadiums.

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Introduction to 21st Century & Our 25 Honorable Mentions Aug 19, 2024

Welcome to the 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century! Before we start counting down our top 25 over the next four months, Billboard's deputy editor Andrew Unterberger, executive director of music Jason Lipshutz and staff writer Kyle Denis quickly run through the best of the rest -- the pop stars from Nelly to Billie Eilish who were the absolute toughest cuts from our list.

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