Billboard's weekly deep dive into the past, present and future of pop stardom, hosted by deputy editor Andrew Unterberger. New episodes every Thursday.
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In 1995, other alt-rock bands had bigger albums and bigger hits than Hole, but none dominated media and pop culture in quite the same way — mostly due to the increasingly high profile of explosive frontwoman Courtney Love, who became a celebrity thanks to her marriage to late rock icon Kurt Cobain, and spent '95 proving herself an equally iconic and brilliant artist in her own right. In this second week of our 2026 kickoff to our annual Vintage Almost-Pop Stardom mini-series — looking at close-but-not-quite pop stars during their biggest years — Lina Morgan of the Song vs. Song podcast joins to talk about Hole's and Love's greatest year of pop culture centrality, with "Doll Parts," "Violet," MTV Unplugged, Lollapalooza '95, and a particularly unforgettable showdown with Madonna at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Listen to the excellent Song vs. Song podcast here:
https://www.patreon.com/songvssong
Check out our 1995 Hole YouTube playlist here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDSujJgL70RA&si=5MfavVmk6GTyuqPf
And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:
Transgender Law Center
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org/
Destination Tomorrow
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising
Human Rights Campaign - In Your Area
https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area
Also, please consider 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
2006 Arctic Monkeys: Vintage Almost-Pop Stardom (with Thomas Smith)
Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 01:27:56
In 2006, Arctic Monkeys served as the culmination of a half-decade worth of much-hyped U.K. buzz bands, and finally experienced the biggest breakthrough any group had in its home country since Oasis a decade before — although it took them nearly a decade to make anywhere near the same impact stateside. In this second half of our 2026 kickoff to our annual Vintage Almost-Pop Stardom mini-series, looking at close-but-not-quite pop stars during their biggest years — also be sure to check out part one about 2006 Lily Allen— Thomas Smith of Billboard UK joins to dive into Arctic Monkeys during the group's once-in-a-generation year of 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' setting records and trends, even though the band couldn't avoid backlash even for the full year.
2006 Lily Allen Playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQcYuiBTg6VU&si=95K_2zIBEqVgCTM3
And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:
Transgender Law Center
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org/
Destination Tomorrow
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising
Human Rights Campaign - In Your Area
https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area
Also, please consider 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
2006 Lily Allen: Vintage Almost-Pop Stardom (with Sophie Williams)
Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 01:14:00
In 2006, Lily Allen was a much-needed breath of fresh air during a period in pop music that had gotten a little static and stale — although we didn't really get it in the U.S. until the next year, and then never to the same level as in her home country. In this first half of our 2026 kickoff to our annual Vintage Almost-Pop Stardom mini-series, looking at close-but-not-quite pop stars during their biggest years — be sure to also check out part two about 2006 Arctic Monkeys — Sophie Williams of Billboard UK joins to dive into all things Lily Allen during her singular breakout season, the year of "Smile," "LDN," 'Alright, Still,' and mini-feuds with just about the entire pop scene of 2006.
2006 Lily Allen Playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK_vydQf1SVg&si=uBjBw3GBS8gzgJ7o
And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:
Transgender Law Center
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org/
Destination Tomorrow
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising
Human Rights Campaign - In Your Area
https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area
Also, please consider 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 September 2026? Adéla, Ella Langley & Tinashe
Thursday, October 1, 2026 • Duration 01:17:48
On this Who Won the Month episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Trevor Anderson and Kyle Denis to discuss the big pop stars, rising prospects and veteran greats who were heard from loudest in September 2026 — who closed out the summer season in pop stardom in style. 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 final months of 2026.
If you enjoy the pod, check out out our Who Won the Month recaps for the first two months of 2026 and all 2025 here:
https://www.billboard.com/t/who-won-the-month/
And please consider donating to the following causes:
Transgender Law Center
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org/
Destination Tomorrow
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising
Human Rights Campaign – In Your Area
https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area
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/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2012 One Direction: Vintage Pop Stardom (With Jason Lipshutz)
Thursday, September 24, 2026 • Duration 01:36:33
In 2012, boy bands hadn't been a major part of the American pop marketplace in a decade — but by the end of the year, not only had X Factor alums One Direction (Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Niall Horan) crashed onto U.S. shores, they had absolutely taken the country over, releasing two Billboard 200-topping albums full of pop-rock bangers, swarming all of pop culture and marking a new era in social media and musical fandom. This episode of Vintage Pop Stardom sees host Andrew Unterberger joined by Billboard co-chief content officer (and author of the upcoming 1D book 'A Whole Lotta History') to remember the year that One Direction became One Direction, creating the closest thing to Beatlemania we saw in in the 2010s.
Check out a YouTube playlist of the biggest One Direction moments of 2012, all of which are discussed in the episode, here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFsrDcNsyDPk&si=R6jeXLev0oV__3QD
Pre-order Jason's 'A Whole Lotta History' here:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Whole-Lotta-History/Jason-Lipshutz/9781668205846
And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:
Transgender Law Center
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org/
Destination Tomorrow
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising
Human Rights Campaign - In Your Area
https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area
Also, please consider 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
The 2016 VMAs With Beyoncé, Rihanna & Drake: Great Moments in Pop Star History
Thursday, September 17, 2026 • Duration 01:20:50
The MTV Video Music Awards of 2016 represented the culmination of an era of pop music and culture, with career-apex-type performances from Beyoncé and Rihanna and huge moments for Drake and Kanye West, among plenty of other on-stage appearances from some of the biggest names of the period. On this Great Moments in Pop Star History episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Katie Atkinson to look at one of the most memorable Video Music Awards in the show's history, with moments that continue to delight, fascinate and confuse 10 years on.
And please consider donating to the following causes:
Transgender Law Center
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org/
Destination Tomorrow
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising
Human Rights Campaign – In Your Area
https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area
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/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Which Pop Stars Won August 2026? Olivia Rodrigo, Karol G, Stella Lefty & More
Thursday, September 10, 2026 • Duration 01:12:32
On this Who Won the Month episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Danielle Pascual and Eric Frankenberg to discuss the big pop stars, rising prospects and veteran greats who were heard from loudest in July 2026 — who closed out the summer season in pop stardom in style. 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 by the end of the summer of 2026.
If you enjoy the pod, check out out our Who Won the Month recaps for the first two months of 2026 and all 2025 here:
https://www.billboard.com/t/who-won-the-month/
And please consider donating to the following causes:
Transgender Law Center
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org/
Destination Tomorrow
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising
Human Rights Campaign – In Your Area
https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area
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/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chain Fields Festival: Pop Star Performance Review
Thursday, September 3, 2026 • Duration 01:05:57
The Daisy Chain Fields festival debuted at Great Park in Irvine, Calif. on Saturday (Aug. 29), with an 11-hour lineup of all female artists and female-led groups, capped by a headlining set from the festival's founder and curator: Olivia Rodrigo. On this Pop Star Performance Review episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard deputy editor Lyndsey Havens — who was in attendance for the full-day festival — to discuss the history being made by Daisy Chain Fields, and what it means for one of our current greatest pop stars to be able to present it to the world.
Read Lyndsey's recap of the festival here: https://www.billboard.com/lists/olivia-rodrigo-daisy-chain-fields-music-festival-recap/
And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:
Transgender Law Center
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org/
Destination Tomorrow
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising
Human Rights Campaign - In Your Area
https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area
Also, please consider 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
2006 Nelly Furtado: Vintage Pop Stardom (with Todd in the Shadows)
Thursday, August 27, 2026 • Duration 01:50:23
Nobody was waiting for the big Nelly Furtado comeback in 2006, but with some help from superproducer Timbaland, Furtado pivoted to a big new pop sound that very briefly made her one of the biggest — and 20 years later, most fondly remembered — pop hitmakers of her era. This episode of Vintage Pop Stardom sees host Andrew Unterberger joined by Song vs. Song podcast co-host and YouTube star Todd in the Shadows as we discuss how Nelly Furtado absolutely took over with her 'Loose' album and big hits "Promiscuous," "Maneater" and "Say It Right," and then disappeared from the mainstream almost immediately afterwards.
Check out a YouTube playlist of the biggest Nelly Furtado moments of 2006, all of which are discussed in the episode, here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdMepuBX1TTM&si=CMfcMBN491BNfl4X
Listen and subscribe to Song vs. Song here:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2ZPOSfyq3NwIsGGTPY1I10
Watch Todd in the Shadows' YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/@ToddintheShadows
And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:
Transgender Law Center
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org/
Destination Tomorrow
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising
Human Rights Campaign - In Your Area
https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area
Also, please consider 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
Megan Moroney & Ella Langley Live in Texas: Pop Star Performance Review
Thursday, August 20, 2026 • Duration 01:09:23
The Greatest Pop Stars podcast was choosin' Texas last weekend, as two of the biggest artists in country were playing back-to-back sold-out shows in the northern parts of the Lone Star State: Megan Moroney headlining the American Airlines Arena in Dallas on Friday night (Aug. 14), and Ella Langley topping the bill at Dickies Arena in Texas on Saturday (Aug. 15). Host Andrew Unterberger was there with this week's guest, Billboard contributor and Don't Rock the Inbox co-founder Natalie Weiner — and on this Pop Star Performance Review episode, they talk about the things these two breakout stars have in common (or not), and what their joint success says about country and pop music in 2026.
Read Natalie's article about the two concerts:
https://www.billboard.com/music/country/megan-moroney-ella-langley-texas-concerts-pop-crossover-1236318803/
Subscribe to Don't Rock the Inbox here:
https://www.dontrocktheinbox.com/
And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:
Transgender Law Center
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Trans Lifeline
https://translifeline.org/
Destination Tomorrow
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc
Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising
Human Rights Campaign - In Your Area
https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area
Also, please consider 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
Greatest Pop Stars, a podcast by Billboard - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data
