Explore every episode of the podcast Pop Could Never Save Us
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BONUS: Vox Lux featuring Dave Moore - Pop Hacks In An Age Of Pop Genius | 19 Jun 2025 | 00:59:49 | |
Holly and critic Dave Moore (https://www.otherdavemoore.com) talk about the 2018 pop movie Vox Lux, directed by Brady Corbet (director of the Oscar-winning The Brutalist), and why its nihilistic interpretation of manufactured Millennial teenpop is incoherent, wrong, and - worst of all - boring. This is Part 1 - Part 2 will follow shortly. A full list of songs and audio clips used in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/79vvk88c All audio clips are used for the purposes of criticism. | |||
| BONUS: You Ain't Got No Blackboard | 01 Oct 2024 | 01:03:29 | |
In the first of a series of bonus episodes around pop music movies, Holly and James investigate the moral panic over the 1955 movie Blackboard Jungle, and try and understand why Bill Haley had those theatre seats ripped. | |||
| Country Matters (UK Official Charts 13th-19th September 2024) | 13 Sep 2024 | 00:57:26 | |
Holly and James discuss revenge, cunnilingus and warmly welcome a once featured guest to Valhalla. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) Taste - Sabrina Carpenter 2) BACKBONE - Chase and Status and Stormzy 3) Die With A Smile - Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga 4) Don't Look Back In Anger - Oasis 5) HOT TO GO! - Chappell Roan A full list of all songs featured in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/uqipcosa | |||
| BONUS: Shamrock Supernova | 28 Aug 2024 | 01:11:20 | |
In a chilled out bonus ep edited by James, he and Holly discuss the movie Kneecap (2024) featuring the republican Irish rap group Kneecap, and the coke-dusted evil of the Oasis reunion tour. They also try unsuccessfully not to get cancelled. | |||
| Pop Could Never Save Us and it's the same but there's different songs so it's not (UK Charts 9-15th August 2024) | 15 Aug 2024 | 01:22:18 | |
Holly and James talk about underwear. An odyssey through the changing in the role of gender and irony since the 2000s. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) Guess - Charli XCX feat. Billie Eilish 2) Good Luck, Babe! - Chappell Roan 3) Stargazing - Myles Smith 4) Austin - Dasha 5) Kisses - Bl3ss feat. bbyclose
7) Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen A full list of the songs used in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/bq8f6y76 | |||
| S301 - Guess Who's Back (UK Official Charts 19-25 July 2024) | 31 Jul 2024 | 01:35:49 | |
Tell a friend. Holly and James are back. Songs featured in the episode:
A full list of all songs featured on the episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/r5f5es36 | |||
| Stan Wars featuring Fandom Critic Monia Ali | 03 Apr 2024 | 01:25:20 | |
Holly sits down for a long chat with Monia Ali of the Fandom Exile Substack to discuss stan culture, online platforms, the industry's hand in shaping our current media landscape, and how Louis Tomlinson's career was kneecapped to ensure the success of Harry Styles. Monia's Fandom Exile newsletter can be found here: https://exiledfan.substack.com A list of all songs and video clips played in the episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/42ko2dru | |||
| Eras Tour Special - Part 2 | 04 Mar 2024 | 01:02:13 | |
Holly and James continue watching Taylor Swift's Eras tour. Holly geeks out over songwriting, while James endures it. And this episode ends with a good moral for the kids! A full list of songs played in the episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/s6fx6fhv | |||
| Eras Tour Special - Part 1 | 27 Feb 2024 | 00:58:35 | |
If you haven't heard enough people talking about Taylor Swift yet, have we got a show for you! Holly and James sit down at their moss-covered podcasting desks to talk about Taylor Swift's Eras Tour movie and her surprising lack of chart megastardom until the pando. A full list of songs used in this episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/vz277mym | |||
| 08R PART 2 - UK Top 40 (28th September - 4th October 2018) - The World No Longer Cares About Your Rhymes | 23 Sep 2023 | 01:21:03 | |
It's the final episode of Pop Could Never Save Us, and Holly and James finish off their time in 2018 by picking through the dust of the mumble rap debate and Eminem's kamikaze attack on the game. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) I Love It - Lil Pump & Kanye West 2) FEFE - 6ix9ine & Nicki Minaj 3) Lucky You - Joyner Lucas & Eminem 4) RAP DEVIL - Machine Gun Kelly 5) Killshot - Eminem A full list of all songs featured on the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/uyrqa The Pick of the Week playlist is available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tc2ZHF8JGfdlA7wdm74lK?si=8fb096655979462c | |||
| 08R PART 1 - UK Top 40 (28th September - 4th October 2018) - I Loathe It | 05 Sep 2023 | 01:03:28 | |
It's 28th September 2018 and Holly and James settle in for the worst Top 5 of the entire show while musing about dubstep, the Millennial/Zoomer generational handover, and whether Kanye was always like he became. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) Promises - Calvin Harris, Sam Smith, Jessie Reyez 2) Eastside - Benny Blanco, Halsey, Khalid 3) I Love It - Kanye West, Lil Pump 4) Happier - Marshmello, Bastile 5) Body - Loud Luxury, Brando A list of all songs featured in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/3dp5i | |||
| 08 - UK Top 40 (18th-24th August) - Barbie Tingz | 23 Aug 2023 | 00:56:13 | |
Holly and James are back in the present day for one last time to enjoy life in plastic! SONGS DISCUSSED: 5) Barbie World - Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj 4) vampire - Olivia Rodrigo 3) Dance The Night - Dua Lipa 2) What Was I Made For - Billie Eilish 1) SPRINTER - Dave & Central Cee A full list of all songs played in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/zie8d The Pick of the Week playlist is available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tc2ZHF8JGfdlA7wdm74lK?si=7b5a3c8fd56e47c2 | |||
| 07R PART 2 - UK Top 40 (21st October-1st November 2003) - 9/11 Nevurr Forget | 17 Aug 2023 | 00:53:57 | |
Holly and James finish off their time in 2003 to discuss Sugababes and Shadymania. SONGS DISCUSSED: 5) Sugababes - Hole In The Head 8) Obie Trice - Got Some Teeth 11) 50 Cent - P.I.M.P. A full list of all songs featured in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/6vh4f | |||
| 07R PART 1 - UK Top 40 (21st October-1st November 2003) - KORG TRITON Pimpxotica | 16 Aug 2023 | 00:53:30 | |
PART 1 OF A TWO PARTER. Holly and James go back in time to 21st October 2003, preminisce about the stars who are still relevant, reminisce about 9/11, MTV Cribs, and childhood egg throwing antics, and attempt to find where the love is. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) Fatman Scoop - Be Faithful 2) Blue - Guilty 3) Kevin Lyttle - Turn Me On 4) Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love 5) XXXX XXXXX XXXXX [SEE PART 2!!] A full list of all songs played in the episode can be accessed here: https://rentry.co/i7zqt | |||
| BONUS!!! - He's Close To The Edge - James wanted to do an episode about the Melle Mel & Eminem beef | 09 Aug 2023 | 00:38:50 | |
While Holly and James were recording a real episode, Melle Mel put out a diss track to Eminem and James thought we should do an episode on their beef and careers. SONGS DISCUSSED: EZ Mil & Eminem - Realest Melle Mel - Response To Eminem's Latest Diss List of all songs featured in episode - Eminem - Kamikaze DJ Kay Slay Feat. Melle Mel, Raekwon, Cee-Lo Green & Grandmaster Caz - Hip Hop Frontline The Last Poets - On The Subway Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel and Duke Bootee - The Message Run-DMC - My Adidas Grandmaster Melle Mel - Don't Shoot DJ Kay Slay Feat. Various Artists - Rolling 110 Deep Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Feat. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee & Grandmaster Caz - Downtown DJ Shadow & De La Soul - Rocket Fuel Scroobius Pip feat. De La Soul - Thou Shalt Always Kill Method Man interview on Math Hoffa's podcast Eminem - Survival Eminem - These Demons Eminem feat. Joyner Lucas - Lucky You Eminem - The Conspiracy Freestyle Eminem - Right For Me Eminem - Venom Juice WRLD - ON GOD XXXTentacion - Jocelyn Flores J.I.D. feat. Lil Durk - Bruddenem Kid Bookie - Don't Get Drunk And Beef Freestyle Juice WRLD rapping along to Eminem - Role Model in his car Cyne - Steady Eminem - Kamikaze interview Metal Gear Solid 4 - After defeating Liquid Ocelot (boss) Melle Mel interview - The Art of Dialogue podcast 50 Cent - In Da Club Jay Z - The Story of O.J. Eminem - Yah Yah Eminem - Rap Olympics 1997 battles EZ Mil & Eminem - Realest Grandmaster Melle Mel - One More KRS-One tells the story of his rap battle against Melle Mel Kool Moe Dee vs Busy Bee Starski Rap Battle at the Harlem World, Manhattan, 1981 Melle Mel - Response To Eminem's Latest Diss Eminem - Elevator Melle Mel - M-3 Eminem's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech Eminem - Just Lose It The Game - The Black Slim Shady Eminem - Big Weenie Eminem - Stan Eminem - Bad Guy Eminem - The Real Slim Shady Eminem - Rap God SNL Live - Eminem vs Old School Rappers | |||
| 06R PART 2 - UK Top 40 (2nd-8th January 1994) - Life In Hell | 30 Jun 2023 | 01:09:58 | |
Holly and James continue enjoying their time in 1994, chatting about Disney, gangsta rap, fading old rock stars, and the birth of nu-metal. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme) - Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle 2) That's How I'm Livin' - Ice-T 3) Come Baby Come - K7 4) My House - Terrorvision 5) I've Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra & Bono 6) Bat Out Of Hell & I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) - Meat Loaf The PCNSU Pick Of The Week playlist is available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tc2ZHF8JGfdlA7wdm74lK?si=c0221471ef8842cf A playlist of the 2nd-8th January 1994 chart is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/33uwR8G9HCxvr2GEorefUt?si=63b43381afce4bb8 A full list of all songs appearing in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/fmgzc | |||
| 06R PART 1 - UK Top 40 (2nd-8th January 1994) - Blob Of Ages | 28 Jun 2023 | 01:08:33 | |
Holly and James visit the first chart of 1994 to talk boy bands, novelty songs, Golden Age hip-hop and diva adult contemporary. DISCUSSED - 1) Twist & Shout - Chaka Demus & Pliers 2) Babe - Take That 3) Mr. Blobby - Mr. Blobby 4) It's Alright - East 17 5) The Perfect Year - Dina Carroll A full list of all songs played in the episode can be accessed here: https://rentry.co/sc2t8 | |||
| 06 - UK Top 40 (19th May-1st June 2023) - Love Love Peace Peace | 05 Jun 2023 | 01:09:06 | |
Talking about the UK Charts from 19th May - 1st June 2023, Holly and James take a holiday in Europe and find no love. DISCUSSED: 1) Tattoo - Loreen 2) Cha Cha Cha - Kaarija 3) Queen of Kings - Alessandra 4) I Wrote A Song - Mae Muller 5) Giving Me - Jazzy 6) Say Yes To Heaven - Lana Del Rey 7) Baby Don't Hurt Me - David Guetta, Anne-Marie, Coi Leray Visit the pick of the week playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tc2ZHF8JGfdlA7wdm74lK A full list of all songs featured in the episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/mofbr | |||
| 05 - UK Top 40 (12-18th May 2023) - Sheeranoid (INTRUDER ALERT) | 16 May 2023 | 00:59:28 | |
Holly and James visit the UK Top 40 for 12th-18th May 2023 for a battle of the Sheeranoids plus a chart record and a novelty song. DISCUSSED: 1) David Kushner - Daylight 2) Lewis Capaldi - Wish You The Best 3) Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed 4) Switch Disco, Ella Henderson, Robert Miles - REACT 5) FIFTY FIFTY - Cupid 6) Mae Stephens - If We Ever Broke Up 7) The Krown Jewelz - Scrap The Monarchy Visit the pick of the week playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tc2ZHF8JGfdlA7wdm74lK A full list of all songs featured in the episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/3icxg | |||
| R04 - UK Top 40 (27th October 1985-2 November 1985) - I Want My MTV | 14 Apr 2023 | 01:18:45 | |
Holly and James take a radical trip back to the 1980s and learn about FM synthesis. TOP 5:
ALSO DISCUSSED:
A full list of all songs in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/i6dp2 | |||
| 04 - UK Top 40 (Fortnight 10th-24th March 2023) - The Medium is The Message | 29 Mar 2023 | 00:45:23 | |
James and Holly discuss the last two weeks' UK Top 40, and Holly attempts not to have a breakdown.
A full list of all songs in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/86xin | |||
| 03R - UK Top 40 - 20-26th May 1973 -The Wild Side | 21 Mar 2023 | 01:13:36 | |
Holly and James discuss the UK Official Top 40 from 20-26th May 1973 -- a year of glam, girls and Glitter. TOP 5: 1 - See My Baby Jive - Wizzard 2 - Hellraiser - Sweet 3 - And I Love You So - Perry Como 4 - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree - Dawn, Tony Orlando 5 - Can the Can - Suzi Quatro | |||
| 03 - UK Top 40 (Weeks 3rd March - 10th March 2023) - Tik of the Toks | 10 Mar 2023 | 00:50:22 | |
Holly & James discuss the week's UK top 40, including Sure Thing by Miguel Boy's a liar Pt. 2 - PinkPantheress, Ice Spice Die For You - The Weeknd ceilings - lizzy mcalpine As It Was - Harry Styles. | |||
| 02R - UK Top 40 - 5th-11th May 1966 - Bang Bang | 26 Feb 2023 | 01:27:01 | |
Holly and James visit 1966, when London is swinging and pop music wins the World Cup. TOP 5:
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| 02 - UK Top 40 (Weeks 13th - 27th January 2023) - That Old Time Romance | 27 Jan 2023 | 01:26:30 | |
James and Holly discuss the highest entries which weren't in the Top 5 in the pilot episode, including the number 1 hits Pointless by Lewis Capaldi and Flowers by Miley Cyrus. Also charting: Let Go - Central Cee Miss You - Oliver Tree & Robin Schulz Creepin' - Metro Boomin/Weeknd/21 Savage Out of Nowhere - Bugzy Malone & Teedee | |||
| 01R - UK Top 30 (Week 27th Feb-5th Mar 1959) - It Doesn't Matter Any More | 20 Jan 2023 | 01:26:51 | |
Holly and James go back in time, taking us to the world of 1959, when Buddy Holly is dead, and the new world struggles to be born. A Spotify playlist for the UK Top 30 27th Feb 1959 can be listened to here. Discussed: TOP 5:
OTHER FEATURED SONGS:
Full list of all songs used in the episode in order of first appearance:
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| 01 - UK Top 40 (Week 6th-12th January 2023) - Women On Coke | 11 Jan 2023 | 01:16:11 | |
Holly and James discuss the UK Top 40. Top 5:
Archival hits:
Other songs we talk about:
Track list in order of appearance -
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