Pop Pantheon

There are albums. And then there’s Thriller. For the third installment of our four-part series on the King of Pop, Stereogum’s Tom Breihan returns for Pop Pantheon’s first ever A-Side devoted to a single album: Michael Jackson’s definitive 1982 pop blockbuster, Thriller. DJ Louie and Tom dig into every aspect of the best-selling album of all time, from iconic performances to choreography, fashion, and MJ’s radical reimagining of the then-nascent music video format. They also tackle all of the album’s genre-obliterating smash hits – seven top 10s and two number ones to be exact – and go deep on Thriller-mania, the album’s long-lasting impact on pop, its enduring legacy and how it made Michael Jackson a the biggest kind of pop legend.Join us next week for our final installment of our Michael Jackson series, in which we discuss Bad, Dangerous, Michael’s later-era work and his complicated legacy.Listen to Michael Jackson Pt. 1: The Jackson 5 (with Emily Lordi)Listen to Michael Jackson Pt. 2: The King of Pop Rises (With Joseph Vogel)Listen to Pop Pantheon's Episode "Do You Still Listen to Michael Jackson and Kanye West? (with Tre Johnson & Kemi Olivia Alemoru)"Listen to Pop Pantheon's Michael Jackson Essentials PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreBuy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2!Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Lincoln Center on 7/20 FOR FREE!Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos in Silver Lake on 7/26Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Olivia Horn reviewed Chappell Roan's debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, in Pitchfork when it dropped last September. Back then, she was a fringy pop upstart with some nice critical notices and a small cult audience. Now, she's one of the biggest new pop superstars of the year in the midst of a zeitgeisty swirl the likes of which we haven't seen for a new pop girlie in years. So how does the actual music hold up? Olivia joins DJ Louie to dig into the record as well as why Chappell's became 2024's "femininomenon". To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

Joe Vogel, author of Man in the Music: The Creative Life of Michael Jackson, joins Pop Pantheon for the second in our four-part series on the King of Pop. DJ Louie and Joe dig into MJ’s early solo work, from his 1972 debut Got to Be There to his first solo number one, “Ben,” his changing voice as grew older and his final Motown album, 1975’s Forever Michael – released when Michael was just 16. From there, they discuss Michael’s starring role as Scarecrow in the 1975 cult classic The Wiz and his creative partnership with Quincy Jones, which produced the glorious, effervescent 1979 masterpiece  Off the Wall, the album that single-handedly turned Michael Jackson into a true solo superstar and set his course to the top of the Pop Pantheon.   Join us next week for Part 3, which will focus entirely on Michael’s stratospheric, game-changing blockbuster, 1982’s Thriller.Listen to Michael Jackson Pt. 1: The Jackson 5 (with Emily Lordi)Listen to Pop Pantheon's Episode "Do You Still Listen to Michael Jackson and Kanye West? (with Tre Johnson & Kemi Olivia Alemoru)"Buy Joseph Vogel's Book Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson Listen to Pop Pantheon's Michael Jackson Essentials PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreBuy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2!Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Lincoln Center on 7/20 FOR FREE!Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos in Silver Lake on 7/26Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Katy Perry's much anticipated new single, the Dr. Luke-produced "Woman's World", finally dropped on Friday along with it's music video and the response has been.... not so great. Louie and Russ talk all things Katy before pivoting to new songs from Kesha, Lana and Tinashe and a Taylor Swift-related game that may drive Louie even more insane than "Woman's World".  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

For the first of our four-part series on the King of Pop, writer, professor and critic Emily Lordi joins Pop Pantheon to help us begin to untangle one of the most knotty legacies in pop history: the story of Michael Jackson. Emily and DJ Louie discuss Michael’s extremely strict upbringing, sadistic abuse at the hands of his father Joe, and the creation of The Jackson 5, from playing the Chitlin' Circuit to landing a Motown deal and kicking off one of the greatest single runs in history, beginning with 1969’s “I Want You Back.” Next they dig into The Jackson 5’s prolific Motown output, the marketing of Michael as a child sensation and how Jacksonmania made the Jacksons into a symbol of post-civil rights promise in America. Finally, they work through the band’s rebrand as The Jacksons, their post-Motown work, late '70s comeback and how the group’s monumental success set Michael up for solo superstardom. Join us next week for Part 2, in which we will be talking about Michael’s early solo work and his breakthrough as a solo star, 1979’s Off The Wall. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Michael Jackson Essentials PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreBuy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2!Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Lincoln Center on 7/20 FOR FREE!Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos in Silver Lake on 7/26Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Megan Thee Stallion's third studio album, Megan, her first as an independent artist and since her infamous beef with Nicki Minaj, dropped last week. Taylor Crumpton is here to help Louie and Russ break down the record's inherent regionality, Megan's new and old poses and themes and what this record might portend for the future of her career.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

After the pandemic, fans wanted to see their favs (and even their less favs) so much that the concert touring industry boomed, breaking records and culminating in astronomically expensive blockbuster stadium treks from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. But more recently, the live show gambit has gone bust for superstars like Jennifer Lopez, The Black Keys, Justin Timberlake and more. What changed? Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua, writer Zach Schonfeld and Business Insider's Emily Stewart are here to discuss. Read Zach's piece "The Curious Case of the Underselling Arena Tours" Read Emily's piece "The Great Concert Ticket Bust"Take Our Listener Survey!Buy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2!Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 7/26 at Los GlobosCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in BrooklynFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Is Camila Cabello's fourth studio album, C, XOXO, a cold-hearted Single White Female-ing of other, cooler pop stars? Or is it an earnest— if chaotic— attempt by the former girl group star to find her authentic voice as a grown up pop diva? Louie, Russ and Friend of the Pod Omri Rolan are here to figure it out.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

Mic The Snare joins Pop Pantheon to unpack the wild, unbridled genius of pop’s ultimate enigma, Kate Bush. Louie & Mic The Snare dig into Kate’s teenage record deal and her debut single, 1978’s “Wuthering Heights.” From there they discuss her debut album The Kick Inside, her legendary first – and only – full live tour and her early, pre-MTV adoption music videos for singles like “Babooksha.” Then they work through her gloriously sprawling career, from her 1982 debut on the U.S. album charts, The Dreaming to her most indelible record, 1985’s Hounds of Love, and her U.S. breakthrough in 1989, The Sensual World, through to her 2005 comeback Aerial and her final album, 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. Finally, they rank Kate Bush in the Official Pop Pantheon.Buy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2!Listen to Pop Pantheon's Kate Bush Essentials Playlists PlaylistsJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 7/26 at Los GlobosCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in BrooklynFollow Ira Madison III on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

It seems like every single Main Pop Girl has dropped an album this year: Ariana, Kacey, Beyoncé, Taylor, Dua, Billie and Charli. And we're only six months in! It's been a whole lot of new music to process but now that we've had a minute to sit with these records, Keep It's Ira Madison III joins DJ Louie to reflect on all of these records, what they have common, what makes each stand out, and debate which they liked and disliked. Ira and Louie give each of the girlie's albums a "Pitchfork rating" and end the show with a final ranking of all the Main Pop Girl Albums of 2024... so far. Subscribe to Ira's new Substack FrankJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 7/26 at Los GlobosCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in BrooklynFollow Ira Madison III on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Normani's debut solo album has been over five years in the making. Now that Dopamine is finally here, was it worth the wait? And with the heat having died down on her career, does it matter? Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul joins the show to help break it all down.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

Tre Johnson returns to Pop Pantheon for a special Pride episode about one of pop's greatest disruptors, Frank Ocean. Louie and Tre discuss Frank’s first foray into the industry, writing for artists like Brandy and Justin Bieber and his rapturous breakthrough mixtape, 2011’s Nostalgia Ultra, which instantly turned Frank into a critical darling and rewrote the aesthetic and commercial rules of pop. Then they tackle his major label debut, 2012’s Channel Orange, which was accompanied by his version of a coming out, his sparse and meandering 2016 visual album, Endless, and his first independent release, the esoteric, beautiful Blonde. Finally, they discuss his output since 2016 and rank Frank Ocean in the official Pop Pantheon.Listen to Pop Pantheon's Frank Ocean Essentials PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/15 at Los Globos in Los AngelesCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in BrooklynFollow Tre Johnson on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Charli XCX's sixth studio album Brat, which dropped Friday, was posited as a dance album. What we actually got was something quite a bit more complicated. On this week's episode, Louie and Russ break the whole thing down. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

To kick off Pride Month, Freelance Music Writer Trish Bendix and Senior Editor at Xtra Magazine Mel Woods join Louie to track the conspicuous rise of sapphic-ness in mainstream pop. From BoyGenius to Chappell Roan to Billie Eilish, girls who like girls and make that a huge feature in the music are crossing over onto the top of the Billboard charts. How did we get here? When did this story begin to happen?  And what does it say about our culture that this is finally allowed to happen? Read Trish's Piece "Long cast aside, queer women are starting to get their due from the music industry" in NBC NewsJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/15 at Los Globos in Los AngelesCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in BrooklynFollow Trish Bendix on TwitterFollow Mel Woods on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

Molly Mary O’Brien returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the unlikely longevity of Pink. Louie and Molly chart Pink’s emergence in Philadelphia clubs as a teenager through to her brief girl group career and her pop debut as a blue-eyed R&B product at the turn of the millennium with 2000’s Can’t Take Me Home. From there they discuss “Lady Marmalade,” Pink’s rocker image overhaul with 2001’s Linda Perry-assisted juggernaut Missundaztood, 2006’s hit-filled I’m Not Dead and 2008’s Funhouse, which brought her reincarnation as pop’s greatest circus performer. Then they unpack her mid-career hits, from “Raise Your Glass” to 2012’s The Truth About Love and her long-lasting career as a stadium-filling live act. Finally, they rank Pink in the Official Pop Pantheon.  Listen to Pop Pantheon's Pink EssentialsJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/15 at Los Globos in Los AngelesCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in BrooklynFollow Mary Mary O'Brien on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

The most recent in a long lineage of music biopics, Back to Black, which purports to chronicle the life of the late great Amy Winehouse came out in the US last week. The film received mostly negative reviews and underperformed at the box office. So why are these movies, generally speaking, so unsuccessful and why do we keep making then? Movie Critic Keith Phipps join DJ Louie to discuss Back to Black, the history of music biopics, why the good ones are good and why most of them are so bad. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/15 at Los Globos in Los AngelesCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in BrooklynFollow Keith Phipps on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Billie Eilish released her third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, last Friday. The LA Times' Mikael Wood joins DJ Louie to chronicle the latest evolution in Billie and Finneas' ongoing collaboration and how it fits into the broader glut of Main Pop Girl releases in 2024. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

Yale University’s Dr. Daphne Brooks returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack one of the foundational blueprints for pop stardom as we know it, Tina Turner. Dr. Brooks and Louie trace Tina’s roots in Tennessee, her debut as a nightclub act in St. Louis and her early work with Ike Turner, from their hit single “A Fool in Love” to their string of R&B hits, fiery live revue and work with Phil Spector. They recount Tina’s influence on the major white rock acts of the period, Ike and Tina’s 1971 hit “Proud Mary” and her first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On. Then they recount her split from Ike and 1984’s blockbuster Private Dancer – one of the greatest comebacks in pop history. Finally, they discuss her continued global success through to her passing, her seismic influence and legacy and rank Tina Turner in the Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Tina Turner Essentials on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 5/18 at Los GlobosCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in BrooklynFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Brazilian pop sensation Anitta's most recent recored, Funk Generation, dropped a few weeks ago. Julianne Escobedo Shepherd joins Louie and Russ to break down her rise to global stardom, this record's celebration of Brazilian Baile Funk and put us all on to a couple more rising Brazilian superstars we should all be paying attention to. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

After recent episodes on Mariah and Nirvana, two artists who had massive career-defining moments on MTV's iconic live showcase Unplugged, Louie invited authors of the book I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution, Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum to chronicle the history of the series: how it started, why it was important, and which pop stars gave the most indelible performances. Listen to our other MTV-centric episodes on the history of Total Request Live and the VMAs.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 5/10 at Sultan RoomCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 5/18 at Los GlobosFollow Rob Tannenbaum on TwitterFollow Craig Marks on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter