Pop Pantheon

We’re shaking things up a bit this week! The ‘80s were formative for our ideas of modern pop stardom but it’s not just Madonna, Prince, Michael, Janet, George and the gang that deserve credit for shaping that legacy. So in this episode, Senior Editor at Stereogum Tom Breihan joins me to break down the careers and legacies of four more erstwhile women who hit high highs during this decade, with smash singles and multi platinum albums, then fell off the charts just as the decade turned over to the 1990s:  Belinda Carlisle, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and Taylor Dayne. Tom and I first lay out why the ‘80s were such an important decade for our conceptions of the pop star and pop music, before turning to each woman’s story individually, where they came from, how they rose to fame, what made them click, why they all eventually fell off, and the important contributions each made to pop culture- whether it be songs (“Heaven is a Place on Earth”! “Only in My Dreams”! “Tell it to My Heart”!), tropes, music videos, or otherwise. Finally, Tom and I rank Belinda Carlisle, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and Taylor Dayne in the official Pop Pantheon. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat!Check out our Forgotten Ladies of the 1980s Spotify Playlist!Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Tom Breihan on TwitterJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Coscarelli, a pop music reporter for The New York Times, dives deep into the complexities of stan culture. He discusses how modern fans have evolved into zealous stan armies, often blurring the lines of identity and obsession. Coscarelli highlights both the uplifting community aspects of fandom, particularly for queer individuals, and the darker tendencies, like online harassment and aggression. The conversation also touches on the impact of artists like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey on their fans and the broader implications of fan culture in today’s society.

Host of the Podcast 60 Songs That Explain the '90s, The Ringer's Rob Harvilla, is back with DJ Louie to break down Taylor Swift's 10th studio album, Midnights, which dropped this past Friday. Louie and Rob set up Taylor's career and discography heading into this record before breaking down the lyrical motifs, recurrent themes and production choices on the album, what's working and not working for each of them, whether this record marks the end of one phase, the beginning of a new one, or some sort of static transitional moment, the Jack Antonoff of it all and so much more. Read Rob's review of Midnights on The Ringer  Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat!Join the Pop Pantheon Discord!Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Rob Harvilla on TwitterJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Music journalist Owen Myers is back with DJ Louie to discuss the career and legend of British super girl group, Spice Girls. First, Louie and Owen talk through the history of girl groups and how various waves helped form the foundation for the Spice Girls’ ethos, before getting into the band’s journey from prefab answer to the UK boy band wave of the era to self-possessed girl-gang in control of their own destiny. Louie and Owen then discuss what made the Spice Girls and their explosion so singular with their debut album, 1996’s Spice, which cleverly fused American R&B tropes with a European pop sheen to create accessible music with edge, the ways they embodied their message of female friendship and solidarity above all else in their music and presentation and the vibe of fun, goofiness and sexiness which rendered them wholesome without ever seeming pandering. Next, Louie and Owen discuss Spice Girls’ second album and its accompanying movie, 1997’s Spice World, how the record expanded their sonic palette and the film, along with a panoply of endorsement deals, doubled down on their commercial prowess but also lent to burn out both on the part of the public and girls, how member Geri Halliwell’s sudden and explosive departure from the group in 1998 ended their brief imperial phase, the ways they’ve sured up their legacy over the last couple of decades and how the true meaning of Girl Power has reverberated through the pop that’s come after them. Finally, Louie and Owen rank Spice Girls in the official Pop Pantheon. See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 10/22!Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat!Join the Pop Pantheon Discord!Listen to the Pop Pantheon Spice Girls Essentials Playlist on SpotifyFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Owen Myers on TwitterJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Writer for Jezebel Rich Juzwiak joins DJ Louie once again to discuss the formidable work and legacy of the iconic George Michael. Louie and Rich discuss George’s early life, his chance middle-school meeting with Andrew Ridgely which lead to the formation of his breakthrough musical endeavor- the duo Wham!- the group’s two albums, 1983’s Fantastic and 1984’s blockbuster Make It Big, and how both Wham!’s well-executed appropriation of canonically Black musical aesthetics and its pervasive critical derision set the table for Michael’s solo career. Then then breakdown Michael’s era-defining magnum-opus, his debut solo record 1987’s Faith, how it showcased his meticulous craftsmanship as a producer, songwriter, performer and purveyor of Pop Stardom, his struggles with his sexual identity and why they may have lead him to retreat from the spotlight on its much more low-key follow-up, 1990’s Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, and how the tragic death from AIDS of his first true love, Anselmo Feleppa, along with a drawn-out lawsuit with his record label created a nearly six-year gap between Listen and 1996’s Older, his bold and devastating 3rd album that all but revealed Michael’s sexuality to the world. Next, Louie and Rich discuss Michael’s 1998 arrest for cruising in a public restroom, how he cannily used it as an opportunity to come out to the world once and for all and why, unfortunately, his post-closet life ultimately ended in tragedy with his untimely death in 2016 at the age of 53. Finally, they debate Michael’s enduring legacy as both a consummate pop figure, a lynchpin in the broader narrative of gay male pop stars and rank George Michael in the official Pop Pantheon. See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 10/22!Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat!Take the Pop Pantheon Listener SurveyJoin the Pop Pantheon Discord!Listen to the Pop Pantheon George Michael Essentials Playlist on SpotifyFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Rich Juzwiak on TwitterJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's listener mailbag time! DJ Louie and Russ are here to tackle questions from across the Pop Pantheon extended universe. Who is the greatest British pop star of all time? Is Nicki BACK?! Are "Flop Eras" actually good?! Can DJs be Pop Stars??!! How does dying young affect your Pop Pantheon ranking?!!! How can Janet reach Tier 1??!! And so much more. See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 10/22!Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat!Take the Pop Pantheon Listener SurveyJoin the Pop Pantheon Discord!Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Culture Reporter for the South China Morning Post and author of the book BTS: Blood Sweat and Tears, Tamar Herman, joins DJ Louie for a deep-dive on K-Pop phenom boyband BTS. First, Louie and Tamar lay out some of the contours and history of the K-Pop scene and music industry before diving into BTS’ story, how they were initially put together in 2010 by producer Bang Si-Hyuk as a socially-conscious rap outfit on their “Skool Trilogy” in 2013 and 2014, and Bang’s vision for a boy band that broke K-pop norms by giving each member more agency in creating a distinct persona and shaping the group’s music. They then get into the group’s pivot to a more overt pop-oriented sound with mid-2010s output like the "Youth Trilogy", Wings, and the Love Yourself suite, all of which continued the group’s message-forward music while expanding their sound into EDM, R&B, Moombahton and more to massive success in Asian marketplaces and eventually, in the English-speaking world as well. Later, Louie and Tamar discuss just how BTS were able to fully cross-over into the biggest boy band in the world in the later 2010s, breaking into mainstream U.S. popular culture in a way no K-pop act had even whiffed at prior with their Map of the Soul albums, 2020’s BE, as well as on massive English-language hits like “Dynamite” and “Butter”, the unique pressure K-pop “Idols” are under in terms of how the present themselves in public, and how BTS and their success have changed the pop landscape both in their home country, stateside and across the globe. Finally, Louie and Tamar rank BTS in the official Pop Pantheon. Buy Tamar's book BTS: Blood Sweat & TearsBuy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat!Take the Pop Pantheon Listener SurveyJoin the Pop Pantheon Discord!Listen to the Pop Pantheon BTS Essentials Playlist on SpotifyFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Tamar Herman on TwitterJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by his bffs Steven, Omri and Lala to debrief their night at the Los Angeles Dodger Stadium stop of Lady Gaga's epic, years-in-the-making Chromatica Ball World Tour. They talk all aspects of the show- from the stage to the setlist to the fashion to Gaga's presence, dancing and voice- how it stacks up against past LG tours, where they'd rank Chomatica against her previous records, what it felt like to finally hear "Rain on Me" amongst 52,000 other Little Monsters and finally, the girlies have a knock-down-drag-out-take-no-prisoners fight about whether GaGa belongs in Tier 1 or 2 of the Pop Pantheon. Paws up! Come See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 9/23Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat!Take the Pop Pantheon Listener SurveyJoin the Pop Pantheon Discord!Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Omri Rolan on TwitterJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author of Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop and host of The Ringer podcast Black Girl Songbook, Danyel Smith, joins DJ Louie to explore the work, impact and legacy of the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer. Louie and Danyel begin with Donna’s early life as the eccentric Black girl in her Boston community during the 1950s and ‘60s, her move to Germany in 1968 to star in the musical Hair which eventually led to a star-crossed meeting with producers Giorgio Morodor and Pete Bellotte who would go on to be her primary collaborators, and their breakthrough with the radically orgasmic disco anthem “Love to Love You Baby” in 1975. Louie and Danyel then cover Donna, Giorgio and Pete’s ambitious run of concept albums through the mid ‘70s, their seismic innovations on 1977’s “I Feel Love”, considered the first electronic dance song, Donna’s status as the poster child for both the music and aesthetics of the disco movement thanks in part to her role in the film Thank God It’s Friday and its luscious Oscar-winning smash “Last Dance”, her magnum opus, 1979’s Bad Girls which set the template for the modern pop event album, and how she managed to outrun the sudden decline of disco thanks to 1983’s economical new-wave anthem “She Works Hard for the Money”. They conclude with Donna’s commercial decline in the latter 1980s, her Born-Again Christianity and controversial statements about the AIDS Epidemic and the gay community, her absolutely massive impact on the sound and look of pop stardom and how her legacy- and that of the movement she defined- has evolved over time. Finally, Louie and Danyel rank Donna Summer in the official Pop Pantheon. Come See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 9/23Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat!Take the Pop Pantheon Listener SurveyBuy Danyel's Book Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in PopCheck out Louie's Donna Summer Essentials Playlist on SpotifyJoin the Pop Pantheon Discord!Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Danyel Smith on TwitterJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week’s B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by Chair of the The Clive Institute of Recorded Music, Jason King, to talk the history, culture, ethos and aesthetics of disco music. Louie and Jason lay out the elements of a disco song, what the word meant as a cultural movement, its roots as a queer black artform and unique platform for black women’s voices, what made the “disco diva”, the genre’s trajectory through the 1970s as a fast burning phenomenon that crashed just as quickly by the turn of the 1980s and the key artists, songs and moments of its prime years. Finally, Louie and Jason discuss whether disco ever really died, how it’s continued to be revived again and again in pop music, and Jason shares some of his favorite disco deep cuts. Come See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 9/23Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat!Check out Louie's Disco Essentials Playlist on SpotifyJoin the Pop Pantheon Discord!Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Jason King on TwitterJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.