Greatest Pop Stars

Our Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 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 YouTuber Todd and the Shadows as we go over their cases -- and whether we disagree with any of them not making the proper list -- then give shouts to some pop stars who couldn't quite make the cut this year but still deserve mention, as well as some who aren't quite in the discussion yet but could get there by 2026. Check out the Song vs. Song podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/2ZPOSfyq3NwIsGGTPY1I10?si=755431d8ec6a461d&nd=1&dlsi=fee39ca02a584ea0 Watch Todd in the Shadows' videos here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ToddintheShadows Find our YouTube playlist for our 2025 Honorable Mentions pop stars here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwFs58D1XAMan0wM5Vi7OC-3YogD8YMdU&si=4jLn4fNhWBd5xtuT 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 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

On this Who Won the Month episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Jason Lipshutz and Danielle Pascual to discuss the big pop stars, rising prospects and veteran greats who were heard from loudest in December 2025 — which, was largely defined by Mariah Carey making chart history and Taylor Swift marking the 'End of an Era.' 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 first months of 2026. If you enjoy the pod, check out out the rest of our 2025 Who Won the Month recaps here: https://www.billboard.com/t/who-won-the-month/ Vote in our Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 Poll here: https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/greatest-pop-stars-2025-vote-reader-favorites-1236149728 Find our YouTube playlist for our December 2025 pop stars here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwFs58D1XAMYtzOLeIhxlNO6BE5OW28c3&si=YNaQ2Jc6vLxXgiDW 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 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

We've finally turned the calendar to 2026, and while we're not done looking back at 2025 yet by any means, we're taking a New Year's Day pause to look forward a little. For this first Greatest Pop Stars episode of the year, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard charts senior analyst/writer Eric Frankenberg to offer some New Year's resolutions for pop stars like Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter and Doechii that we'd like to see them commit to in 2026. Then, we also offer some resolution ideas for pop stardom collectively, and also a couple for us ourselves as pop fans. And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes: Transgender Law Center https://transgenderlawcenter.org/ Destination Tomorrow https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late 2015, Ariana Grande's smooth sailing towards pop superstardom had finally had some slightly rocky waters, so she dropped a surprise release that gave both her sound and her career a little bit of a reset: the six-song EP Christmas & Chill. 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 Kyle Denis — one of our staff's most devout Arianators — to talk about a secretly critical release in Grande's stacked catalog, and a low-key holiday favorite that's aged exceptionally since its release a decade ago. Check out Kyle's 2025 Year in R&B review, as well as his recent Druski cover story: https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/rb-not-dead-mainstream-comeback-leon-thomas-kehlani-music-1236139048/ https://www.billboard.com/music/features/druski-number-ones-billboard-cover-story-interview-1236132075/ And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes: Transgender Law Center https://transgenderlawcenter.org/ Destination Tomorrow https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mariah Carey's 1995 was bookended by two different songs that would come to hold the record for the longest-reigning No. 1 in Billboard Hot 100 history — and in between, she released one of her biggest albums, scored her greatest uptempo pop hit and changed the game with its remix. On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Minnesota Star Tribune writer and longtime Lambily member Chris Hine to celebrate Mariah Carey during the week of her historic 20th week at No. 1 for "All I Want for Christmas for You" by remembering her 1995: The post-"Christmas" year of "Fantasy," "One Sweet Day" and 'Daydream.' Find 'Ant,' Chris' excellent biography of Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, here: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/ant-chris-hine?variant=43429930696738 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 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