Greatest Pop Stars

On this Who Won the Month episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Kyle Denis and Michael Saponara to discuss the big pop stars, rising prospects and veteran greats who were heard from loudest in March 2026 — which was largely defined by a pair of massively anticipated returns by arguably the two biggest male pop acts in the world right now. 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 spring 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

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Trans Lifeline

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Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

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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.

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After confirming his solo superstardom with 2002's 'Justified' and finding himself in the middle of a cultural firestorm at the 2004 Super Bowl, Justin Timberlake returned in 2006 with an album that raised the bar not only for himself but for all of pop music. On this 2006 Week-themed Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard executive digital director Katie Atkinson to go deep on JT's greatest year, including his LP masterpiece 'FutureSex/LoveSounds,' his smash hits "SexyBack" and "My Love," and even his peerless comedy turn in the "Dick in a Box" SNL digital short.

Find our staff's 100 Best Songs of 2006 list here:

https://www.billboard.com/lists/2006-songs-best/

And its 40 Best Deep Cuts of 2006 Week here:

https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-deep-cuts-albums-2006/

And the rest of our 2006 Week content here:

https://www.billboard.com/t/2006-week/

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.
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It's 2006 Week on Billboard.com, which means it's time to flash back to all the biggest artists, songs, albums and stories of 20 weeks ago. We start off with a look at our editorial staff's list of the year's 100 best songs, including classics from Beyoncé, My Chemical Romance, Justin Timberlake and many more. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Eric Frankenberg to discuss our 2006 memories, as well as some of our favorite (and least-favorite) songs on the list, and what kind of place we feel pop stardom in general was in two decades ago.

See our staff's Top 100 Songs of 2026 list here:

https://www.billboard.com/lists/2006-songs-best/

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.
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Last weekend, the music world was taken over by the return of BTS, who ended a four-year hiatus on Friday with 'Arirang,' the group's first new album since 2020 — and then just a day later, with a live show at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, livestreamed globally on Netflix. On this week's Pop Star Performance Review, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's K-pop correspondent Abby Webster to evaluate the massive comeback weekend for the biggest pop group of the past decade, and anticipate what might be coming next for the Bangtan Boys.

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.
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After a full decade out of the spotlight in the U.S., Neil Sedaka embarked upon a stateside revival in 1975 — with a valuable assist from a longtime fan in Sir Elton John — and ended up bigger than he'd ever been as a teen idol in the early '60s. On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard chart historian (and longtime personal friend of Neil's) Fred Bronson to go deep on the late great pop singer-songwriter's unlikely comeback year, including his own smashes "Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood," and The Captain and Tennille's Sedaka-co-penned "Love Will Keep Us Together."

Watch a YouTube playlist of 1975 Sedaka moments discussed on the podcast here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwFs58D1XAMZC-PKM3ysQIZSNz11i1CPz&si=k8p25lrRUx3kmRVO

Find Fred's "Writer: Neil Sedaka" Spotify playlist here:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5IZNEa5rlWRqgQJivXOyV2?si=NqeVmc0jTi-QwYvbJAsnZg

And order his 'Rockin' the Kremlin' book here:

https://rockin-the-kremlin.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

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠5Calls.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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