From Beyoncé to Sophie, Jai Paul, Kelly Clarkson, Aaliyah, Nelly, Carly Rae Jepsen, and more, Brittany Spanos and Jason P. Frank join DJ Louie to countdown each of their Top 20 pop songs of the last quarter century . Listen to a playlist of our picks here ( Apple Music link here !) Get tickets to Main Pop Girls on 2/27 at Parkside Lounge Get tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 1/31 Get tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 2/13 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Conte...
Jan 29, 2026•1 hr 45 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ make their final predictions about who will take home hardware on Sunday night at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly episodes of Pop Pantheon: All Access, 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. Note for iOS users: Subscrib...
Jan 26, 2026•11 min
Before Bad Bunny takes the stage at the Super Bowl, Pop Pantheon is exploring the career and work of another trailblazing Puerto Rican superstar, Ricky Martin. Nuria Net joins Louie to dig into Ricky’s origins as a boy bander turned soap star. The two discuss the music Ricky made with Menudo, his solo debut, and his global breakthrough with 1995's “Maria.” From there, they break down how an explosive performance of “La Copa de la Vida” broke Ricky to English-speaking audiences, unpack the global...
Jan 22, 2026•2 hr 14 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Superstar Harry Styles just announced that his fourth studio album, Kiss Me All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, will drop on March 6. To prep, Louie and Russ returned to his last record, 2022's Harry's House, to parse out their feelings on that Grammy Winner for Album of the Year, track by track. 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,...
Jan 19, 2026•12 min
Madonna Singles Draft! Louie and Russ are joined by Paper 's Joan Summer and music journalist Annie Zaleski to join forces and pick the Top 20 Madonna Singles of All Time, draft style. Listen to a Spotify playlist of our Top 20 Madonna Singles of All Time Get tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 1/31 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow DJ Louie X...
Jan 15, 2026•1 hr 52 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ talk about the lead single for Bruno Mars' forthcoming fourth studio album, "I Just Might," then break down the latest pairing from Robyn, "Talk to Me" and "Sexistential," and finally take on more of your unpopular opinions about Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Madonna, and Cyndi Lauper. 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...
Jan 12, 2026•13 min
Louie and Russ are joined by actress, comedian and Pop Pantheon listener (!) Ivy Wolk to react to all of your most unhinged unpopular opinions about Addison Rae, Janet Jackson, Sabrina Carpenter, & More! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and...
Jan 08, 2026•1 hr 5 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, for the first episode of 2026, Louie and Russ took on Taylor Swift's venerated "Track 5s," the fifth song on each of her album track lists that many fans view as the records' respective emotional cores. The boys go track by track chronologically through each Taylor album, then each share their Taylor Track 5 rankings. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord ch...
Jan 05, 2026•15 min
Happy New Year! We'll be back next week with brand new episodes of Pop Pantheon. In the meantime, enjoy this rerun from April 2022, our Abba A-Side with Abba scholar Carl Magnus Palm. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pan...
Jan 01, 2026•1 hr 48 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ shares their picks for the worst pop of the year, discuss what's in the pipeline for 2026 then make predictions for the next year in pop music. 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. Not...
Dec 29, 2025•12 min
Merry Christmas! We're off for the next couple weeks but as a little treat, we're re-running our episode reviewing Addison Rae's debut album, Addison , from June of this year. If you enjoy this episode and want to 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. For a limited time, enter the code 'BOXINGDAY' at checkout to receive 50% off your first month!! You can also subscribe for the au...
Dec 25, 2025•49 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, friend of the Pod Omri Rolan returns for the 3rd annual Top of the Flops – a celebration of all the best and biggest flops in pop music this year. Louie, Russ + Omri share their picks for the best pop music that flopped this year, announce the listener-voted award for Bellyflop of the Year and, finally, give away the Sabrina Carpenter Award For Stopping Flopping to a very surprising recipient. To hear the rest of the this episode plus...
Dec 22, 2025•11 min
Last Tuesday night in New York City, DJ Louie gathered an all-star panel— Who Weekly 's Lindsey Weber, Lemme Say This ' Peyton Dix, and Billboard's Jason Lipshutz— live on stage to break down of their favorite pop songs of 2025. Hear a playlist of this year's picks Fill out Pop Pantheon's 2025 Listener Survey Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join ...
Dec 18, 2025•1 hr 38 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ break down the first two episodes of Taylor Swift's new docuseries, The End of an Era, Russ shares his top albums and songs of the year, and finally, the two announce all of YOUR favorites from the past year in pop music and culture. 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 Ic...
Dec 15, 2025•12 min
Note: This full episode will be available for free on our main feed on Thursday. In a preview from Pop Pantheon: All Access , As a special treat for our paid subscribers, we're giving you next week's main feed drop, our Best Pop Songs of 2025 live show, almost a week in advance! On Tuesday, DJ Louie gathered an all star panel — Who? Weekly's Lindsey Weber, Lemme Say This' Peyton Dix, and Billboard's Jason Lipshutz— to count down their favorite pop songs of the year. To hear the rest of the this ...
Dec 12, 2025•11 min
On Tuesday night in New York City, DJ Louie gathered an all-star panel— critic and best-selling author Ira Madison III, writer and critic Doreen St. Félix, and New York Times Pop Music Editor Caryn Ganz— live on stage to break down of their favorite pop albums of 2025. Tune in next week for The Best Pop Songs of 2025! Fill out Pop Pantheon's 2025 Listener Survey Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Panthe...
Dec 11, 2025•1 hr 26 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, From Gaga to Addison, Lorde, Beyoncé, Scissors Sisters, Mary Blige, Katy Perry, and SO many more, Louie and Russ gather to rank their favorite (and least favorite) live shows of the past year. 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 direc...
Dec 08, 2025•10 min
Louie and Russ take listener calls about Pop Pantheon rankings they may have gotten wrong this year and throughout the podcast's run. Fill out Pop Pantheon's 2025 Listener Survey Grab tickets to our Best Pop of 2025 Live Show LATE SHOW in NYC on 12/9 Grab tickets to the final Gorgeous Gorgeous of 2025 in LA on 12/5 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram...
Dec 04, 2025•54 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, with a new Olivia Rodrigo album seemingly on the horizon, Louie and Russ return to her sophomore effort, 2023's Guts , to parse their differing vibes on Olivia, reflect on the album's middling commercial performance, and... uh... gut - check on how the record's held up by going track-by-track. 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, s...
Dec 01, 2025•11 min
We're off for Thanksgiving so as a little treat, we're publishing a Patreon episode from earlier this year where Russ and Louie go track by track on Katy Perry's Teenage Dream , skipping the singles to decide whether the album is a classic— or even any good— without them. This is a little taste of what you’ll get if you subscribe to our Patreon show , where we publish weekly bonus episodes. We’ve got a Black Friday discount code that’s good for ONE WEEK ONLY, so snag it before the discount is go...
Nov 27, 2025•1 hr 1 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ take listener calls on Robyn's forthcoming album, how Taylor will navigate motherhood in her music, Tate McRae's 2025 up-level and more. 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. Note for i...
Nov 24, 2025•11 min
Note: This episode was updated shortly after release to correct a missing audio clip. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts and hear a gap or missing section, please delete the episode and re-download to access the updated version. Omri Rolan joins Pop Pantheon to unpack the ups and many, many, many downs of girl grouper turned solo pop flop, Nicole Scherzinger. Louie and Omri dig into Nicole’s origins on the reality show Popstars , her first hit with Eden’s Crush, “Get Over Yourself,” and her r...
Nov 20, 2025•2 hr 11 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are joined by the LA Times ' Suzy Exposito to break down Rosalia's ambitious, orchestral, multilingual fourth album, Lux . 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. Note for iOS users: Subs...
Nov 17, 2025•11 min
Troy McEady of Beyond The Blinds returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the defining prefab American girl group of the 2000s, The Pussycat Dolls. Louie and Troy dig into PCD’s beginnings as a burlesque troupe, early dalliances with pop stars like Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani, and brand extension into a ready-made musical girl gang. They discuss the group’s breakthrough, “Don’t Cha,” 2005’s PCD , the near-immediate member tensions and subsequent sophomore slump, 2008’s Doll Domination . From th...
Nov 13, 2025•2 hr
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ react to the 2025 Grammy nominations plus dissect new songs from Katy Perry and Hilary Duff. 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. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mo...
Nov 10, 2025•12 min
Max Martin is the biggest pop producer of all time, having crafted hits across three decades for everyone from Britney and Backstreet Boys to Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande and so many more. He recently re-teamed with Taylor for her 12th album, The Life of Showgirl , a record that many believe didn't reflect his best work but also made us wonder: What is? Pop Pantheon favs Aisha Harris, Molly Mary O'Brien, and Sam Murphy return for a roundtable with DJ Louie ...
Nov 06, 2025•1 hr 28 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, in anticipation of the 2026 Grammy nominations which will be unveiled this Friday, Louie and Russ share their predictions for the nominees in the big four and pop categories. 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 P...
Nov 04, 2025•12 min
Louie and Russ answer your questions about Taylor Swift and interpolation credits, Katy and Miley's recent flops, their favorite lead Britney singles, how they first met one another and more.... Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in LA Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content a...
Oct 30, 2025•57 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ discuss new albums from Lily Allen and Demi Lovato and also dive into recent changes to the way Billboard tracks the Hot 100. 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. Note for iOS users: S...
Oct 27, 2025•12 min
Time 's Taylor Crumpton returns to Pop Pantheon to explore the deeply personal and trenchantly political R&B of neo-soul earth mother Erykah Badu. Taylor and Louie discuss Erykah’s upbringing in Dallas, her early work as part of a rap duo, and her early collaborations with the Roots and D'Angelo. From there they break down her legendary 1997 album Baduizm , her follow up Live , which included her improv'ed hit "Tyrone," and 2000's socially-conscious Mama's Gun . Along the way, they touch on ...
Oct 23, 2025•2 hr 18 min
