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Artwork for Pop Pantheon

Pop Pantheon

DJ Louie XIV
Pop Music
Taylor Swift
Lady Gaga
Britney Spears
Ariana Grande
Madonna
Kylie Minogue
Olivia Rodrigo
Beyoncé
Katy Perry
Kendrick Lamar
Bad Bunny
Whitney Houston
Drake
Addison Rae
Robyn
Sabrina Carpenter
Grammy Awards
Super Bowl
Lorde

The podcast where DJ Louie XIV and guests completely overanalyze all your favorite pop stars, then rank them in the official Pop Pantheon.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes593Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Music CommentaryMusic

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Artwork for Pop Pantheon

Latest Episodes

The New York Times' Joe Coscarelli joins Pop Pantheon for part three of our Rihanna series, digging into Rih's imperial era as the biggest hitmaker in pop. Joe and Louie explore her return to bright, carefree pop following the darkness of Rated R wit... more

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ take more listeners calls about the sound of the 2020s so far, generation bias, Lady Gaga's Mayhem, which Gen Z pop girl will be relevant in 10 years and MORE! Thanks to eve... more

Lauren Michele Jackson returns to Pop Pantheon for part two of our five part Rihanna series. Lauren and Louie dig into Rih’s blockbuster third album, 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad, which turned her from a tentative aspirant into a full-fledged diva via s... more

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Xtra Magazine's KC Hoard joins Russ to tackle Canadian pop queen Carly Rae Jepsen's recent double album Day and Night. KC and Russ debate the creative merit of Carly's prolific release str... more

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Recent Guests

Lauren Michele Jackson
Cultural critic, contributing writer to The New Yorker and author of Back
The New Yorker
Episode: RIHANNA: PART 2 (with Lauren Michele Jackson)
KC Hoard
Associate Editor, Culture at Xtra Magazine and Carly Rae Jepsen superfan
Xtra Magazine
Episode: Carly Rae Jepsen Revels in Abundance on Day and Night (with KC Hoard) (Patreon Preview)
Sheldon Pearce
NPR Music editor and writer for The New Yorker
NPR Music
Episode: RIHANNA: PART 1 (with NPR's Sheldon Pearce)
Rose Dommu
Co-host of Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin (podcast)
Episode: 2026 Main Pop Girl Power Ranking (with Fran Tirado & Rose Dommu)
Fran Tirado
Co-host of Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin (podcast)
Episode: 2026 Main Pop Girl Power Ranking (with Fran Tirado & Rose Dommu)
Jake Cornell
Comedian
Episode: Our Favorite VMA Performances of All Time (with Jake Cornell)
Cat Zhang
Culture writer for The Cut
The Cut / New York Magazine
Episode: Second Spin: TINASHE (with The Cut's Cat Zhang)
Julianne Escobedo Shepherd
Music journalist and critic,
Contributor to various music outlets
Episode: M.I.A. (with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd)
Isabella Gomez Sarmiento
Reporter at NPR Music
NPR Music
Episode: Karol G’s No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto + Becky G's Baraja Bendita (with Isabella Gomez Sarmiento) (Patreon preview)

Hosts

DJ Louie XIV
Host of Pop Pantheon; guides discussion and topic selection.
Russ Martin
Co-host, discussion partner, and segment introducer.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 1.7k ratings
  • What happened to this podcast?

    I used to love this podcast but it is terrible now. They are now recycling artists they already covered, act all entitled as “experts,” and have ignored or forgotten so many important artists. It was so much better before the other guy joined and it was so much less judgmental, misogynistic and condescending before. I can’t bear to listen to most episodes anymore.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    CornflakeGuy13
    United States9 days ago
  • Bring Gorgeous Gorgeous to Toronto!

    The title says it all 💃

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    stephshef
    Canada22 days ago
  • Wide ranging pod

    Tegan and Sara episode was fantastic!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LiseyLis
    United States3 months ago
  • Russ did such a good job!!

    Russ you did such a good job on the Tegan and Sara episode!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jwhams49
    United States3 months ago
  • Sadly misogynistic

    After the three part series of Madonna‘s early career, I decided to go back to listen to the first Madonna episode. It was terribly misogynistic and has not aged well. As I reflect on the last two years of episodes I have listened to, Louis has really kept this misogynistic critical voice through many of the episodes. The shows are really well researched but it is a shame many have such a misogynist bent.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    FOODSWINGS
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

- Fans enjoy the mix of scholarly context with entertaining discussion.
- Critics praise deep research, witty banter, and strong guest selection.
- Guests and hosts are seen as knowledgeable and engaging.
- Listeners appreciate the canonical framing and historical insight.
- Some feedback notes pacing or editing variability across episodes.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#23
United States/Music/Music Commentary
Apple Podcasts
#88
United States/Music
Apple Podcasts
#15
Canada/Music/Music Commentary
Apple Podcasts
#29
United Kingdom/Music/Music Commentary
Apple Podcasts
#63
Canada/Music
Apple Podcasts
#143
United Kingdom/Music

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

RIHANNA: PART 2 (with Lauren Michele Jackson)
Q: What do you make of the song Russian Roulette?
Jackson sees the song's dark imagery and gunshot ending as a deliberate, provocative framing of love as potentially lethal. Louie views it as a canny artistic response that presents Rihanna as an active participant in danger rather than a passive victim.
RIHANNA: PART 2 (with Lauren Michele Jackson)
Q: Why does Rihanna endure in this way while also being kind of out of the rat race for so long?
Jackson says Rihanna's enduring audience reflects her strength as a musical artist as well as an icon. Louie suggests her coolness and trendsetting image help her music transcend generations, while her absence preserves her peak-era image.
RIHANNA: PART 1 (with NPR's Sheldon Pearce)
Q: What would you say is happening on SOS? How does this sound and how does this kind of reinvent the possibilities for a Rihanna single?
Pearce says the song pushed Rihanna beyond the Caribbean teen-pop image of her debut, embracing dance-pop and a sharper performance style that foreshadowed her later synth-pop hits.
RIHANNA: PART 1 (with NPR's Sheldon Pearce)
Q: So when you think about Rihanna's early life, what jumps out to you as important for us to understand about that in terms of how it shapes the star that we come to know?
Pearce describes Rihanna's upbringing in Barbados, her early interest in singing, her exposure to reggae and dancehall through her community, and the difficult home life that preceded her talent-show performance and discovery.
Carly Rae Jepsen Revels in Abundance on Day and Night (with KC Hoard) (Patreon Preview)
Q: What is your philosophy when it comes to the amount of music that Carly Rae Jepsen is pushing out into the world?
Hoard welcomes the volume, comparing Jepsen's releases to a buffet offering variety for different listeners, but also finds the amount overwhelming. They and Russ Martin agree that a more selective album would have been more refined.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About Pop Pantheon

What is Pop Pantheon about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, opinionated deep-dive into pop music stardom and cultural impact, with an emphasis on long-running artist arcs, critical context, and the evolution of pop icons. Episodes frequently feature music journalists, authors, and industry insiders who dissect era-defining records, production choices, and fan discourse, then rank artists within a sweeping Pop Pantheon framework. Notable strengths include rigorous historical context, entertaining banter, and guests who bring scholarly or professional perspectives to bear on pop narratives. The show often blends archival analysis with contemporary culture moments, making it a compelling listen for those who want both depth and personality in music commentary.

Where can I find podcast stats for Pop Pantheon?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Pop Pantheon. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Pop Pantheon and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Pop Pantheon get?

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What are the audience demographics for Pop Pantheon?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Pop Pantheon, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Pop Pantheon have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Pop Pantheon has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Pop Pantheon?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Pop Pantheon:

1. Legends Only - A Pop Culture Podcast
2. Who? Weekly
3. Every Single Album
4. StraightioLab
5. Switched on Pop

How many episodes of Pop Pantheon are there?

Pop Pantheon launched 6 years ago and published 593 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Pop Pantheon?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Pop Pantheon?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Pop Pantheon from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Pop Pantheon?

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What guests have appeared on Pop Pantheon?

Recent guests on Pop Pantheon include:

1. Lauren Michele Jackson
2. KC Hoard
3. Sheldon Pearce
4. Rose Dommu
5. Fran Tirado
6. Jake Cornell
7. Cat Zhang
8. Julianne Escobedo Shepherd

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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