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More than most years, 2023 felt like the class divide was stretching into the world of music, as the gap between superstars and the hard-working everypeople felt larger than ever.
The 2023 pop music album superlatives...so far
Just like we were going on summer break, let's break out that big PopMusic Mid-Yearbook and see who's Most Likely to Succeed.
20 hits not written by the band's primary songwriter
Here are 20 instances of when a band let someone else take the songwriting lead only to deliver the gold, frontman be damned.
25 one-album wonders
These are albums not defined by a single mega-hit but whose legacies are indisputable, almost in spite of everything that came before or after.
24 artists from popular bands whose solo careers flopped
Let's dive into the CD budget bins of history and explore the attempted solo careers that went nowhere.
The craziest things musicians have done on stage
Sometimes intentional and sometimes very much not, the live concert setting can yield unexpected delights and strange curiosities, the wildest of which we're rounding up here. (For the sake of levity, we'll be dismissing outright tragic events.)
20 ways The Beatles changed the world
The de facto ground zero from which contemporary rock and pop culture emerged, The Beatles did a few things better than their peers and even did a few things no one had yet conceived of. Thus, let's celebrate the 20 ways that The Beatles changed the world.
From "American Idol" to "Judge Judy": The longest-running reality TV shows
A classic is a classic for a reason, and whether it was given a proper sendoff or still running to this day, here are the longest-running reality TV shows in history.
Music artists who walked away at the top of their game
There are many ways to leave a career: through frustration with the industry, because of conflicts with your band, because you're no longer makin' the hits you once you used to, or maybe, just maybe, you want to try something else.
The 25 most disappointing albums of 2022
Some may hit different highs than previous works, retread familiar ground, or strike poses that don't fit their style. Whether victims of overhyping or ending up sounding undercooked, these are the year's 25 most disappointing releases.
The 50 best albums of 2022
There's rarely been an album roundup as sprawling and diverse as this, but we can all agree that this was a year like no other. Presented in no specific order, here are the 50 best albums of 2022.
The greatest music producers of all time
here is a litany of amazing producers who didn't make this cut (so apologies to John Hammond, Conny Plank, Jeff Lynne, Linda Perry, No I.D., and many others), but this is a list for legends only.
The best albums of 2022 (so far)
Presented in random order, here are the 23 best albums of 2022 so far (we added in a bonus one 'cos we all deserve a treat at this point).
The biggest gimmicks from the music industry
The music industry, for decades, has changed and evolved and found strange little gimmicks to drum up interest or force an artist down your ears that you may not even realize.
Much-hyped albums that were commercial disasters
Some consider some of these records good or even "misremembered classics," but no matter how you draw it, these are undoubtedly the biggest flop albums of all time.
Bad movies that have great soundtracks
A great movie often has a great soundtrack, but this isn't a universal truth. Sometimes great films are drenched with boring scores or obvious needle drops.
The 25 worst pop hits of the new millennium
It was a tight narrowing process, but the decisions have been made: here are the 22 worst pop hits of the past 22 years.
The definitive ranking of every visual album
Open your ears, eyes, and heart to the definitive ranking of every visual album ever.
Year in review: The most disappointing albums of 2021
Whether it be punishing sky-high expectations or simply a noted drop in quality, these albums disappointed us all in one form or another.
Year in review: The 50 best albums of 2021
Throughout 2020, lockdowns and quarantines forced many people to rearrange their lives, from their commutes to work to their listening habits. In 2021,
How musical genres got their names
Names that we take for granted, like "metal" and "trap" music, take on abstract forms when you start thinking about them. So what are the etymological roots of some of our favorite genres? Get to clickin', 'cos we're about to find out.
The best albums of 2021 (so far)
No matter what format you hear these records on, the first half of 2021 has yielded some incredible, groundbreaking, and flat-out energizing music.
Getting the band back together: Groups who reunited after breaking up
Maybe some hatchets are buried, an anniversary reunion tour brings people out of hiding, or the love of music (and royalties) clears up all the bad blood. No matter the case, here are the extraordinary tales of bands who reunited after breaking up in a big way.
Call it a comeback: Musicians who came out of retirement
While some musicians make a big commotion about stepping away, it's even more fascinating when some of them decide to return to the game. Sometimes a return to the studio elicits screams from anticipating fans, sometimes it's done with quiet fanfare, but no matter what, we love to see if our favorite artists still have that magic in them.
The 50 greatest music videos of all time
MTV prophetically debuted with a too-appropriately-titled Buggles clip for "Video Killed the Radio Star", and the debate about whether video did that rages on to this day. Music lovers, here are the 50 Greatest Music Videos of All Time.
