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THE POP PROFESSOR PODCAST
The Pop Professor is your crash course in music history, culture, and the moments that shaped pop as we know it. Each episode dives deep into the artistry, industry, and cultural impact behind iconic songs, albums, and artists—from Motown and Disco to 2000s pop stardom and today’s chart-toppers.
Think of it as music history class, but way more fun. Passionate, witty, and insightful, The Pop Professor connects the dots between the hits of yesterday and the sounds of today—proving that pop isn’t just entertainment, it’s culture.
Episodes
16 episodes
Lecture 110. The Backlash Era (Taylor's Version)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know Taylor Swift just dropped a new album. The numbers are massive, the headlines are glowing… but the discourse tells another story. From feminist contradictions to feud fatigue, from AI controversi...
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Episode 12
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31:13
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Lecture 109. Are Your Pop Stars Even Real?
Pop music has always thrived on illusion — from the “family” fantasy of the Jackson 5 to Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, from Milli Vanilli’s lip-sync scandal to Britney’s schoolgirl persona. Each era refined the pop factory, turning image into product...
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Episode 11
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28:34
Lecture 108. The Wallen Effect: Dangerous By Design
Morgan Wallen isn’t just country’s biggest star — he’s Nashville’s perfected prototype. This episode of The Pop Professor Podcast traces the blueprint that built him, from Garth Brooks’ spectacle to bro-country’s party anthems, and how...
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Episode 10
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37:04
Extra Credit: Laurel Canyon's Secret Society
In the late 1960s, a hillside neighborhood above Los Angeles became the unlikely engine of American rock. Laurel Canyon turned folk into electric confessionals, gave us Joni, Jackson, Carole, and CSNY, and stitched neighbors into collaborato...
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13:35
Lecture 107B. Rumours in The Hotel California (PT 2)
The Eagles formed out of Linda Ronstadt’s backing band, blending country harmonies with rock swagger to soundtrack the 1970s. Early hits like “Take It Easy” and “Best of My Love” painted a golden California horizon. By 1976, they were the bi...
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Episode 9
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30:09
Lecture 107A. Rumours in The Hotel California (PT 1)
Fleetwood Mac began as a British blues outfit before reinventing themselves in California with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. That patchwork lineup struck gold with Rumours (1977) — a record that turned private i...
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Episode 8
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25:26
Extra Credit: Pop Stars Who Got Left Behind
Every pop era has its winners — but for every band that survives, a dozen get left behind. In this bonus lecture, The Pop Professor takes you on a graveyard tour of pop history’s forgotten giants: the doo-wop idols and teen heartthrobs wiped ou...
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18:35
Lecture 106B. Stayin' Alive Just To Remind You (PT 2)
In Lecture 106B, we fast-forward three decades to Nickelback — a band that became so big they turned into a meme. From How You Remind Me to Rockstar, they dominated radio, only to be roasted by c...
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Episode 7
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32:17
Lecture 106A. Stayin' Alive Just To Remind You (PT 1)
In Lecture 106A, we trace the Bee Gees’ improbable journey: from tender ballads to disco dominance, from six straight number ones to being torched in the “Disco Sucks” bonfire at Comiskey Park. Mocked as symbols of excess and overexposure, t...
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Episode 6
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30:45
Office Hours: Welcome to the Pop Classroom
Think of this as the first day of class. In this special episode, The Pop Professor walks you through what this podcast is all about — from the kinds of artists we’ll study, to the cultural debates we’ll tackle, to why pop music deserves its ow...
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2:58
Lecture 105. 6 Songs That Almost Never Happened — And Changed Pop Forever
Pop history is full of miracles — songs that were passed on, doubted, or nearly shelved, only to become the very tracks that defined generations. In this episode of The Pop Professor Podcast, we trace six iconic songs ...
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Episode 5
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35:32
Lecture 104. The Weeknd vs. The Weeknd — Killing Your Own Pop Persona
The Weeknd’s career is one of the most fascinating journeys in modern pop — from faceless mixtape enigma to the most streamed artist in the world. In this episode of The Pop Professor Podcast, we break down his story a...
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Episode 4
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39:50
TRAILER: Class Is in Session
Welcome to The Pop Professor — the podcast where pop culture gets put under the microscope. Think of it as your backstage pass to the stories, scandals, and strategies that shaped the biggest hits in music. From icons who rewrote the r...
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1:18
Lecture 103. Katy Perry — From Firework to Fadeout
Katy Perry’s career is one of the most dramatic arcs in modern pop — a rise from gospel obscurity to record-breaking superstardom, followed by a sharp and very public decline. This episode of The Pop Professor Podcast traces her journe...
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Episode 3
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28:57
Lecture 102. Justin Timberlake — Golden Boy to Villain
From ‘NSYNC heartthrob to solo pop sensation, Justin Timberlake’s career trajectory is a masterclass in reinvention. This episode of *The Pop Professor Podcast* traces his rise from boy band fame, to a groundbreaking solo career, to the hits...
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Episode 2
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33:32
Lecture 101. Beyonce's Masterclass In Longevity
Beyoncé’s career is the gold standard for pop longevity: from Destiny’s Child to solo superstardom, from pop dominance to cultural architect, she has continually reinvented herself while controlling her narrative. This episode of *The Pop Pr...
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Episode 1
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38:25