Greatest Pop Stars

We're three years into Janet Jackson Vintage Pop Stardom Week on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast! After visiting Janet in her 'Control' and 'Rhythm Nation' eras of '86 and '90, we now catch up with the pop icon at the very top of the mountain in 1993. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by NYU professor Naima Cochrane to talk about a decade-defining year of dominance, with classic singles, albums, videos, performances, looks and even acting roles, as Janet ended the year at a peak arguably no other pop star had yet reached that decade. Check it out here and come back all week as we celebrate two more years — 1998 and 2001 — from the pop icon, leading up to her 60th birthday this Saturday.

Check out a YouTube playlist of Janet's biggest 1993 moments, all of which are discussed in the episode, here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjyxjlx5MpVBJQKsj-VarW-wfkPC8XPic&si=sS0Oh1Xh0w-K7nFE

And make sure to follow Naima on Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/naimagram/

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

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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.

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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We're two years into Janet Jackson Vintage Pop Stardom Week on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast! After kicking off yesterday in 1986, our Janet mini-series continues in 1990 with the Rhythm Nation era and arguably her first year leading the entire pop star pack. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's managing editor Christine Werthman to talk about a year of massive hits and videos, incredible performances and unforgettable roller rink memories, as Ms. Jackson made us think, feel and dance like few pop stars before her. Check it out here and come back all week as we celebrate three more years — 1993, 1998 and 2001 — from the pop icon, leading up to her 60th birthday this Saturday.

Check out a YouTube playlist of Janet's biggest 1990 moments, all of which are discussed in the episode, here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjyxjlx5MpVDxIbI2ZY_Lyadvcv08ac6y&si=KRPyhEdjqHuwx-cC

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.

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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We've got a full week of Janet Jackson Vintage Pop Stardom coming up on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast! Our Janet mini-series kicks off in 1986 with the Control era and her first big year as a pop star. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's legendary executive editor of R&B/hip-hop Gail Mitchell to remember the year where Ms. Jackson was first introduced to the public as a future all-time pop star great, with some help from collaborators like Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Paula Abdul. Check it out here and come back all week as we celebrate four more years — 1990, 1993, 1998 and 2001 — from the pop icon, leading up to her 60th birthday this Saturday.

Check out a YouTube playlist of Janet's biggest 1986 moments, all of which are discussed in the episode, here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjyxjlx5MpVC7_vQEsdfkpgoCumxQ_C20&si=4GcTaSG7A0Zcl9qv

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.

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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On this Who Won the Month episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Eric Frankenberg and Eric Renner Brown to discuss the big pop stars, rising prospects and veteran greats who were heard from loudest in April 2026 — which was largely defined by some headline-making Coachella sets, and some all-time great pop catalogs and legacies being revisited. 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

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.

https://5calls.org/
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No new podcast this week due to a last-minute cancellation — so instead we're going to look forward to something we're very excited to have coming up on Greatest Pop Stars: a full Janet Jackson Week of Vintage Pop Stardom! In honor of one of the greatest pop stars of all time turning 60 in May, we're going to be celebrating Ms. Janet with deep dives into five of her greatest pop star years — 1986, 1990, 1993, 1998 and 2001 — starting on May 11, and going one a day right up until her birthday on May 16. Listen for more of what to expect here, and see you back here for some top-level Vintage Pop Stardom in a couple weeks!

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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