Pop
Here you'll find album stories, birthdays, and anniversaries from pop artists across the decades, along with news of vinyl reissues as titles return to print. Pop built much of its early history on the 7-inch single, the format that carried hit songs into homes and jukeboxes long before albums became the main event, and that legacy still shows up in picture sleeves, colored pressings, and singles boxes collectors look for today. The stories here follow how specific songs and albums came together, the writers and producers behind them, and why a particular reissue or pressing still catches a collector's eye.
379 STORIES
Kurt Nilsen: The Plumber Who Beat the World
In 2004, plumber Kurt Nilsen from Bergen won World Idol singing U2's 'Beautiful Day', becoming Norway's most improbable pop export of the mid-2000s.
· 4 min read
Coolio: From Compton Libraries to Gangsta's Paradise
Artis Leon Ivey Jr., known as Coolio, died in Los Angeles on September 28, 2022, leaving behind a legacy that spans from Compton libraries to a Grammy-winning hit.
· 4 min read
Why did St. Vincent hand her guitar to Jack Antonoff?
Annie Clark's path from Berklee student to self-producing artist saw her hand guitar duties to Jack Antonoff on Masseduction. She reclaimed full control on All Born Screaming.
· 4 min read
Yes: The Italian Castle Sessions That Nearly Killed Big Generator
In 1985, Yes rented a castle in Carimate, Italy, to force closeness. The sessions for Big Generator became one of the group's most unproductive stretches.
· 4 min read
Nolwenn Leroy Is 44 and Still Singing in Four Languages
Nolwenn Leroy, born in Brittany in 1982, became a French folk-pop star after winning Star Academy. Her album Bretonne sold over a million copies.
· 3 min read
Depeche Mode: The Album That Finally Cracked America
Depeche Mode's Music for the Masses, released in 1987, marked a turning point in the band's sound. It finally opened the American market for the synth-pop group.
· 3 min read
The Police: How a Teacher Story Became a UK No. 1
The Police took a taboo classroom scenario, wrapped it in reggae-tinged rock, and pushed it to the top of the British chart on 28 September 1980.
· 4 min read
Why did Black Sabbath's last Ozzy album almost fall apart?
Black Sabbath's Never Say Die!, released September 29, 1978, was made with a returning Ozzy Osbourne who refused most songs, forcing drummer Bill Ward to sing.
· 4 min read
Hilary Duff: The Teen Idol Who Outgrew the Script
Hilary Duff, born in Houston in 1987, rose from Disney's Lizzie McGuire to a diversified career in film, television, and music. Time recognized her in 2026.
· 4 min read
Jennifer Rush: Why 57 in the US Still Meant a World Record
Jennifer Rush, born Heidi Stern, topped charts across Europe with 'The Power of Love' while the same song stalled at 57 on the Billboard Hot 100. That gap defined her transatlantic career.
· 5 min read
Mark Calderon: Why Color Me Badd Still Matters in 2026
Mark Calderon, born September 27, 1970, turned teenage harmonies into Color Me Badd. Their tenor-driven sound defined 90s radio and still resonates in 2026.
· 4 min read
Barbara Dickson: How a Scottish Folk Voice Went Pop
Barbara Dickson, born on 27 September 1947, moved from Scottish folk clubs to the West End stage and an Olivier Award, collecting chart hits along the way.
· 4 min read
Greg Ham: The Flute That Made Men At Work Famous
Greg Ham, born September 27, 1953, gave Men At Work their signature sound. A flute phrase from a children's campfire song became one of pop's most recognizable melodies.
· 3 min read
Very by Pet Shop Boys 33 Years On and Still Number One
Pet Shop Boys' fifth studio album Very, released on 27 September 1993, became their only UK number one album. Its toy-like orange packaging hid the most confrontational pop record of the year.
· 4 min read
Peter Gabriel Followed So With an Album of Fractures
Peter Gabriel's sixth studio album Us arrived on 28 September 1992. It is a fractured follow-up to So that maps his divorce and family distance through seven-minute songs.
· 3 min read
Why did Lady Gaga call Harlequin vintage pop?
Lady Gaga's 2024 album Harlequin blends jazz standards with rock, soul, gospel, and doo-wop. It uses vintage pop to explore Harley Quinn's fractured psychology.
· 3 min read
Mitski's Graduation Project Became a Global Soundtrack
A college senior in upstate New York sits in a practice room, layering guitar feedback over a melody she wrote for a grade. The assignment was a senior project …
· 4 min read
Lil Wayne: the nine-year-old who signed to Cash Money
In 1993, an eleven-year-old from Hollygrove named Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. signed to Cash Money Records after Birdman spotted him rapping on a New Orleans street corner.
· 4 min read
How Ani Lorak turned a TV character name into 4.5 octaves
Ani Lorak, born Karolina Kuiek in 1978, commands a 4.5-octave range and built a career from Ukrainian pop to Russian citizenship, ending with sanctions in 2022.
· 4 min read
Donald O'Connor's Most Dangerous Dance Move
Donald O'Connor, born in Chicago in 1925, survived a car crash that killed his sister. He later turned his athleticism into the unforgettable 'Make 'Em Laugh' number in Singin' in the Rain.
· 4 min read
Why Depeche Mode's A Broken Frame still haunts 44 years on
Released on September 27, 1982, A Broken Frame made Martin Gore Depeche Mode's sole songwriter. The band shelved it for nearly two decades before reviving a single track in 2006.
· 5 min read
Jovanotti: The Typo That Named a Chameleon
Lorenzo Cherubini, born in Rome in 1966, built his career as Jovanotti after a nightclub marquee misspelled his stage name. The typo turned into a chameleon identity.
· 4 min read
Alma: The Economist Who Sang France to Kyiv
Alma, born Alexandra Maquet in Lyon, traded a corporate career for Eurovision, singing 'Requiem' in Kyiv after years in management and finance.
· 4 min read
Why Ryan O'Shaughnessy Left Acting for Eurovision
Ryan O'Shaughnessy left Fair City for music, reaching Eurovision in 2018 with 'Together' after a decade of acting and a family legacy in the contest.
· 4 min read