Our 2006 Week just kicked off on Billboard with the publishing of our staff’s 100 Best Songs of 2006 list, counting down the finest songs across the spectrum of 2006 popular music — from hyphy to emo to ringtone rap to Disney pop to Grey’s Anatomy rock and everything in between. The list is just the beginning of a week’s worth of 2006-themed content on Billboard.com, which will also include plenty of interviews, essays, videos and (of course) podcasts on the most interesting, enduring and sometimes largely forgotten artists, stories and music of 20 years ago.
On this bonus episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard charts senior analyst-writer Eric Frankenberg, as we dive into the staff top 100 list — as well as the official Billboard charts year-end Hot 100 — to make what we can out of 2006 pop stardom on the whole, and how it’s reflected (or not) in our editorial picks for the year’s best songs.
Along the way, we answer all the most pressing 2006-related questions: Does the past 20 years of Justin Timberlake cut into our belief in his ability to bring sexy back? Was this a year of triumph or of adversity (or both) for Beyoncé? Has Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” faded or risen in esteem over the years? Can Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” survive weekly karaoke play for an entire year? Was “Tim McGraw” Taylor Swift’s first classic, or just her first song? What was with all the white guys with pianos? And perhaps most importantly: What the hell even was pop music in 2006, really?
Check it out above, and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!
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