Stephen Thompson
Stories
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Old and new faces reach the Billboard Hot 100 charts
After a rush of holiday-themed music, a sweep of new pop songs move up the chart.
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Pop Culture Happy Hour celebrates 15 years
2010 ushered in a number of long-lasting changes to the pop culture landscape, including NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour Podcast.
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The quiet pull of introspective songs as temperatures fall
When temperatures drop, why do many listeners find themselves gravitating toward more introspective, emotionally resonant songs?
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Ho, Ho, Nope: The Christmas songs that make us cringe
What are the most unbearable Christmas songs? We offer a few of the many, many options.
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Christmas season arrives on the pop charts
The calendar has turned to December, and jingle bells have arrived at the top of the charts, led, as usual, by Mariah, Wham and Brenda Lee.
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What film has become your family's holiday ritual?
NPR's Stephen Thompson and Kathryn Fink talk about the movies their families return to every holiday season and why those traditions stick.
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Milli Vanilli's Fab Morvan gets a surprising Grammy nomination
Thirty-five years after the Recording Academy revoked Milli Vanilli's Grammy for best new artist, the awards show has nominated one of its members in an unexpected twist.
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Michael Jackson's music sets a new record on the pop charts
"Thriller" shoots up the chart, making this the sixth consecutive decade in which Jackson has scored at least one top 10 hit.
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How movies turn heartbreak into comedy, tragedy, and everything in between
From revenge plots to quiet goodbyes, breakup movies explore how people rebuild when love falls apart.
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Rosalía's new album is her most impressive project yet
Global pop star Rosalía is back with a new album Friday. Featuring songs in 13 languages, it's the Spanish star's most impressive project yet.