Billboard's 2006 Top 100: Pop Stardom Rewind

0:00On March 31, Billboard just launched their 2006 week with a bang, dropping the staffs 100 best songs list from that year. We're talking everything from high-feed beats to emo vibes, ringtone rap, Disney pop, and even Grey's Anatomy-style rock-peer chaos of popular music, 20 years back. This kicks off a full week of throwback content on their site. Meanwhile, there's a bonus episode of the greatest pop stars podcast where host Andrew Unterberger teams up with Billboard charts analyst Eric Frankenberg. They break down the staff picks against the official year-in Hot 100 chart, figuring out what defined pop stardom in 2006. Fans are buzzing about the big questions they tackle like. This 20 years dimmed Justin Timberlake's sexy back magic. Was Beyonce owning or struggling that year? Has Narls Barkley's crazy held up or faded? Can Carrie Underwoods before he cheats survive endless karaoke, and was Taylor Swift's Tim McGraw her first real hit?

1:00They also dig into wild trends, like all those wide dudes pounding pianos, and straight-up ask what pop music even was in 2006. It's a deep dive into forgotten gyms and enduring tracks. Expect more interviews, essays, videos, and pods all week, spotlighting the artists and stories that shaped that era, stay tuned as we rewind and rethink it all. That wraps music news today, brought to you with AI. I'm Cory with The Story.