This essay first appeared in the NPR Music newsletter. Sign up for early access to articles like this one, listening recommendations and more. I love the word "heartthrob." It stops you whether you ...

You may have heard of recession meals and wardrobes. Now, we have "recession pop" - bangers from 2008-2010 gaining popularity with a younger audience. Let me take you back to the fall of 2008. The ...

Each week, The FADER staff rounds up the songs we can't get enough of. Here they are, in no particular order. Listen on our Spotify and Apple Music playlists, or hear them all below. Yes, this sounds ...

Just when you thought 1999 was the greatest year in pop music—thanks to debut singles by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera—here comes 2000 to throw down the goods. If the late 80s and early 90s ...