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The Niche Reference

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Category: UK Charts

The Story of Pop: 1998 (Chapter 1)

Jan 5, 2023Apr 27, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ 2 Comments

"The Velvet Rope" was Janet Jackson's most personal album to date, but audiences responded enthusiastically to her more vulnerable side, and on the album's biggest single in particular...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Bonus Tracks)

Dec 22, 2022Dec 19, 2023 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

Before we bade farewell to 2002 one last time (in blog post form that is), we have one more treat for you. If you've read and followed the 1999 or 2000 series then you'll know all about our Bonus Tracks. By way of thank you for reading along, it's a blog, Spotify playlist and videos … Continue reading The Story of Pop: 2002 (Bonus Tracks)

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 51)

Dec 22, 2022Mar 29, 2025 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ 3 Comments

With Popstars: The Rivals, the stakes were upped as two new bands went head-to-head for the Christmas number one, and for Girls Aloud, it was "Buy Girls, Bye Boys" with a redefining 00s chart banger that got them there...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 49)

Dec 8, 2022Oct 25, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

Making his movie debut as a struggling rapper in the Oscar nominated 8 Mile also provided Eminem with one of his biggest hits and a fourth UK chart topper to boot...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 48)

Dec 1, 2022Oct 26, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

Daniel Bedingfield had made his name embracing the tail end of UK garage - which is what made the success of his biggest single, a soaring ballad, all the more surprising...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 47)

Nov 24, 2022Oct 26, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

In the face of intense press coverage and speculation about her personal life, Jennifer Lopez answered back to her critics through her music, proving that deep down, she was still the girl from the Bronx...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 46)

Nov 17, 2022Oct 26, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

On her second album Stripped, Christina Aguilera sought to shed the teen pop image that she made her name with for something a little more raw, debauched and raunchy...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 45)

Nov 10, 2022Oct 26, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

After breaking through with the huge "Get Ur Freak On" and Miss-E ... So Addictive album the year previously, Missy Elliott continued to ride the crest of a wave with her Under Construction album...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 44)

Nov 3, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

After playing the long game and paying his dues on the club scene in his native Spain, it took a soaring cover of a Bryan Adams classic to send DJ Sammy into the global stratosphere...

The Story of Pop: 2002 (Chapter 43)

Oct 27, 2022Nov 2, 2024 ~ Alex the Pensmith ~ Leave a comment

With *NSYNC entering their hiatus after five years of success, Justin Timberlake began his solo career in style with a funk R&B workout more than a little indebted to his musical heroes...

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