Stories by Stephen Thompson
Stephen Thompson
Writer/Editor, NPR Music and Host, Pop Culture Happy Hour
By Stephen Thompson
Every season of 'Survivor,' ranked worst to best, by NPR's resident superfan
Survivor is a sport, a metaphor for society and yes, entertainment. As its 50th season ends, NPR critic Stephen Thompson ranked every season so far.
By Stephen Thompson
'SNL' just wrapped its 51st season: It's time to cruelly rank its musical guestsStephen Thompson | May 18, 2026, 9:23 PM UTC
By Stephen Thompson
Michael Jackson's biopic has pushed his music up the Billboard chartsStephen Thompson | May 14, 2026, 8:17 PM UTC
By Stephen Thompson
Noah Kahan gets a No. 1 album at last, while Michael Jackson reenters the top 10Stephen Thompson | May 7, 2026, 7:08 PM UTC
By Stephen Thompson
Olivia Rodrigo's 'drop dead' goes to No. 1 — and helps The Cure return to the chartsStephen Thompson | Apr 30, 2026, 6:42 PM UTC
Ella Langley tops the charts — and Coachella gives Bieber a boost
The rising country star Ella Langley rules both the album and song charts this week, but Justin Bieber also sees a rise in popularity following his nostalgic performance at Coachella.
Stephen Thompson | Apr 23, 2026, 4:06 PM UTC
BTS stays at No. 1 on the charts — and thwarts Ye in the process
This week, no album can unseat last week's champion: BTS's Arirang, which holds on to the top spot thanks to another flood of sales.
Stephen Thompson | Apr 9, 2026, 4:11 PM UTC
