It's a bit ironic that Pop Music has always been plagued by new sounds causing backlash and prevailing despite those who say it doesn't fit their definition as "pop."
It seems only fitting that the reviews here also highlight this. Many of the low star reviews essentially say "this is bad because it didn't feature what I think is pop." I mean seriously, in an 8 episode mini series why would anyone want to waste an episode on Michael Jackson? Famous? Yes. King of Pop? Yes. Written endlessly about already? Yes. Hour long documentaries about his life and legacy already? Yes. If you want Michael's history, it's easy to find.
Now, to review that the documentary series DID showcase. What's on display is really good. Each episode takes a single topic and tells the history. Be it protest music, the Sweedish influence, Britpop, or Pop Country the show focuses on the conflict described above (artists being told they aren't "pop"). Starting with the origins of the artists involved, their struggles to navigate the industry, and their prevailing despite it due to some industry outliers putting faith in them and the fans approval (which ultimately defines what pop music is).
Overall, if you enjoy music history the series was really wonderful. The creators brought in a nice selection of guests for interviews, including primary sources. They covered topics that are less well known (aka, Michael Jackson doesn't get an episode).
The the format really worked well, except the narrative segments that tied parts of episodes together was a bit amateur. It's hardly noticeable, as it's only a few minutes of each episode but I often found them to be a bit mocking. Docked 2 stars from the review for it.
In total, I hope the show gets another chance for a season 2. Tons of really great things in Pop Music that couldn't get covered in 8 episodes. And who knows maybe some day they'd find the time to create a King of Pop episode.
