Welcome to the sound of public radio in 2025. Our list of the best 125 songs of the year was curated by more than 60 writers and DJs across the NPR Music Network, and runs the gamut of sounds, scenes ...

These songs are examples of why 1971 was a fantastic year for country music and helped set the tone for the rest of the decade.

Listen to 68 tracks that made major statements, boosted big beefs, propelled up-and-comers and soundtracked the party this year. By Jon Pareles Jon Caramanica and Lindsay Zoladz Jon Pareles Here’s a ...

This was one wild year for music — as the late, great Ozzy would say, it was a crazy train. In 2025, you never knew where your next favorite song was coming from. Some of the year’s best songs were ...

(KTLA) — Pop culturally, the year tends to wrap up by early December, at least with music. Few artists want to drop anything they care about amid the holiday rush and the domination of holiday music.

We should address the elephant in the room: hip-hop did not have a strong year on the charts. In fact, rap music had its worst showing in years. Back in October, it made headlines when—for the first ...

2024 was a historic year for music, with Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” tying Lil Nas X’s record for longest-running Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” put the recording ...

If you were hoping for the pop madness of 2024 to slow down and start making sense: good luck, babe! Because there has never, ever, been a pop year like the hot-not-pretty mess that was 2024. Week to ...