Prolific Brazilian composer and pianist João Donato dies at 88
He helped lay the groundwork for bossa nova but defied confinement to any single genre.
Music & Culture
Remembering André Watts, the American pianist who opened doors of possibility
The pianist, who died last week, was an inspiration to a generation of Black and brown musicians who followed in his pioneering footsteps.
Taylor Swift becomes 1st female artist with 4 albums on Billboard 200 chart
Taylor Swift has become the first female artist to have four albums on the Billboard 200 chart. The artist has been deep in re-recording her early albums to keep artistic and financial control.
It was great while it lasted: Dead and Company has concluded final tour in California
The Grateful Dead's offshoot band, Dead and Company, concluded its final tour in California on Sunday. For fans and vendors who have been following the bands for decades, it's the end of an era.
Two new books take an unusual approach to music history and blues appreciation
Ken Tucker reviews Robert McCormick's Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey, and Robert Mugge's Notes from the Road: A Filmmaker's Journey Through American Music.
Taylor Swift just made Billboard history, again
Swift became the first woman and third artist ever to have four of the Top 10 albums on Billboard's 200 chart. This latest milestone comes weeks after the release of Speak Now (Taylor's Version).
How the DMV and Virginia Beach made rap safe (and profitable!) for eccentrics
From one little resort town came some of weirdest, boldest changes to hip-hop's sound. A few hours away, flowery backpack raps and a splash of mambo sauce helped the nation's capital break through.
How New York defined rap's attitude
Beneath the 8 million stories in the culture's birthplace lies a bigger one: the story of American Blackness, which crystallized in a music that can't and won't stop growing.
How Boston quietly triumphed as a seminal rap city
From beginnings so humble that local labels left their addresses off the liner notes, New York's northeast neighbor grew into a sister city, guiding taste and incubating talent.
All Rap Is Local
As it celebrates its 50th birthday, hip-hop is a global phenomenon. But to map the music's true impact, you have to look closer. Here's a guide to rap history, charted across more than a dozen cities.