The Best Music Of 2018 Says, 'We're Here, Get Used To It'
Women dominated NPR Music's list of the best albums of 2018. But the revolution behind the changes in music today is deeper, and more subtle, than the numbers reveal.
Music Features
The Story Of 'Whittier Blvd.,' A Song And Place Where Latino Youth Found Each Other
One of the first Chicano rock bands, Thee Midniters were often called East L.A.'s Beatles. Their instrumental track "Whittier Blvd." was a regional smash that pointed to a coming cultural movement.
In Praise Of 'Good As Hell,' The Song That Believes In You Even When You Don't
Lizzo's self-love anthem works by turning a mirror to the listener. Every moment, from the hair-tossing hook to the rapturous call and response, is about you — the best, most impossible you.
How The 'New World' Symphony Introduced American Music To Itself
Sometimes it takes an outsider to see a culture clearly. Czech composer Antonin Dvorak's Ninth Symphony was an ode to what American music could become.
Turning the Tables: Your List Of The 21st Century's Most Influential Women Musicians
The results are in for our reader poll of the most influential women and non-binary musicians of this century. Your picks help us consider and question what "influence" can mean in new ways.
Missy Mazzoli Is The 21st Century's Gatecrasher Of New Classical Music
Classical music has a gatekeeping problem. Through her label-defying music and commitment to mentorship, Mazzoli is fighting to correct that.
Aretha Franklin Touches The Infinite In The Long-Delayed Film 'Amazing Grace'
It's been worth the long, long wait: Amazing Grace, made in January 1972, is an extraordinary document that depicts an artist at her technical, creative and spiritual heights.
Janelle Monáe Is The 21st Century's Time Traveler
Monáe's work reminds us that we don't need to be tied to one vision of the future: We can create worlds that help us process current hierarchies and others that try to break out of those structures.
In 'Let's Go,' Wilco Frontman Jeff Tweedy Details His Struggles And Joys
The singer-songwriter tells the story of how a kid from a Midwestern, working-class family became an idol to country-punk and alternative rock fans — and the obstacles and celebrations along the way.
Joni Mitchell At 75: Trouble Is Still Her Muse
At a concert in Los Angeles this week in honor of her 75th birthday, Joni Mitchell listened carefully as a handpicked group of peers and protégés entered into a dialogue with her inexhaustible voice.