Podcast Episodes

New Music Friday: The best albums out Dec. 5

Dove Ellis. Melody's Echo Chamber. Editors' Tom Smith. Erin Wolf of Radio Milwaukee joins Stephen Thompson to discuss those albums and more on our last episode of New Music Friday this year.


The Start…

Published on an hour ago

Alt.Latino: Zen and the art of new music

Some folks think by December all the releases for the year are complete. Not quite. This week's Alt.Latino episode features a new music show with albums that should be considered along with the year’…

Published on 1 day, 22 hours ago

The year in review, 2025

We look back at the year’s most defining moments in music, from the Trump administration’s takeover of the Kennedy Center to Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance, the Sean Combs trial, the 'Sinners' phe…

Published on 2 days, 22 hours ago

Our no. 1 songs: 2020

We make some bad moves, start over, and take a day off in Kyoto as we look back at the songs we loved most from 2020.

Note: This is a recurring series in celebration of All Songs Considered’s 25th ann…

Published on 3 days, 22 hours ago

New Music Friday: Record Store Day Black Friday 2025

There's 177 new special edition physical releases out today, so go support your local music purveyor. On this abbreviated version of 'New Music Friday,' host Stephen Thompson shares a taste of what's…

Published on 1 week ago

A Thanksgiving playlist: songs of joy and gratitude

Hosts Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson share stories and songs of gratitude from NPR listeners.

Note: This is an encore presentation that originally ran in 2024

Featured songs and artists:

1. Yo-Yo Ma …

Published on 1 week, 2 days ago

Our No. 1 songs: 2019

We bury a friend, visit the School of Design, and gather around a crowded table to remember the songs that take us back to 2019.

Note: This is a recurring series in celebration of All Songs Considered…

Published on 1 week, 3 days ago

New Music Friday: The best albums out Nov. 21

Odeal. Snarky Puppy. The return of Tobias Jesso Jr. Stephen Thompson from NPR Music is joined by Justus Sanchez from KNKX in Seattle and Tacoma to chat about their favorite new albums out Friday, Nov…

Published on 2 weeks ago

Alt.Latino: Roots and unity at the Latin Grammys

The annual Latin Grammy awards are always full of glamour and glitz. But they're also an ideal time to take the pulse of the industry - which is exactly what Anamaria Sayre did this year, perusing th…

Published on 2 weeks, 1 day ago

The Contenders, Vol. 25: Robyn, Rosalía, Nothing, Snocaps, more

In our final contenders episode of 2025, we’ve got some late additions to our running list of the year’s best songs, including Robyn’s first new release in seven years, the return of the existential …

Published on 2 weeks, 2 days ago