NPR Music

Pop critic Ann Powers shares a handful the albums on NPR Music's list of the best of the year, including the one album that nearly the entire team agreed on.

Guitarist Sean Shibe pushes his instrument to the limit in new music written for him by Thomas Adès, and softens the vibe with intimate pieces by Bach, Mompou and the eccentric street musician Moondog.

The Miami-born, Cuban American musician, who died Dec. 8, played music that embraced Latin rhythms, roots, rock 'n' roll, and country. Originally broadcast in 1995.

The song, which came out in 1994 and first hit the top 10 in 2017, has now led the chart for the last seven holiday seasons.

In a year when hip-hop was frequently absent from the pop charts, NPR's music critic found that looking in darker corners revealed a genre that was flourishing.

The New Music Friday and Pop Culture Happy Hour host had a hard time narrowing his favorite albums of 2025 down to 10 — the year in music was good enough to fill a list two or three times longer.

This may have been a year when Latin music exploded globally, but the Alt.Latino and El Tiny host also sensed a desire among musicians for softness and stillness.

The NPR Music editor and All Songs Considered contributor shares her favorite albums of the year, including one that feels like a survival guide to the apocalypse.

NPR Music's classical critic shares his favorite records of the year, spanning a wide range of genres, from experimental folk to operatic pop to recordings featuring harp and pipe organ.

The All Songs Considered host had his mind blown by Rosalía's LUX and his heart broken by Patrick Watson's uh oh, and was taken for a wild ride by Geese.