The year’s best songs so far

The year’s best songs so far

Consensus has been hard to find in 2026, but we’ve assembled our top-ten list of the most memorable songs of the year at this midway point, from the outlaw country of Charley Crockett to the glam rock of Friko, Lana Del Rey’s twisted ode to love, Vince Staples’ “White Flag” and more. NPR Music’s Sheldon Pearce joins host Robin Hilton. Featured artists and songs: (00:00) Intro (01:38) Mandy, Indiana: “try saying” (05:09) Aldous Harding: “Coats” (09:28) Vince Staples: “White Flag” (14:25) Yebba: “Yellow Eyes” (18:04) Friko: “Seven Degrees” (22:01) Charley Crockett: “Kentucky Too Long” (26:03) Lana Del Rey: “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter” (32:07) Baby Rose: “Friends Again (feat. Leon Thomas)” (37:59) Mumford & Sons: “Rubber Band Man (with Hozier)” (42:58) Irreversible Entanglements: “Don’t Lose Your Head (feat. MOTHERBOARD)” Reviews help!  Leave us one on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-songs-considered/id79687345] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/10LYbliXlNZe1VStsTkcC0?si=b94426ae945445df] wherever you listen to podcasts.  Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org [allsongs@npr.org] See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Beck's 'Odelay' at 30, Mitski covers One Direction, more

We share our picks for the best new tracks of the week, including Mitski’s surprising cover of One Direction’s “Fireproof.” But first, we remember Beck’s still-mind-blowing Odelay, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary.  NPR Music’s Lars Gotrich joins host Robin Hilton. Featured artists and songs: (00:00) Beck’s Odelay at 30 (03:39) Perennial: “What’s New On The Beat Scene” (08:55) Mitski: “Fireproof” (13:50) Sarah Davachi: “Songs of the Smile’s Fig: III. Follies” (21:56) Shearwater: “Daydream Unbeliever” (32:33) Sleep: “Have Spacesuit Will Travel” (41:39) L’Rain: “soulless cycle” Reviews help!  Leave us one on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-songs-considered/id79687345] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/10LYbliXlNZe1VStsTkcC0?si=b94426ae945445df] wherever you listen to podcasts.  Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org [allsongs@npr.org] See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Songs for any road trip

It’s the season of road trips -- and nothing goes better with those long and winding roads than music.  This week we share our picks for the perfect playlist, breakdown what works best when, and consider some ground rules -- does the driver always have the final say? Reviews help!  Leave us one on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-songs-considered/id79687345] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/10LYbliXlNZe1VStsTkcC0?si=b94426ae945445df] wherever you listen to podcasts.  Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org [allsongs@npr.org] Featured artists and songs: (00:00) Eric Burdon and War: “Spill the Wine” (03:09) Stromae: “Santé” (04:57) Broadway Cast: “Alexander Hamilton” (07:53) Joe Iconis / Broadway Cast: “Michael in the Bathroom” (10:14) Abiotic: “Vermosapien” (12:02) Wipers: “Mystery” (13:36) Steely Dan: “My Old School” (17:28) Tunde Olaniran: “Namesake” (19:54) Shania Twain: “Man, I Feel Like a Woman!” (22:37) Pat Travers: “Amgwanna Kick Booty” (26:27) Anthrax & Public Enemy: “Bring The Noise” (27:49) Unwed Sailor: “Monster Collecting” (29:46) The Allman Brothers Band: “Midnight Rider” and “Southbound” (33:12) Lakestreet Dive: “You Go Down Smooth” (35:41) Black Sabbath: “Turn Up The Night” (37:19) Simple Minds: “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” Note: A version of this episode originally posted in August 2025. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

11 more songs to reset your mood

NPR listeners share the songs they reach for when they need to reset the mood, their day or even their life. This is a followup to our April episode on songs for starting over [https://www.npr.org/2026/04/14/nx-s1-5784015/all-songs-considered-need-a-reset].  NPR’s Dora Levite joins host Robin Hilton. A good review helps! Leave us one on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-songs-considered/id79687345], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/10LYbliXlNZe1VStsTkcC0?si=bb536b16024d42d8], or wherever you listen to podcasts. And tell a friend to listen! Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org [allsongs@npr.org]   Featured artists and songs: (00:00) Intro (01:13) Quincy Jones: “Dead End” (02:12) Bill Withers: “Lovely Day” (04:51) Florence + the Machine: “Shake It Out” (08:06) Jacob Collier: “Something Heavy” (11:24) Des’ree: “You Gotta Be” (16:32) Peter Gabriel: “Washing Of The Water” (19:57) Cat Power: “Nothin But Time” (23:02) John Denver: “Sweet Surrender” (27:46) Isley Brothers: “Summer Breeze” (31:22) Green Day: “Still Breathing” (34:10) Vienna Teng: “Level Up” See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Wet Leg, Vince Staples, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien

Our latest picks for the best new tracks of the week include a raging, dancefloor remix of Wet Leg’s “Catch These Fists,” a touch of vintage soul from rapper and singer Vince Staples, Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien channels Kentucky poet Wendell Berry who says, “to know the dark, go dark,” and more. NPR Music’s Tom Huizenga joins host Robin Hilton. A good review helps! So, leave us one on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-songs-considered/id79687345], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/10LYbliXlNZe1VStsTkcC0?si=bb536b16024d42d8], or wherever you listen to podcasts. And tell a friend to listen! Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org [allsongs@npr.org]   Featured artists and songs: (00:00) Intro (01:03) Wet Leg: “catch these fists (FDC DJs remix)” from moisturizer deluxe (07:05) Katie & Marielle Labèque: “The Somnambulist”  (Phillip Glass) from 55 (15:23) Balming Tiger: “Home” from Gongbu (22:42) Wild Up: “No. 8, Always Making New Inversions” from Julius Eastman Vol. 5: Gay Guerrilla (31:00) Vince Staples: “White Flag” from Cry Baby (36:06) Ed O’Brien: “Blue Morpho” from Blue Morpho See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]