All Songs Considered
All Songs Considered is NPR's flagship podcast for new music, artist interviews and friendly banter about the albums and musicians you love. Plus, special episodes on topics we can all relate to, like the best roadtrip anthems or songs to calm the nerves.Weekly, with host Robin Hilton and the NPR Music family.
The best songs we've missed this year
As we enter the homestretch of 2026, we pause to catch up on some of the great tracks we missed from earlier in the year. This includes a stunning, ever-shifting earworm from a bedroom pop artist out of Northern Iowa known as Kinji, maximalist polyrhythms from the composer and electronic artist Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, the singular voice of Mexican singer Silvana Estrada and more.
AltLatino host Anamaria Sayre joins All Songs Considered’s Robin Hilton.
Featured artists and songs:
(00:00) Intro
(01:49) Kinji: “Windburn”
(08:42) Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith: “Ruin”
(17:37) Rita Payés & Lucía Fumero: “Rueda eterna”<...
Why does everything in music feel fake?
It’s been an unprecedented year for arguing about “fake” music, and it’s not just AI. From bot-powered ticket sales and social media campaigns to manufactured artist identities and an endless wave of complaints against nepo babies, 2026 feels like a turning point in the timeless debate about authenticity in music.
This week on All Songs Considered, NPR Music’s Ann Powers and Isabella Gomez Sarmiento join host Robin Hilton to break down how we’ve reached this point, what it means, and where we go from here.
Tell us what you think with a review on Apple or...
The rapturous, heartbreaking story of Elephant 6
With the arrival of the first new Olivia Tremor Control album in nearly 30 years, we attempt to make sense of the sprawling, enigmatic collective behind it known as Elephant 6.
NPR Music’s Lars Gotrich joins host Robin Hilton.
Special thanks to Greenwich Entertainment, C.B. Stockfleth and Rob Hatch-Miller for use of audio featured in the 2022 documentary, The Elephant 6 Recording Co.
Featured artists and songs:
(00:00) Intro with “A New Day” by The Olivia Tremor Control
(03:00) The Elephant 6 story in 60 seconds with “Black Foliage (Animation 2)” by The Olivia Tremor Control
(04:28) The Apples In S...
A new canon of Halloween music
Who’s the Mariah Carey of Halloween? Labels and artists are trying to capitalize on spooky season, but these are the songs that belong in the creepy canon, from the truly terrifying to simply seasonal and nostalgic.
Note: An earlier version of this episode appeared on All Songs Considered in 2025.
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Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]
Featured artists and songs:
Phoebe Bridgers: “Killer” from ‘Stranger in the Alps...
How The Beatles made 'Rubber Soul' and broke up with their past
A super deluxe box set of The Beatles' legendary 1965 album Rubber Soul has just been released with brand new mixes, demos and outtakes that show The Beatles breaking up with the past, their fans and everything people knew and loved about the band.
In this conversation with All Songs Considered host Robin Hilton, Giles Martin, the producer behind the new mixes and son of late Beatles producer George Martin, talks about why Rubber Soul was such a pivotal album for the band, how the music was changing, and why it sounds “reasonably bleak.” Martin also explains how the AI too...
Phoebe Bridgers, Gilla Band, Wednesday, and more of the week’s best songs
We get big and loud this week with a surprise drop from Phoebe Bridgers and her song “On Video,” from the Primetime soundtrack; the monstrously disjointed “Placeholder” from Gilla Band; widescreened shoegaze from the Danish artist Trentemøller and more.
NPR Music’s Dora Levite joins host Robin Hilton as they share their picks for the best new songs out now.
Tell us what you think with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.
Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]
Featured artists and so...
Lizzy McAlpine, Víkingur Ólafsson plays Bach, and more of the week's best songs
Our latest mix of the week’s best new songs swings from the shoegaze rock of rising LA band untitled (halo) to Bach’s “Air on the G String” performed by pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. We’ve also got singer Lizzy McAlpine’s breathtaking ode to her late father, the laid-back grooves of polymath Sen Morimoto, the extraordinary voice of Scottish singer Beth Taylor and more.
NPR Music’s Tom Huizenga joins host Robin Hilton.
Tell us what you think with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.
Questions, comments, suggestions or fe...
M83, Shygirl, FKJ, Asher White, more
We’re back with another round of the best new songs out now, including the universe-splitting “Blister Sunrise” from M83, Shygirl’s bone-rattling and euphoric “Alyse,” subversive funk from Asher White and more.
NRP Music writer and editor Sheldon Pearce joins host Robin Hilton.
Leave us a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.
Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]
Featured artists and songs:
(00:00) Intro
(02:02) M83: “Blister Sunrise”
(07:51) Shygirl: “Alyse”
(15:13) FKJ & Labrinth: “Little Little Voice”
(22:21...
More cover songs that are better than the originals
We share more reimagined and reinterpreted songs that rival the originals, including Janis Joplin’s iconic take on Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” a reggae version of The Beatles song “Don’t Let Me Down,” and more.
NPR Music’s Dora Levite and Lars Gotrich rejoin host Robin Hilton for another round.
Leave us a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.
Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]
Featured artists and songs:
(00:00) Intro
(04:30) Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylo...
Dahi, Kendrick and Amber Mark, Dominic Fike, more
After nearly two decades of producing works by other musicians, including Kendrick Lamar and Vampire Weekend, the artist known as Dahi has just released his debut solo album. He describes it as “African Radiohead,” with kaleidoscopic soundscapes, intricate polyrhythms and a breathtaking list of collaborators. We open this week’s show with the song “How to Pray,” featuring both Kendrick Lamar and singer Amber Mark.
Our other picks for the best new tracks of the week include Dominic Fike’s heady “Wallflower,” dancefloor beats from singer Jorja Smith, an 8-bit instrumental from composer Emily A. Sprague and more.
NPR Mus...
The best Sunday morning albums
Is Sunday morning the best time for music? Whether you prefer solitude, get-togethers with family or friends, or steeling yourself for the week to come, we’ve got the perfect album to score your early hours.
NPR Music’s Hazel Cills and Lars Gotrich join host Robin Hilton.
Leave us a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.
Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]
Featured songs and artists:
(00:00) Intro / Miles Davis: “So What”
(02:32) Astrud Gilberto: “Once I Loved”
(06:29...
Weezer, Colin Stetson, Jlin, Meredith Monk more
On this week’s show, Weezer gives the people what they want, plus a breathless “dirt dance” from saxophonist Colin Stetson and bagpiper Brìghde Chaimbeul, the scruffy cello-pop of yeemz, works by composer and vocalist Meredith Monk, electronic artist Jlin and more.
NPR Music’s Tom Huizenga joins host Robin Hilton as we share our picks for the best new songs of the week.
Leave us a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.
Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]
Featured artists and...
Cover songs that are better than the originals
Sometimes a cover song is so good, so singular that it completely eclipses the original version. Think Sinéad O'Connor doing The Family's “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Jimmy Hendrix lighting up Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” or, of course, Whitney Houston’s defining take on Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” On this week’s show, we share some of our picks for cover songs that are better than the originals, talk about why, and what, exactly, a cover song needs to become a classic.
NPR Music’s Dora Levite and Lars Gotrich join host Robin Hilton.
Le...
Remembering Glen Hansard, plus Slayyyter, King Princess covers Neil Young, more
We open this week’s show by reflecting on the loss of Glen Hansard, an artist who was critical to shaping the sound and spirit of All Songs Considered in its earliest days. We then share some of our favorite new tracks of the week, including a King Princess cover of Neil Young’s “Helpless,” cheeky pop from Coco & Clair Clair, a stunning ambient track from Adam Wiltzie and the late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson and more.
NPR Music’s Dora Levite joins host Robin Hilton.
Support the show with a review on Apple or Spotify wher...
How to love the Grateful Dead
Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest places, if you look at it right. And if you get confused, just listen to the music play. This week, resident Deadheads Isabella Gomez Sarmiento and Felix Contreras help host Robin Hilton hear what he’s been missing in the music of the Grateful Dead.
Are you a Deadhead? Share your memories of the Grateful Dead and we may include them in a big series we're launching about the band on Aug. 1.
Support the show with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you li...
Sylvan Esso, Phoebe Bridgers, feeble little horse, more
We share our picks for the best new tracks out now, including the laid-back dystopia of Sylvan Esso’s “Concrete Glen,” an acoustic take on Phoebe Bridgers’ “Lost Boys,” the glitched-out chaos of feeble little horse and more.
NPR Music’s Dora Levite joins host Robin Hilton.
Support the show with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.
Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]
Featured artists and songs:
(00:00) Intro
(01:28) Sylvan Esso: “Concrete Glen”
(07:49) feeble little horse: “DMT”
beabadoobee, The Rolling Stones, Four Tet, more
On her stellar new single, “Switchblade,” beabadoobee shreds ‘90s style. The Rolling Stones have still got it on their latest album, Foreign Tongues. And Four Tet surprises us with a new “wingdings” project. We’ve got all that and more as we share our picks for the best new songs of the week.
NPR Music’s Sheldon Pearce joins host Robin Hilton.
Featured artists and songs:
(00:00) Intro
(01:20) beabadoobee: “Switchblade” from Pylon
(08:31) Bonobo & Arooj Aftab: “Fire on the Water” from Distance in Static
(15:09) The Rolling Stones: “Ringing Hollow” from Foreign Tongues
...
Summer’s simple pleasures: Roséwave
Roséwave is a feeling more than a singular sound or genre. It’s the kind of sweetness and sadness that underscores the long, languid days of summer. Long drives with old friends, watching your kids at the pool, backyard barbecues while the sun slowly sets. On this episode we share a mix of songs that offer the perfect soundtrack for your roséwave days and nights, from Linda Ronstadt’s “How Do I Make You” and Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t That Peculiar,” to Katie Gavin’s “Aftertaste,” Waxahatchee’s “Much Ado About Nothing” and more.
NPR Music’s Lars Gotrich and contrib...
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 Crocket...
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 h...
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 or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.
Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]
Featured artists and songs:
(00:00) Eric Burdon and War: “Spill the Wine”
(03:09) Stromae: “Santé”
(04:57) Broadway Cast: “Alexand...
