Some of the first truly American music was created by Black voices. In this playlist, pianist Lara Downes offers a broad range of songs that speak to the irrepressible, irresistible sound of hope.
Debut albums by artists like Adele, Vampire Weekend and Lady Gaga — plus albums by established artists, including TV On The Radio, Kings Of Leon and Beach House — made 2008 a great year for music.
2006 was a great year in music, marked by excellent releases by Amy Winehouse, Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins, Neko Case, My Chemical Romance and Bob Dylan.
It was the year of "Stacy's Mom," "Seven Nation Army" and "Hey Ya," along with several excellent albums from singer-songwriters and Warren Zevon's final studio album.
At the close of every year, there's always this question: "What records from this year, that we're raving about now, will we actually be listening to in 20 years?" Turns out, 2002 was a strong one.