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Mood-Swinging

Songs to get you in the right frame of mind, from Billie Holiday, Sharon Van Etten, the Band, Sidney Bechet, and more

Tracks of Your Tears

Feeling down even though things are looking up? You’re certainly not alone. Allow yourself some time to run the full gamut of emotions, with songs from Lana Del Rey, Roy Orbison, Julie London, Dr. John, and more

Songs with Atmosphere

A selection of 14 songs that defy description

Soul Stirrers

Tracks to turn on your love-light and give you a soulful strut, from Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Katie Webster, P. P. Arnold, and more

I Want My MTV!

On the 40th anniversary of the music-television channel, one of its co-founders remembers the songs that started it all

The Sonic Route

Savor every second of this fast-waning summer with songs by Fred Neil, Angélique Kidjo, Patsy Cline, Paul Brady, and more

Backside Bash

Ride the wave to summer’s end with tunes from Allah-Las, Tortoise, Brant Bjork, and more

Alive and Well

If you’ve missed going to concerts as much as we have, this collection of live tracks will get you excited for all the shows ahead

So Long, Summer

Whether you’re over the season or clinging on for dear life, tracks from the likes of Willie Nelson, the Kinks, and Rosemary Clooney will serve you well

Feel Flows

Soothe your soul this September with tracks from Django Reinhardt, Jonathan Richman, Donna Summer, and more

Capers Corner

A soundtrack for the mischievous, from Joe Jackson, Jimmy Cliff, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, and more

Against the Grain

A collection of songs in the maverick vein of Karen Dalton, by Elizabeth Cotten, Odetta, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, and more

Autumn Almanac

A selection of music—some mellow, some spirited—for fall, from Elvis Presley, Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen, Darondo, Big Thief, and more

Country Comfort

Country songs for aficionados and newcomers alike, from Gary Stewart, Kacey Musgraves, Eric Church, Glen Campbell, and more

Guilty Treasures

Allow yourself to indulge in these songs from Carly Rae Jepsen, the Guess Who, Stephen Bishop, Cher, and more

Rue du Petit

Rejoice in life’s cryptic moments with this soundtrack from Jackson Browne, Dolly Parton, Jim James, Aisha Badru, and more

Striking a Chord

Songs that register with us all, from LCD Soundsystem, Grace Jones, Elton John, and more

Body and Soul

Soul music to make you move, from Billy Preston, Prince, George Duke, D’Angelo, and more

Into the Blue

Feeling internally defoliated, beset with bleakness, and sorrowful to a Scandinavian degree? It’s just fall. Herewith, tracks to set the tone

Beatlemania

Get ready for Get Back with this collection of Fab Four covers, from Lonnie Mack, Santo & Johnny, Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Troy, and more

De-sensitization Station

Songs you think you know, from Bruce Channel, Dion, the Staple Singers, and more

Song Cycle

Music that forms a world apart from this mad one, from Koko Taylor, Janis Joplin, Rod Stewart, Doug Sahm, and more

See for Yourself

A collection of songs that will help you consider whether you are—or are at least part of—a work of art

Movie City

Songs from films set in Gotham, from the Ronettes, Harry Nilsson, the Bee Gees, Public Enemy, and more