When we remember 2021, few things will be more evocative than the music that provided the soundtrack to the world as we re-entered it after a long year filled with uncertainty and social distancing.

In a year that has proved just as unpredictable as the last, the best songs of 2021 haven’t been just background noise, but a whole other world to escape into. Sure, there have been hits to herald our ...

"Only here to sin." That admission from NPR Music's song of the year lies at the heart of many of the stories told across these 100 tracks. Perhaps the crowning of Cardi and Megan's "WAP" last year ...

A defiant grassroots fan-favorite, a viral TikTok smash and several cross-genre collaborations all made it into the top 10 highest-selling country songs for 2021. Billboard issued its year-end tallies ...

A pair of rappers pulling off the best Tom Tom Club sample since Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” (G Perico & Rucci), an iconic New Wave band trafficking in tongue-in-cheek nostalgia (Duran Duran), a ...

The most-played country songs of 2021 included some surefire hits and some big surprises, some sentimental ballads and some rowdy party songs, and even two contributions from one superstar artist.

"Only here to sin." That admission from NPR Music's song of the year lies at the heart of many of the stories told across these 100 tracks. Perhaps the crowning of Cardi and Megan's "WAP" last year ...