I joined Paste in 2023 and, in my tenure as editor, this year’s AOTY list is my favorite by far. The publication has been doling out these rankings since 2002, affixing an “Album of the Year” ribbon ...

Earlier this year, my colleague and bud Kelefa Sanneh suggested that music critics, as a lot, have gone soft—becoming submissive, overly agreeable, and, in some cases, nearly servile. He’s right, of ...

It’s been a good year for jazz, diverse in every way—styles, influences, tastes, and demographics too. I didn’t aim the list to turn out this way, but four of the albums’ leaders are women, and five ...

If 1994 was among the greatest years in rock and roll history, then 1995 should undoubtedly take the mantle for rap music. The decade welcomed the emergence and canonizations of alt-metal, ambient, ...

The best albums of 2025 spanned seismic rage rap, intricate guitar music, protest folk, spacey dream pop, and laptop twee. A virtuoso of experimental electronic music re-emerged, a Brooklyn band ...

We're bringing back our listener poll to help stick a fork in 2025 and make sense of all the amazing music that came out. So, using the form below, tell us your top five albums (or EPs) released this ...

8 new Christmas albums for holiday parties, praise, and playlists. It’s time—time to banish the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack from my house with an updated playlist of Christmas music. Each year, as I ...

We love those classic Christmas recordings. And we cherish the chance to hear Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand, the Beach Boys, Darlene Love and other greats sing these standards each ...

From Herb Alpert’s Latin flair to Stryper’s heavy holiday vibes, this year’s Christmas album lineup has something for everyone. With fresh takes on classics and standout originals, which of these 2025 ...

This image, provided by Spotify, shows its 2025 Top 10 Albums Globally chart. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) This image, provided by Spotify, shows its 2025 Top 10 Songs Globally chart. (PHOTO NOT FOR ...

Bay Area-raised host Ericka Cruz Guevarra brings you context and analysis to make sense of the news. Episodes drop Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Emma’s Must-Sees See TV Programming Manager Emma ...