Music

As SNL marks its 50th anniversary, Questlove has a new documentary, highlighting the musical guests and music comedy sketches featured over the decades. Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music is the work of a storied musician and filmmaker who remembers watching the show when he was a kid growing up in Philly.

The rhythmic sense that made Ringo a great rock drummer guides his vocals here. The result is relaxed authority that usually only a genius like Willie Nelson or Ray Charles can make sound so easy.

The singer-songwriter and Talking Heads frontman presents some of his favorite holiday music — including songs by The Pogues, James Brown and LCD Soundsystem. Originally broadcast Dec. 20, 2023.

Roots co-founder Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson shares his Christmas playlist, which includes songs by DRAM, James Brown, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Originally broadcast Dec. 21, 2022.

In part two of our interview, Batiste joins us from the piano and plays some of his favorite Christmas songs. He's the former band leader and music director for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The singer/songwriter is one of the 2024 Kennedy Center honorees. In 1996, Raitt spoke to Fresh Air about about the musicians that inspired her, including Mississippi Fred McDowell

The Philadelphia bandleader didn't always connect with traditional jazz audiences, but he found a second home doing so in Baltimore. A new double album revisit a show he and his "Arkestra" gave there.

Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell. As you probably know, they're siblings who write songs together. She sings on their albums; he produces and plays several instruments. Their latest album, "Hit Me Hard And Soft," is now nominated for six Grammys, including all the major categories. Each of its tracks reached over 150 million streams on Spotify.

The year in pop pivoted around a trio of artists — Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan — whose music hinged upon assertions of creative ambition and admissions of romantic weakness.

The British actor and singer played abolitionist Harriet Tubman in Harriet, and Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha. Now she's defying gravity as Elphaba in Wicked. Originally broadcast Oct. 18, 2021.