Each week, we use this column to break down major takeaways from the latest Billboard albums and singles charts. But it seems like a good week to break down a larger question about the charts circa ...

What makes a great song of the summer? Is it an up-tempo pop banger? Something with an earworm chorus? Does it need to feature the words “summer,” “sunshine,” or another synonym — “California” — in ...

Some might say that certain sounds define the season of warmer temps and staying outside. Let’s face it—summer is only as good as the songs that play through our speakers on the way to the beach or ...

Alex Warren’s chart-topping ballad “Ordinary” is this summer’s most popular song by the numbers, but critics and music fans have lamented that this summer seemed to have few breakout hits as the ...

Gone are the sweaty days when “Not Like Us” lit up parties nationwide, uniting Drake dissers everywhere. There are manchildren and daisies and animated anthems from “KPop Demon Hunters,” but nothing ...

In 2025, the song of the summer is no longer a singular designation but a window into how music consumption and culture writ large has become increasingly fragmented. With monoculture dead, any number ...

Every June, the Paste Music crew tallies up the best songs of the year so far. It’s a great way to present our favorites to you, but also to each other. This list is a snapshot of our favorite tracks ...

Stream this list on Apple Music and Spotify. See The FADER's 50 best albums of 2025. As the opening track to their debut album, “Real Life” feels like ear’s way of saying “hello world.” It begins ...

Every year, WMNF 88.5 FM’s listeners and DJs come together, intentionally or not, to create a musical portrait of the moment we’re living in. The station’s Top 10 Songs of 2025 reflect a year filled ...

This was one wild year for music — as the late, great Ozzy would say, it was a crazy train. In 2025, you never knew where your next favorite song was coming from. Some of the year’s best songs were ...