With the retirement of longtime All Songs host Bob Boilen, we're looking back and sharing some of our favorite episodes from over the years. This week we've got songs we should retire — songs that are undeniably great, that we truly love — and that get overplayed way too much.

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Songs we should retire

Since launching in 2000, All Songs Considered has been NPR's flagship program for music discovery, artist interviews and conversations with friends and fellow music lovers about the really big questions, like what was the best decade for music, are there albums everyone can agree on, and what do you put on when you need a good cry? Weekly, with host Robin Hilton and the NPR Music family.

Music

NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and Hazel Cills discuss new releases by Billie Eilish, Portishead's Beth Gibbons and Rapsody.

Featured albums:
- Billie Eilish, 'Hit Me Hard and Soft'
- Rapsody, 'Please Don't Cry'
- Beth Gibbons, 'Lives Outgrown'

Other notable albums out May 17:
- Shellac, 'To All Trains'
- The Avett Brothers, 'The Avett Brothers'
- V/A, 'Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense'
- Mach-Hommy, '#RICHAXXHAITIAN'
- Cage the Elephant, 'Neon Pill'
- of Montreal, 'Lady on the Cusp'
- Wu-Lu, 'Learning To Swim On Empty'
- Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band, 'Loophole'
- The Lovely Eggs, 'Eggistentialism'
- Kaia Kater, 'Strange Medicine'
- Álvaro Díaz, 'SAYONARA'
- ZAYN, 'Room Under the Stairs'
- One Step Closer, 'All You Embrace'
- A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, 'Better Off Alone'
- Crumb, 'AMAMA'
- Lightheaded, 'Combustible Gems'
- Pallbearer, 'Mind Burns Alive'
- Joywave, 'Permanent Pleasure'
- Blitzen Trapper, '100's of 1000's, Millions of Billions'
- Payroll Giovanni, 'Have Money, Have Heart' EP
- UFOmammut, 'Hidden'
- SQÜRL, 'Music for Man Ray'
- pub, 'process the wise'


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New Music Friday: The best albums out May 17

Ana and Felix collect their favorite recent releases from the past few months, including new material from the breakout regional band Grupo Frontera, a country/Latin cross-over in the music of Wyatt Flores, a new song from groundbreaking rapper Mala Rodriguez and more.

Songs featured in this episode:

•Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, "Mas Que Nada"
•Luis Muñoz, "Crescent Moon"
•Mala Rodriguez, "Casi Nada [Explicit]"
•Alih Jay, "Bang Bang (Mi Baby Me Mató)"
•Cher, "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"
•Grupo Frontera, "Me Hizo Un Favor"
•Wyatt Flores, "Half Life"
•Danny Ocean, "Cero Condiciones [Explicit]"
•Fabiola Méndez, "Lamento en Celinés"
•Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, "EL ÚNICO"

Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler, with editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.

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Alt.Latino's best new music round-up: Wyatt Flores, Danny Ocean and Grupo Frontera

We update our running list of the year's best songs with new ones from Dominic Fike, WILLOW, Kamasi Washington, Illuminati Hotties and more.

Featured artists and songs:
1. WILLOW: "run!" from 'empathogen'
2. Dominic Fike: "hi grace" from '14 minutes'
3. Kamasi Washington, George Clinton & D Smoke: "Get Lit," from 'Fearless Movement'
4. Illuminati Hotties: "Can't Be Still" (single)
5. Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion: "To Music," from 'Rectangles and Circumstance'
6. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross: "L'ouef" from 'Challengers' OST

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The Contenders, Vol. 9: The songs we can't stop playing this week

This week's episode of New Music Friday from All Songs Considered showcases artists stretching limits across a wide spectrum of genres. NPR Music editor Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Alt.Latino host Anamaria Sayre dig into the most exciting albums out May 10, 2024, from a juggernaut of the Mexican regional scene experimenting with song forms and sounds from across Latin America to an R&B; singer getting loose after portraying a jazz icon to a blockbuster collection of contemporary indie artists pulled together for the soundtrack of a discombobulating movie rooted in the 1990s. 

Featured Albums:
• Grupo Frontera, Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada
• Andra Day, Cassandra (cherith)
• Various Artists, I Saw the TV Glow Original Soundtrack

Other notable albums out May 10:
• Yaya Bey, Ten Fold
• Les Savy Fav, OUI LSF
• I. Jordan, I Am Jordan
• Ryan Castro, El Cantante del Ghetto
• Amen Dunes, Death Jokes
• Arab Strap, I'm totally fine with it don't give a f*** anymore
• Brad Mehldau, After Bach II
• Brad Mehldau, Après Fauré
• Chick Corea & Béla Fleck, Remembrance
• Chief Keef, Almighty So 2
• Conway the Machine, Slant Face Killah
• Dehd, Poetry
• Gunna, One of Wun
• How To Dress Well, I Am Toward You
• Jim White and Marisa Anderson, Swallowtail
• Kelsey Waldon, There's Always a Song
• Kings of Leon, Can We Please Have Fun
• Mick Harvey, Five Ways to Say Goodbye
• Morgan Guerin, Tales of the Facade
• Myriam Gendron, Mayday
• Orville Peck, Stampede, Vol. 1
• Shannon & the Clams, The Moon Is In The Wrong Place

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New Music Friday: The best albums out May 10

Get your hanky out. With Mother's Day nearing, listeners share the songs that remind them of their moms and the deeply moving stories behind them.

Featured songs and artists:
1. Hoagy Carmichael: "Stardust"
2. Christina Aguilera: "Beautiful"
3. Jeannie C. Riley: "Harper Valley PTA"
4. Stevie Wonder: "Isn't She Lovely"
5. Kermit the Frog: "Rainbow Connection"
6. Phyllis Hyman: "You Know How to Love Me"
7. MILCK: "Oh, Mother"
8. Christina Perri: "You Are My Sunshine"
9. The Tokens: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
10. Four Tops: "Reach Out I'll Be There"
11. Sweet Honey in the Rock: "Wanting Memories"

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Feedback?  Drop us an email: allsongs@npr.org

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Songs we should retire

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