In the latest installment of our year-end podcast coverage, we’re talking about 2020’s best rock and rap albums. Pitchfork Editor Puja Patel is joined by News Editor Evan Minsker, Contributing Editor Jayson Greene, and Staff Writers Alphonse Pierre and Madison Bloom, who argue in favor of their personal favorites, from Yves Tumor and U.S. Girls to Westside Gunn and Jay Electronica. They also get into some broader discussions about the state of the genres more generally, including: Which old heads or new kids ruled rap in 2020? And what does “rock” even mean these days?

Staff Picks: The Year in Rock and Rap

Brought to you by the music critics at Pitchfork, The Pitchfork Review is a show for music fans and obsessives who can’t wait to talk about the latest releases. Co-hosted by Pitchfork editor-in-chief Puja Patel and Reviews Editor Jeremy D. Larson, this podcast pulls back the curtain on our reviews and scores, dives deep into new music, and gives an expert guide to what’s exciting, what’s great, and what’s just plain terrible.

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Following his recent Sunday Review, longtime contributor Grayson Haver Currin talks to Reviews Director Jeremy D. Larson about the story behind legendary producer Brian Eno’s 1978 touchstone Ambient 1: Music for Airports, the most influential ambient album ever made.Read Grayson’s Sunday Review of Music for Airports.

The Origins and Influence of Brian Eno’s Pioneering Album Ambient 1: Music for Airports

The Wilco frontman and author talks to Associate Editor Sam Sodomsky about the pitfalls of music snobbery, what he doesn’t like about rock criticism, Wilco’s recent album Cousins, and his latest book World Within a Song, in which he writes about 50 tracks that rearranged his brain.

Jeff Tweedy Interview

The Pitchfork Review is off this week so we're sharing an episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour featuring Dolly Parton talking about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and her one-of-a-kind career.

Dolly Parton on The New Yorker Radio Hour

An encore presentation of Editor-in-Chief Puja Patel’s interview with boygenius’ Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, which was recorded around the release of their debut album last spring.

Replay: Boygenius Interview

Jeremy D. Larson, Puja Patel, and Cat Zhang talk about the trends, scandals, gossip, technological moves, and industry changes that shaped the musical landscape of 2023. Plus: Alvvays’ Molly Rankin reveals the song she wishes she wrote.

Staff Picks: The Year in Rock and Rap

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