Our Top 10 Music Moments of 2025

Our Top 10 Music Moments of 2025

Author: The New York Times December 30, 2025 Duration: 53:01
Jon and Joe count down their respective personal favorites of the year, including some unexpected rapping, an inescapable TikTok meme, a major tour and a sublime bridge in a breakup song.

Hosted by The New York Times pop music critic Jon Caramanica, Popcast digs into the conversations that define what we listen to now. This isn't just a rundown of new releases; it's a thoughtful dissection of the forces shaping popular music, from underground shifts to mainstream explosions. Each episode feels like a lively, insightful debate you'd have with the most knowledgeable friend in the room, blending sharp criticism with a genuine curiosity about where sound and culture collide. You'll hear interviews with artists, producers, and industry thinkers that go beyond the usual promotional talk, alongside regular discussions that unpack trends, controversies, and the occasional forgotten gem. The Popcast provides context and argument, offering a deeper understanding of why a song or artist resonates-or fails to-at a particular moment in time. It’s essential listening for anyone who wants to move past the playlist and into the ideas driving the music. As a production of The New York Times, this podcast brings the same level of rigor and reporting you'd expect from their journalism, applied directly to the ever-evolving world of pop.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Popcast
Podcast Episodes
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From "Wicked" to Doja Cat, how the Academy Awards incorporated music into its 97th annual ceremony on Sunday, in ways both smooth and bumpy.
RZA Interview! How He Got Wu-Tang Clan Back Together for a Final Tour [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In an exclusive interview, RZA reveals that his pathbreaking New York rap group, which has rarely performed as a full unit, is hitting the road for the last time. Plus: ODB memories, quitting the Rage Against the Machine…
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Big wins for Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Chappell Roan. Standout performances from Doechii and Sabrina Carpenter. A conversation about why the 2025 awards worked. Guests: Joe Coscarelli, Caryn Ganz, Jon Pareles and Linds…