All Songs Considered

On the last episode of All Songs Considered for 2025, NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich takes host Robin Hilton through an exceptional year in guitar music. From Gwenifer Raymond's beautiful and brash fingerstyle to Rafael Toral's stretched-out jazz standards, not to mention William Tyler's glitched hymns and Vernon Reid's ecstatic shred, there's so much diversity to be found in six strings.


Featured songs and artists: 
• Gwenifer Raymond: "Bleak Night in Rabbit's Wood," from 'Last Night I Heard the Dog Star Bark'

• Hayden Pedigo: "Houndstooth," from 'I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away'

• TAKAAT: "Isghmar," from 'Is Noise, Vol. 1'

• Rafael Toral: "You Don't Know What Love Is," from 'Traveling Light'

• Laura Snowden: "This Changing Sky," from 'This Changing Sky'

• Madala Kunene & Sibusile Xaba: "Wemfana," from 'kwaNTU'

• William Tyler: "Star of Hope," from 'Time Indefinite'

• Jorge Espinal: "ají de pollería," from 'Bombos y Cencerros'

• Vernon Reid: "Meditation on the Last Time I Saw Arthur Rhames," from 'Hoodoo Telemetry'


Want more? See the full Viking's Choice list for the best guitar music of 2025.


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In our final look back at our number one songs from the past 25 years, we visit Modesto, take an existential stroll through Petco, and find it all so confusing.


Note: This is a recurring series in celebration of All Songs Considered’s 25th anniversary. A shorter version of this episode ran earlier in the year.


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We take a motorcycle road trip to Wisconsin in our annual search for the true spirit of the season. And, of course, we meet some special guests along the way.

Thanks for another amazing year, and happy holidays!

Listen to the songs featured on this episode and more in our holiday playlist in Apple Music and Spotify.

Tell a friend about the show and leave us a review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

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We get in our fast car, drive like a red wine supernova, and run into Kristine from the 7th grade.  Bad idea, right?

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We asked and you answered. Earlier this month, we opened the polls and invited All Songs Considered's listeners to tell us their top 5 records of the year. We tabulated all of the ballots, determined the top 10, and gave the results a proper countdown in this episode of All Songs. And while we usually include the albums we discuss in our episode notes, this time you'll have to listen to find out what made the list. (OK, fine, you can click here to see the top 50 vote-getters.)

NPR Music critic Sheldon Pearce joins host Robin Hilton.

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Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

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