Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Electronic musician Richie Hawtin's travels to Japan made a deep impression on him: "I found a country filled with beautiful contrasts which balanced high technology and deep cultural traditions." Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella hide caption
Lady Gaga performs "Til It Happens To You" on stage at the 88th Oscars on Feb. 28, 2016. Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Listen to the Story
Clockwise from upper left: Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, Susanne Sundfør, MGMT, Dark Rooms Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" is featured on this 22-song playlist of songs for fall. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Portland indie artist Haley Heynderickx is featured in this month's Heavy Rotation. Vincent Bancheri/Hearth Music hide caption
Nancy Sanchez took to Joshua Tree National Park to film her new video. YouTube hide caption
Listen to the songs that make television so great. shaunl/iStock hide caption
Here are 32 songs to enjoy on the beach at the end of the summer. KukZaa hide caption
'Blinded By The Light': Your Contributions To Our Solar Eclipse Soundtrack
Solar eclipse as seen on Nov. 13, 2012, from the northern tip of Australia. Romeo Durscher/NASA Goddard Space Center/Flickr hide caption
Dive into Alt.Latino's stack of undiscovered artists. Felix Contreras/NPR hide caption
Oumou Sangare performs at the Africa Music festival in Delft, Netherlands, in August 1993. Frans Schellekens/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption
"Hello" by Nooky Jones is one of the songs in this month's edition of Heavy Rotation. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Broken Social Scene's "Stay Happy" is one of the new songs we recommend for your weekend playlist. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Clockwise from upper left: Waxahatchee, Protomartyr, billboard photo for the film The Big Sick, The Blow Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Jeanette Vizguerra, the Mexican mother of three U.S-born children, listened to John Lennon for inspiration to resist deportation. Jason Connolly/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Music That Inspires, Classic-Rock Edition
Clockwise from upper left: St. Vincent, My Bubba, Benjamin Clementine, Mogwai Courtesy of the artists hide caption