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Music

A listener selects “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets on a classic Wurlitzer “bubbler.”  

The Colorful, Scandalous, True History of the Machine That Created American Pop

The jukebox got its start earlier than you might think, but it truly became iconic when rock ‘n’ roll took over in the 1950s

The Chapel Choir of the University of Exeter performed the monastic songs from the Buckland Book.

Cool Finds

Hear the Long-Lost Chants of English Monks Whose Monasteries Were Dissolved by Henry VIII

A university choir has revived music found hiding in plain sight in a book once used by monks at southern England’s Buckland Abbey

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Before Meditation Apps, Listeners Were Hooked on Whale Songs, Rain Sounds and the ‘Scream of the Southern Leopard Frog’

We’ve been listening to the great outdoors from the comfort of our homes since the invention of the portable tape recorder. Can nature sounds drown out the cacophony of modern life?

Artists Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood

See the Abstract Artworks That Defined Radiohead’s Iconic Visual Style

A new exhibition explores the artistic collaborations between Thom Yorke, the rock band’s frontman, and artist Stanley Donwood, his longtime friend

Composer John Williams conducting in 2023

John Williams, the Famous Composer Known for ‘Jaws’ and ‘Star Wars,’ Debuts First Piano Concerto at Age 93

The renowned composer has scored many of the most famous films of our time. But until this summer, he had never attempted a concerto for piano

Bruce Springsteen on the Born to Run tour in 1975

How Bruce Springsteen Created the ‘Greatest Rock Album Ever’

Fifty years ago, the Boss was at a pivotal moment in his career. A new book details what it took to launch ‘Born to Run’

The guitar previously used by Keith Richards on display at Christie's in 2004

Former Rolling Stones Musician Mick Taylor Claims His Stolen Guitar Is at the Met

The guitarist’s team says he last saw the famous instrument when it vanished 54 years ago. The Met, which received the guitar as part of a recent donation, disputes these claims

The Edmund Fitzgerald was transporting iron ore when it sank in November 1975, killing all 29 crew members.

These Swimmers Are Finishing the Final Voyage of the ‘Edmund Fitzgerald,’ Which Sank in Lake Superior 50 Years Ago

Starting at the wreck site, 68 athletes are completing a 411-mile relay to honor the 29 men who died in the Great Lakes tragedy on November 10, 1975

Woody Guthrie wrote the song after reading an article in the New York Times.

The Only Recording of Woody Guthrie Singing the Protest Song ‘Deportee’ Has Been Released for the First Time

The singer-songwriter recorded the audio on a reel-to-reel tape machine in his apartment in the 1950s. Now, the previously unheard song has been restored using A.I. audio technology

Johnny Cash chats with inmates and guests during his visit to Cummins Prison in Arkansas on April 10, 1969.

Seventy Years Ago, Johnny Cash Recorded ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and Became a Folk Hero for the Ignored and Downtrodden

A man of the people, the artist put his money where his mouth was by visiting prisons around the country and performing the song

Artist Franck Duval, known as FKDL, works on a mural Josephine Baker in Paris.

Women Who Shaped History

A Vibrant Mural Celebrating Josephine Baker’s ‘Two Loves’—‘My Country and Paris’—Has Been Unveiled in France

The colorful street art, which features a quote from one of her songs, honors the iconic singer, dancer and civil rights activist’s enduring legacy

Photos of the violin taken before it was stolen

Have Eagle-Eyed Experts Found This 316-Year-Old Stradivarius Violin That Was Looted During World War II?

Eight decades after the 1709 violin known as the “Small Mendelssohn” disappeared, experts think they’ve located it in Japan

Daniela Chávez holds her violin during a mariachi performance

At This Year’s Folklife Festival, the Kids Are All Right

Cultural traditions such as mariachi and hula are being shepherded by a new generation

Clifton Chenier at Fitzgerald's, Berwyn, Illinois, 1984

How the Charismatic King of Zydeco Introduced the Music of the Bayou to the Nation

The lively songs and performances of Clifton Chenier, who would have turned 100 today, brought fans—including the Rolling Stones—to their feet

Tony Schwartz recording audio outdoors

When Midcentury New York Spoke, This Sound Archivist Listened—and Recorded Every Word

Armed with a tape recorder and open ears, Tony Schwartz turned everyday noise into lasting art. Now, his recordings live on at Smithsonian Folkways, where they continue to inspire new ways of listening to, remembering and understanding the world

Visitors to "Amplified" are surrounded by 1,300 Rolling Stone covers.

This New Immersive Experience Is Built With Hundreds of Photos, Videos and Magazine Covers From the ‘Rolling Stone’ Archives

Narrated by Kevin Bacon, the 50-minute exhibition examines the history of rock music through media projected onto walls across a 4,000-square-foot gallery

Perched on the southern edge of the picturesque Monterey Bay, Pacific Grove, California, is home to the Monarch Grove Sanctuary, one of the largest overwintering sites of monarch butterflies in the region.

The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2025

From a barbecue capital in Texas to the site of the first offensive victory for American forces in the Revolutionary War in New York, these spots are worthy of a visit this year

Morrison's mourners covered the bust in graffiti and chipped off pieces to keep as souvenirs before it was stolen in 1988.

This 300-Pound Bust Was Stolen From Jim Morrison’s Grave in 1988. French Police Just Recovered It

Created for the tenth anniversary of the Doors frontman’s death in 1971, the bust stood on his grave in the famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris for only seven years

The Grand Ole Opry’s famous six-foot circle of wood was carefully carved from the previous stage at the Ryman Auditorium.

How the Grand Ole Opry Put Uniquely American Music at Center Stage

Through daring business decisions and an eye for talent, the vaunted country radio program still stands as a tastemaker for the fastest-growing genre in popular music

The collection includes several portraits of musicians.

When Bob Dylan Isn’t Writing Nobel-Winning Lyrics, He’s Creating Original Paintings and Drawings

Nearly 100 imaginative portraits, still lifes and other artworks by the renowned singer-songwriter are now on view at the Halcyon Gallery in London

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