Rachel Hughes

The Best Dance Pop Songs Right Now

A Beginner's Guide to Ambient Drone

Ambient drone rewards patience and attention — here is how to approach one of music's most immersive forms for the first time.

Gear for Music: What You Need to Know

Gear4music has just posted its strongest year in ages. Here's what's actually behind the numbers, and what it means for the next time you're filling a shopping basket with gear.

Essential New Jack Swing Albums Explained

Guy's debut established the language. Bell Biv DeVoe took it to the street. Michael Jackson took it to the world. Here are the essential albums.

The History of Psytrance

A stretch of Indian coastline, a generation of travelling DJs and a sound built out of necessity — here's how the psytrance story actually unfolded.

The Best Post Rock Songs Right Now

Certain post-rock tracks circulate constantly — in playlists, films and recommendations. These are the ones worth knowing and why each one matters.

The Best Rap Music Songs Right Now

Forget the literal 'right now' — these are the rap music singles that still get quoted, sampled and played at parties decades after release.

The History of Phonk

A raw, unglamorous Memphis sound that nearly disappeared, then came back louder than ever. Here is phonk's history, told properly, era by era.

The History of Punk Music

Punk didn't come from nowhere and didn't stop with the Sex Pistols. This history traces the full arc from The Stooges and CBGB through hardcore, post-punk and 90s pop-punk to today.

The Best Acid Jazz Songs Right Now

The tracks that still land the same way decades on — timeless entry points rather than anything tied to a passing chart week.

The History of House Music

A converted warehouse, two rival DJs and a handful of homemade records changed dance music forever. Here's the story of how house music actually happened.

The Best Tech House Songs Right Now

A frozen top-ten would be out of date within weeks. Here's what makes a track essential in this genre, and where to keep checking for yourself.

The History of Marching Band

From soldiers keeping step to Script Ohio and modern drum corps, here's how marching band grew into the layered tradition it is today.

The History of R&b Music

R&B began as an industry marketing term in 1949 and grew into one of the twentieth century's most influential musical traditions. Here's how it happened, decade by decade.

Billboard Global 200: What You Need to Know

Launched in 2020, the Billboard Global 200 is the most ambitious attempt yet to track music popularity across the entire planet. Here is how it works and why it matters.

The Best Reggae Music Songs Right Now

Reggae doesn't really do disposable hits. These are the songs that filled dancefloors in the 1970s and still fill them now.

The Best Hardstyle Songs Right Now

The tracks that deliver hardstyle at its best — classic, euphoric, raw — and the most useful way to find more of them.

Essential G Funk Albums Explained

The genre had a concentrated peak and a handful of defining records. Here's what you need to know about each one before you listen.

The Best Nu Metal Songs Right Now

"Right now" is a funny phrase for a genre whose defining moment happened a quarter of a century ago. Here's an honest list of the songs that still hit exactly as hard.

The History of Psychedelic Rock

From reversed tape loops to modern neo-psychedelia — the real story of how psychedelic rock happened, and where it went next.

Mumble Rap for Newcomers: Where to Start

The History of Salsa Music

Two islands and a New York borough — here's how salsa music actually came together.

The Best Indie Rock Songs Right Now

Not a chart — a set of tracks that still get pulled out whenever someone tries to explain what this genre actually sounds like.

The History of Acappella

Same constraint, five hundred years apart, wildly different answers. Here's how unaccompanied singing kept reinventing itself.