Best music of the 21st century episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 17, 2025 · 51 MIN

Best music of the 21st century

from Studio 2 · host WHYY

From 2000 to the mid-2020s, music was reshaped by technology as genres were blurred and a new set of global voices emerged. The mp3-era upended the industry, iTunes popularized digital sales and streaming changed everything. So which artist has had the biggest impact of the 21st century so far? Which songs will transcend time? And what great music flew under the radar? Today on Studio 2, Avi and Cherri hash it out with two music critics with tastes that transcend genres and generations. Guests: Charles Holmes, senior staff writer at The Ringer Dan DeLuca, pop music critic at The Philadelphia Inquirer Songs that played during the hour: Billie Eilish – Ocean Eye Radiohead – Everything in Its Right Place  Beyoncé – Formation Kanye West – Runaway Adele – Hello The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army Frank Ocean – Nights D’Angelo – Untitled (How Does It Feel) Broken Bells, Danger Mouse, and James Mercer – The High Road Daft Punk – Face 2 Face Sampha – Too Much Wussy – Teenage Wasteland

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Dec 17, 2025

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Best music of the 21st century

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