You know that feeling when a song comes on and everyone, regardless of age, knows every single word? Those tracks didn't just become popular by accident. Some of these songs broke technical barriers.

From a song by a certified superstar that came out in the very first week of January to breakthroughs from lesser-known indie acts, here are selections from NPR Music's list of the best songs of 2025.

If there’s anything that defines music in the 21st century, it’s constant change. We live in an era when your next favorite song could come from anywhere — all over the stylistic map, all over the ...