@Milani Haynie

The songs and stars who've changed the game again and again.

Whether it’s a weekday morning or Saturday night, get going with this personalized mix of upbeat music. Refreshed every Monday.

Songs to help you relax and unwind. Updated every Sunday.

Discover new music from artists we think you'll like. Refreshed every Friday.

The tracks you can’t get enough of lately, all in one place. Updated as you listen.

The songs you love. The more you use Apple Music, the better the mix. Refreshed every Tuesday.

In honor of Apple Music’s first decade, take a look back. Relive your all-time favorite tracks, all in one playlist.

More and more, viral songs shape and soundtrack our lives, not to mention connect us to the people around us, whether virtually or otherwise. With that, here’s a rundown of some of the most iconic viral tracks of the past few years—the music defining our moment. Our editors update picks weekly, so if you hear something you like, remember to add it to your library.

The promise of Alicia Keys as a prodigious teenage pianist who could weave between Chopin and R&B would've been enough—had she not turned out to be so much more. Early on, the sell was her maturity: At 19, she had as much poise in her writing—and power in her voice—as neo-soul artists a decade older. As her sound diversified—hip-hop, touches of electronic music, straight-up pop—she maintained a sense of rootsiness and naturalism that made her not just a preeminent performer, but a generation-bridging artist who could mix trend and tradition without making too big a fuss about it. Sophisticated, empowering, and soulful, here’s the best of Alicia Keys.

The ’90s was a revolutionary time in R&B: Not only had the mature, quiet-storm-oriented sound evolved to its most sophisticated state, you started to really hear the influence of hip-hop—a shift that changed not only R&B, but the sound of modern pop in general. From neo-soul to new jack swing, the classic-sounding to the more cutting-edge, these are the tracks that shaped R&B in the ’90s and early 2000s. Our editors update picks regularly, so if you hear something you like, take a minute and add it to your library.

Whether what you hear is one of Beyoncé’s fierce statements of autonomy, an inspiring act of consciousness-raising by Kendrick Lamar, an unstoppable party jam by Cardi B, or an oh-so-emo expression of vulnerability by Drake, the best hip-hop and R&B of the 2010s is marked by a boldness and urgency that help these artists cut through all of our culture’s noise and chatter. In terms of sound and impact, the '10s represented a golden age for individuals out to change the game. Just as remarkable is the eagerness of standard-setters like Kanye West and Rihanna to continually rethink what they do, all while recombining a vast array of musical styles and ideas. From hard-hitting trap beats and dancehall rhythms to synth-heavy soundscapes and throwbacks to old-school glories, it all makes for music that keeps pace with fast and unpredictable times.