@Hassan Dorgham

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

In 2015, Post Malone (born Austin Post) uploaded “White Iverson” to social media and soon skyrocketed from a struggling 19-year-old to mainstream fame. Despite a number of platinum albums since, his appeal remains rooted in his ordinary, down-to-earth persona—a Crocs-and-Bud-Light kid blending trap’s dark grandeur with the anthemic feel of rock and country. Post’s signature tracks—“rockstar,” “Sunflower,” and “Congratulations”—are a unique mix, both somber and mainstream, with booming bass and melodies soaring. Born in Syracuse and raised in Dallas, Post Malone grew up on country, rock, pop, hip-hop, and R&B—and those influences play out across his catalog. He holds his own alongside Roddy Ricch on “Cooped Up” and Ty Dolla $ign on “Psycho,” and explores laidback moods on “Circles.” But his biggest about-face to date has been his turn toward Nashville sounds, as heard on Beyoncé’s “LEVII’S JEANS,” the Morgan Wallen teamup “I Had Some Help,” and “Pour Me a Drink” with Blake Shelton.

The singer born Adele Adkins honed her now legendary voice as a kid in her South London bedroom, listening to Etta James every night for an hour. But as soon as she made her television debut at age 19 in 2007, all potential comparisons evaporated: This girl with whopping hoop earrings and a pub landlady’s brashness had something unique. Heartbreak, indignation, and regret all found a natural home in her regal mezzo-soprano, the instrument that powered her 2008 debut album, <i>19</i> (which featured the brassy “Chasing Pavements”), and 2011’s <i>21</i> (the fiery “Rolling in the Deep,” the heart-wrenching "Someone Like You"). It took just one word to reintroduce her in 2015: “Hello,” she sang during an <i>X Factor</i> ad break, unveiling her third album, <i>25</i>, in the process. Songs like the swirling “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” and the pensive “Water Under the Bridge” helped it become yet another global chart-topper. In 2021, Adele released <i>30</i>, which grappled with motherhood, the aftermath of her divorce, and—perhaps most surprisingly—happiness amid life’s upheavals.

No band has embodied the belief that rock ’n’ roll can change the world quite like U2. Emerging from Dublin’s late-’70s post-punk scene, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. redirected that wiry energy to more impassioned, altruistic use, transforming themselves into a generation-defining band that combined the idealistic fervor of The Clash with the pop-cultural omnipotence of The Beatles. U2’s 1983 breakthrough, <i>War</i>, featured the fiery “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” which embodied the futility of the Troubles. The following year’s <i>The Unforgettable Fire</i> shifted toward ethereal rapture with “Pride (In the Name of Love)” and the haunting “Bad.” On 1987’s <i>The Joshua Tree</i>, hymns like “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “Where the Streets Have No Name” paired spiritual grace with arena-ready heft. The 1990s saw U2 push boundaries with <i>Achtung Baby</i>’s edgy “One” and <i>Zooropa</i>’s electronic explorations. Post-millennial highlights like “Beautiful Day” and “Walk On” reasserted U2’s power to unify and elevate, while 2023’s strident “Atomic City” celebrated bright futures by nodding to the band’s youthful punk roots.