Aretha Franklin on The Andy Williams Show in 1969. Fred A. Sabine/NBC via Getty Images hide caption

The Band. Woodstock, NY, '68 Elliott Landy//LandyVision, Inc hide caption

Courtney Barnett at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. on July 24, 2018. Bob Boilen/NPR hide caption

Phantastic Ferniture's self-titled debut is on our shortlist for the best albums out on July 27. Nick Mckk/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Courtney Barnett, one of this year's performers, at the Newport Folk Festival in 2015. Bob Boilen/NPR hide caption

Meg Myers' Take Me To The Disco is on our shortlist for the best albums out on July 20. Brantley Gutierrez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Villagers, Ohmme, Metric, Mirah Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Wiz Khalifa's long-awaited Rolling Papers 2 is on our short list for the best albums out on July 13. Jimmy Fontaine/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Deafheaven, Flasher, Wet, John Grant, Tim Hecker Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Protestors at a rally in New York City. Brazil Photo Press/LatinContent/Getty Images hide caption

Florence the Machine's High as Hope is on our short list of the best albums out on June 29. Vincent Haycock/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Shy Boys, The Decemberists, Hauschka, Bermuda Triangle Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Atticus Ross (left) and Trent Reznor (right) of Nine Inch Nails, whose new album Bad Witch is on our short list for the best releases of June 22. Corinne Schiavone/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Roséwave defies easy definition; it's meant to be felt, not understood. Samantha Clark & Eslah Attar/NPR hide caption

Mothers' new album, Render Another Ugly Method, will be out on ANTI. Tonje Thilesen/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Superorganism, MILCK, serpentwithfeet, Haley Heynderickx, Jorja Smith Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Christina Aguilera's Liberation comes out June 15. Luke Gilford/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Death Cab for Cutie Eliot Lee Hazel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Donny McCaslin, M. Ward, Sad Baxter, Angelo De Augustine, Sorry Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Jorja Smith's debut album, Lost & Found, is one of the standouts for June 8 releases. Rashid Babiker/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Laurie Anderson, cover art for Nothing, Audible, Liminal Courtesy of the artists hide caption