The Stories : Best Music Of 2012 These are the moments, issues and debates that shaped the year in music. These are things we'll remember.

best music of 2012

The Stories

Monday December 31, 2012

Whitney Houston performs in 1988. David Corio/Getty Images hide caption

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David Corio/Getty Images

In Memoriam: Musicians We Lost In 2012

December 31, 2012 • NPR Music remembers the singers, instrumentalists, songwriters and personalities who died in 2012. Explore their musical legacies.

In Memoriam: Musicians We Lost In 2012

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Sunday December 30, 2012

The crowd at Orbital's performance at Moogfest in October. Adam Kissick for NPR hide caption

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Adam Kissick for NPR

IMHO: A Survey About The Year In Music

December 30, 2012 • We asked musicians, music industry folks, writers, programmers and DJs — fans all — to tell us how they saw 2012 in music. We sent them five questions asking what began and what fell apart, what made them happy and what disappointed them.

Thursday December 27, 2012

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What Happened To Music Writing This Year?

December 27, 2012 • The question "what do readers want?" has hovered over any media business worth its advertising revenue for years, but in 2012, it took on more urgency. Knowing the answer to that question can be bad for the product.

Tuesday December 25, 2012

The Year In Pop Charts: Return Of The Monoculture

The stars of 2012, online and on air (from left): Nate Ruess of fun., Gotye, Carly Rae Jepsen and Psy. Matt Roberts/Getty Images, Tony Nelson/Corbis Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption

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Matt Roberts/Getty Images, Tony Nelson/Corbis Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The Stories

The Year In Pop Charts: Return Of The Monoculture

December 25, 2012 • Two things make for great years in pop music: variety and shared pleasure. After a handful of years when four-on-the-floor dance beats dominated radio, 2012 had both in spades.

2 Chainz performing in London in November. Joseph Okpako/WireImage hide caption

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Joseph Okpako/WireImage

The Stories

2 Chainz: A Pop Star For All Of Us

December 25, 2012 • He laces his bouncy, terse rhymes with a charisma reminiscent of another musician — Ringo Starr.

Thursday December 20, 2012

The Black Arts: Making Jazz In The Mainstream

Robert Glasper at SXSW in March 2012. Erich Schlegel/The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption

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Erich Schlegel/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The Stories

The Black Arts: Making Jazz In The Mainstream

December 20, 2012 • This year, the most popular records made by young jazz musicians reflected hip-hop, R&B and the black community where they came from. When they broke through, they made an ongoing conversation about jazz's place in popular music more visible.

Thursday December 13, 2012

The cover of Sofrito: International Soundclash, a compilation of Tropical music recently released by the Strut label. Strut Records hide caption

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Strut Records

The Stories

Now That's What I Call A Compilation

December 13, 2012 • In the Internet era, single-artist albums are suffering, but despite the make-your-own playlist options provided by mp3s and streaming services, compilations are thriving.