Robin Hilton
Robin Hilton is a producer and co-host of the popular NPR Music show All Songs Considered.
Prior to joining NPR in 2000, Hilton co-founded Small Good Thing Productions, a non-profit production company for independent film, radio and music in Athens, Georgia.
Hilton lived and worked in Japan as an interpreter for the government, and taught English as a second language to junior high school students.
From 1989 to 1996, Hilton worked for NPR member stations KANU and WUGA as a senior producer and assistant news director and was a long-time contributing reporter to NPR's daily news programs All Things Considered and Morning Edition.
Hilton is also a multi-instrumentalist and composer. His original scores have appeared in work from National Geographic, Center Stage, and in films, including the documentary Open Secret.
Hilton also arranged and performed the theme for NPR's Weekend All Things Considered. You can hear more of his music here.
Along the way, Hilton worked as an emergency room orderly, a blackjack dealer and a fruitcake factory assembly lineman.
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Ty Segall pushed the limits of the space with stadium-sized vibes, resulting in some of the most glorious shredding you'll ever see at the Tiny Desk. -
Before summer disappears, we share our favorite songs for your long and winding drives, plus a list of ground rules (does the driver always have final say?), and a breakdown of what works best when. Featured artists and songs: 1. Eric Burdon and War: “Spill the Wine,” from Eric Burdon Declares “War” 2. Stromae: “Santé,” from Multitude 3. Broadway Cast: “Alexander Hamilton,” from Hamilton 4. Joe Iconis / Broadway Cast: “Michael in the Bathroom,” from Bill More Chill 5. Abiotic: “Vermosapien,” from Symbiosis 6. Wipers: “Mystery,” from Is This Real? 7. Steely Dan: “My Old School,” from Countdown to Ecstasy 8. Tunde Olaniran: “Namesake,” from Transgressor 9. Shania Twain: “Man, I Feel Like a Woman!” from Come On Over 10. Pat Travers: “Amgwanna Kick Booty,” from Black Pearl 11. Anthrax & Public Enemy: “Bring The Noise,” from Attack of the Killer B’s 12. Unwed Sailor: “Monster Collecting,” from Cruel Entertainment 13. The Allman Brothers Band: “Midnight Rider,” from Idlewild South and “Southbound,” from Brothers And Sisters 14. Lakestreet Dive: “You Go Down Smooth,” from Bad Self Portraits 15. Black Sabbath: “Turn Up The Night,” from Mob Rules 16. Simple Minds: “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” from The Breakfast Club All Songs Considered 25th anniversary segment: Our No. 1 songs from 2024 Weekly reset: Summer roadtrip while listening to the radio Hear the songs in our Roadtrip Mix on Spotify and Apple. Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org -
We update our list of the year’s best songs with new obsessions from The Antlers, polymath Keaton Henson, pianist Julia Hamos, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and more. Featured artists and songs: 1. Julia Hamos: “Ellis Island,” from Ellis Island 2. The Antlers: “Carnage,” from Blight 3. Gabriela Ortiz: “El olo del Jaguar,” from Yanga 4. Keaton Henson: “Lazy Magician (feat. Julia Steiner)” (single) 5. Arvo Pärt: “Nunc dimittis,” from And I heard a voice All Songs Considered 25th anniversary segment: Our No. 1 songs from 2023 Weekly reset: Crows in a D.C. suburb on a summer afternoon. Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org -
You asked, we listened: Roséwave is back! Our summer playlist series returns with syrupy sweet songs from the likes of Amerie, Wednesday, Addison Rae, Marvin Gaye, and more. Featured artists and songs: 1. The Jamies: "Summertime Summertime" 2. The Lijadu Sisters: "Come on Home," from 'Horizon Unlimited' 3. Amerie: "Why Don't We Fall in Love," from 'All I Have' 4. Waxahatchee: "Much Ado About Nothing," from 'Tigers Blood (Deluxe)' 5. Wednesday: "Elderberry Wine," from 'Bleeds' 6. Katie Gavin: "Aftertaste," from 'What a Relief' 7. Marvin Gaye: "Ain't That Peculiar" 8. Haku.: "Looking Through My Subtle Double Eyelids," from 'Catch' 9. Labi Siffre: "My Song," from 'Crying Laughing Loving Loving' 10. Azymuth: "Faça de Conta," from 'Azimuth' 11. Linda Ronstadt: "How Do I Make You," from 'Mad Love' 12. Addison Rae: "Diet Pepsi," from 'Addison' 'All Songs Considered' 25th anniversary segment: Our No. 1 songs from 2022 Weekly reset: Sailing on the high seas. Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org -
NPR Music's 2025 Tiny Desk Contest yielded thousands of entries, including some standouts in the pop and rock categories.
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Existential dread never sounded more joyful or uplifting than it does in the hands of PUP. The Canadian pop-punk group confronts world-weary discontent with deadpan humor, hard-earned wisdom and a lot of heart. -
NPR Music's 2025 Tiny Desk Contest got more than 7,000 entries, including some standouts in the folk and country genres.
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Can music save the world? The songs in this week's mix consider the power of creativity as we update our running list of the year's best tracks, with new ones from Jay Som, Jeff Tweedy and more. Featured artists and songs: 1. Jay Som & Jim Adkins: "Float," from 'Belong' 2. Google Earth (John Vanderslice & James Riotto): "meow meow," from 'For Mac OS X 10.11' 3. Goon: "For Cutting The Grass," from 'Dream 3' 4. Jeff Tweedy: "One Tiny Flower," from 'Twilight Override' 5. Kassa Overall: "Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like That)," from 'Cream' 'All Songs Considered' 25th anniversary segment: Our No. 1 songs from 2021 Weekly reset: Twilight at Nags Head, with crickets and barking dog in the distance Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org Hear new songs from past episodes in the All Songs Considered playlists in Apple Music and Spotify. -
Robin Hilton, Anamaria Sayre and Hazel Cills gather to share songs that feel like summer — and that means staying indoors to avoid the heat as well as partying on a Brooklyn rooftop. (Note: A version of this conversation appeared in this feed last July.) 'All Songs Considered' 25th anniversary segment: Our No. 1 songs from 2020 Weekly reset: Grilling on a summer night just ahead of a thunderstorm Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org Hear new songs from past episodes in the All Songs Considered playlists in Apple Music and Spotify. -
There are certain bars of music that put people in a specific headspace - and many of them come from our favorite films, where composer John Williams matched his iconic themes with magic movie moments.
