Search results for

In a year when hip-hop was frequently absent from the pop charts, NPR's music critic found that looking in darker corners revealed a genre that was flourishing.

NPR's Scott Simon talks baseball with Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine. This season's hot baseball teams are usually underdogs — the Cubs, Blue Jays and Mets.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, believed to have led Iran's military nuclear program, died from wounds after an attack, causing outrage in Iran and raising international concerns over potential retaliation.

Record prices are being paid for landscape paintings of the American West. Hal Cannon of the Western Folklife Center went to the Couer d'Alene Art Auction in Reno, Nev., and found serious buyers bidding into the hundreds of thousands or more, to own a Frederick Remington or a Charlie Russell or a Frank McCarthy.

The NPR audience cast more than 17,000 ballots in our Killer Thrillers poll. The winning novels are a diverse mix, ranging in style and period from Dracula to The Da Vinci Code. All are fast-moving tales of suspense and adventure.

It was a banner year for the acoustic guitar. NPR Music partner Folk Alley presents the best the genre had to offer.

This week's election results show education issues foremost in the minds of many voters, and suggest many parents may be seeking a course correction after 18 months of disruptions.

For the first time in history, all 10 acts on the "Billboard Top 10" are black. Nine of the 10 are rap acts, and the top spot is held by Pop/R&B songstress Beyonce and Dancehall Reggae star Sean Paul.

Restaurant Magazine publishes its list of the top 50 restaurants worldwide. For 2005, The Fat Duck in Bray, Berks, England took top honors. The magazine chose The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif. as the best in the Americas. Restuarant surveyed a panel of more than 500 international chefs, critics and restaurateurs.

Fresh Air's arbiter of things filmic offers his annual year-end movies wrap-up. This time, his Top 10 list has 11 entries, as the number-nine slot features a tie. At the top: Julian Schnabel's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.