Fear, control, violence: the darkness behind Phil Spector's legendary 'Wall of Sound'
His dazzling ‘Wall of Sound’ recording technique brought widescreen drama to pop music. But Phil Spector’s personal life was music’s darkest, most violent psychodrama
This composer's personal life was an enigma. His music is a thing of wonder
We explore the life and work of Maurice Ravel, master craftsman of French music
Who was Ivor Novello? The Welsh songwriter and operetta composer who inspired The Ivors
Celebrate the future of music with the Festival Academy Budapest
FAB celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2025 with honoured guests and young talent
1978 was a new dawn in pop. And it gave us these 15 astonishing debut albums
Inventive, fearless, unforgettable: 1978’s greatest debut albums shattered conventions, from punk’s aftermath to post-punk innovation
These 11 bands were huge for a while. They're mostly forgotten now
Once chart-topping giants, now ghosted by history: 11 '70s and '80s bands who filled arenas, ruled radio... then quietly slipped from memory
Prog rock 1975: ranking the 17 greatest prog albums turning 50 this year
1975 was a landmark year for progressive rock, delivering groundbreaking albums that pushed musical boundaries and redefined the genre’s scope. Here are the 15 best
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer appears on BBC Radio 3's Private Passions
Chaos, death, black magic: 13 legendary rock addresses with dark pasts
From mansions with ghostly histories to studios steeped in sin, these are the haunted homes of rock ’n’ roll.
Élisabeth Pion wins 2025 Honens International Piano Competition
Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
Shock impact and religious zeal: how historically informed performance revolutionised classical music
From the Middle Ages to Miles Davis, these are the 10 best trumpeters of all time
Leading trumpeter Matilda Lloyd traces the history of her instrument through ten influential players, from the Tudor era to the present day
15 bands whose lyrics we just don't understand (and we love it that way)
Some of rock’s most beloved bands sing in riddles, nonsense, or invented languages — and we love them all the more for it
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
Haydn: classical music's greatest humourist
Joseph Haydn: the classical era's great humourist... and more
Sex, scandal, symphonies: the dark history of great composers and syphilis
Romantic composers were passionate, sensual and untrammelled in their desires. Sadly, this meant a surge in deaths from syphilis
Why a besotted piano student held Liszt at gunpoint
Robbed from the grave: the mysterious tales of composers’ missing body parts
Steve Wright peers into the coffin as he investigates the deceased composers whose bodies continued to go on their own adventures
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
Ranked: the 21 greatest country rock albums of all time
When rock met country, magic happened — steel guitars, road songs, and restless hearts. These 21 albums defined that bittersweet crossroads
These 15 stone-cold classic albums were a nightmare to make
From Fleetwood Mac to Tears for Fears: 15 classic rock albums that cost blood, sweat and tears to put together
Genesis: all 15 albums ranked from worst to best (the top 5 were SO tough)
We rank every Genesis studio album, from their early prog masterpieces to the stadium filling pop-rock of the 1980s
These are the 31 greatest classical albums to start your collection
Our round-up of the best must-have performances of classical music. Update your collection with the great symphonies, choral works, operas, chamber and instrumental works
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Review: Mozart Piano Concertos, etc (Evren Ozel et al)
This concerto album is full of sparkle and charm, says Michael Jameson
Review: Nei giardini d’amore (arias by Handel, Monteverdi et al)
Hugh Cutting and Carlo Vistoli are ideally matched in these Baroque works, says Kate Bolton-Porciatti
Review: Bassoon Concertos (Martin Kuuskmann)
Martin Kuuskmann brings technical brilliance and sonorous, expressive warmth to three modern Estonian bassoon concertos
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine