Essential Christmas albums: 10 timeless recordings to get you in the Christmas spirit
What is the perfect music to get oneself into the festive spirit? We ask ten of our writers to name the albums they couldn’t imagine Yuletide without
Review: Les Divas d’Offenbach (Véronique Gens et al)
Amusing songs by Offenbach sparkle in these irresistible performances, writes Christopher Dingle
John Rutter, the king of Christmas, reveals his 7 favourite carols
British composer-conductor John Rutter shares the Christmas carols that mean the most to him
Celebrate the future of music with the Festival Academy Budapest
FAB celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2025 with honoured guests and young talent
The pieces musicians love and HATE to play (one composer comes up A LOT)
Which works do orchestral players love to play? And which do they dread? We head round the sections of some of Europe’s finest ensembles to find out
Composer Alex Ho and the Chinese diaspora in Britain
Composer Alex Ho is part of a growing community of musicians combining their British and Chinese heritage in fascinating ways, writes Richard Morgan
Complete our survey about charities for the chance to win a £50 Love2shop eGiftcard
Jingle Hell! The famous Christmas music guaranteed to ruin the holiday season
As the Christmas season approaches, the BBC Music Magazine team share the festive tunes that make our hearts sink
Review: Shades of Mourning (Tamar Sagiv)
Roger Thomas is impressed by the elegant skill and emotional conviction of this accomplished debut
Best Christmas carols: the 37 greatest festive hymns of all time
Here's a list of the best-ever Christmas carols for the festive season, as voted for by 50 top choral experts from across the UK and US. Do you agree with their choices?
Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
What can musicians do to help tackle climate change?
Delia Stevens from percussion and harmonica/melodeon duo Stevens & Pound writes about her relationship with music and the climate
When is the right time for musicians to retire?
Put bluntly, age and experience used to be venerated much more than they are now, writes Richard Morrison
Shock impact and religious zeal: how historically informed performance revolutionised classical music
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
Meet Hildur Guðnadóttir – the star composer of Joker and Chernobyl
Cellist and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir has forged a career spanning classical, film and electronics – but she’s always been drawn to unsettling themes, as she tells Claire Jackson
Sex mad: music's 11 most bed-hopping composers, ranked
Jeremy Pound lifts the covers off those notorious notesmiths who found the thrill of playing away simply too hard to resist
Autism? Tourette's? Top psychiatrists assess Mozart's bizarre, brilliant mind
Using today’s psychoanalytic methods, what can we learn, asks Rebecca Franks, about the mind of Mozart, perhaps the greatest musical genius of all?
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
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
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
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
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Review: Kalevi Aho – Moonlight Concerto, etc
Claire Jackson is mightily impressed by Sharon Bezaly’s mastery of the rare alto flute
Review: Strauss: 'Ein Heldenleben' (Philharmonia / Rouvali)
Sarah Urwin Jones is captivated by Santtu-Matias Rouvali’s take on Strauss
Review: Harry Partch – The Wayward (Partch Ensemble)
Kate Wakeling is captivated by the Partch Ensemble’s compelling realisation of a truly original body of works
Rock music
Explore rock music
America never really 'got' these 9 British bands
Some British bands found a vast new fanbase Stateside, while other seminal acts failed to crack America. What gives?
Rock's saddest near-misses: 7 bands that just missed their moment
Seven brilliant bands with unforgettable songs, tangled fates, and heartbreaking near-misses — this is the story of rock’s greatest almost-weres and the stars that never rose
Fleetwood Mac's 17 albums ranked, from worst to best
Fleetwood Mac’s shape-shifting legacy spans blues, pop and rock classics. Here’s how their eclectic albums stack up, from worst to best
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
