Music to help us through difficult times
Multiple studies show that music can do wonders for our mental health. So which pieces do we turn to when times are tough?
Review: Mozart Piano Concertos, etc (Evren Ozel et al)
This concerto album is full of sparkle and charm, says Michael Jameson
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
Celebrate the future of music with the Festival Academy Budapest
FAB celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2025 with honoured guests and young talent
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
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer appears on BBC Radio 3's Private Passions
Élisabeth Pion wins 2025 Honens International Piano Competition
Shock impact and religious zeal: how historically informed performance revolutionised classical music
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
Meet the most fascinating figures from 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
These 12 iconic musicians walked away at the height of their powers
When stars vanish at their peak – Barrett, Stevens, Denny, Gould – their abrupt exits leave mystery, legend, and longing in their wake
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
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
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: 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
Review: Ravel, Stravinsky (Pavel Kolesnikov, Samson Tsoy)
David Nice is astonished by a wonderful piano duo’s interpretation of Stravinsky and Ravel ballets
Rock music
Explore rock music
Ranked: the 21 greatest folk music albums of all time
From Bob Dylan to Bon Iver, here are the 15 greatest folk albums of all time, showcasing timeless storytelling, emotion, and musical mastery
Here are five times Ozzy Osbourne made us laugh out loud
From bat-biting to his personal dwarf, rock's Prince of Darkness had a legendarily mischievous sense of humour
1985 in pop and rock: the 23 greatest albums turning 40 this year
New wave and punk were retreating, but 1985 was no lull: it was a surge of ambition, and reinvention. Here are its 23 greatest albums
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine