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Critics' Week 2008

A week of critical picks and pans from Soundcheck

From Monday, Dec. 15, through Friday, Dec. 19, Soundcheck presents "Critics Week," a series recapping the best and worst music during 2008. Host John Schaefer is joined by music critics to discuss the year’s best and worst albums in pop and rock, hip hop, classical, opera, jazz, and world music.

2008: The Year in Online Music

Soundcheck

December 19, 2008

Even as record sales continued to plummet in 2008, the Internet was a hub of innovation for musicians and their fans. Today Eliot Van Buskirk of Wired.com discusses the most important online music stories from 2008.

View Eliot Van Buskirk's list

The Worst of 2008

Soundcheck

December 19, 2008

2008 saw comeback albums by Britney Spears, Janet Jackson and Brian Wilson. It also saw indie-rock darlings like Vampire Weekend and The Killers attract continued buzz. None of this impressed Chicago Sun-Times pop music critic Jim DeRogatis. Today he shares his least favorite and most overrated albums of the year.

View Jim DeRogatis' list

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on compiling a "worst of" list

The Year in World Music

Soundcheck

December 18, 2008

New York Times pop critic Jon Pareles shares his year-end list of the best in world music.

View Jon Pareles' list of the best world music albums of 2008

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on the year's best world music

Best of 2008 in Latin Music

Soundcheck

December 18, 2008

New York Daily News reporter Carolina Gonzalez discusses the best of 2008 in Latin Music.

View Carolina Gonzalez's list for the best Latin music of 2008

The Year in Classical

Soundcheck

December 17, 2008

Our Critics Week special continues, as Anne Midgette of the Washington Post joins us for a look at classical music in 2008. And, you can cast your vote for this year's best classical release in our listener poll.

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on his classical pick of the year

View Anne Midgette's picks for best classical albums of 2008

The Year in Jazz

Soundcheck

December 17, 2008

Music writer Will Layman joins us for a Critics Week recap of jazz highlights from 2008. Cast your vote for jazz album of the year in our listener poll.

View Will Layman's list of the best jazz albums of 2008.

Music Critics: Irreplaceable or Irrelevant?

Soundcheck

December 16, 2008

Everyone's a critic -- a music critic, in particular. Blogs and social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook serve some of the curatorial roles once held by music critics. Meanwhile, staff cuts at print media organizations have eliminated many music columnists and arts reporters. In another Soundcheck Smackdown, two guests face off over the relevancy of the music critic: Daphne Carr, editor of "Best Music Writing 2008" anthology, and Douglas Wolk, Lacunae.com blogger and contributor to Pitchfork Media.

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on sorting through online opinions

Tell us: Are music critics irreplaceable or irrelevant? Why or why not? Call us at 212-433-9692 or leave a comment.

The Year in Hip Hop

Soundcheck

December 15, 2008

Can a "best of" list from the world of hip hop NOT include albums by Lil' Wayne and Kanye West? It can if it comes from Jake Paine, senior editor of the website HipHopDX.com. He joins us for an overview of the highlights from the genre. And, you can cast your vote for best album in four genres.

Soundcheck blog: View Jake Paine's top 5 lists for hip hop albums and singles

Taylor Swift

The Year in Pop and Rock

Soundcheck

December 15, 2008

It was year Lil' Wayne ruled over retail, "Chinese Democracy" saw the light of day, and TV on the Radio got sexy. Music critic Jody Rosen of Slate.com joins us for a look back at pop and rock in 2008. Plus, Rosen shares his top 10 list for the year. And, you can cast your vote for best album in four genres.

Soundcheck Blog: Jody Rosen's lists for the best albums and best singles of 2008

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on the year in music