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While American hitmakers like Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift climbed the British charts in 2009, here in the U.S., we saw a serious influx of great music from the U.K. You wouldn't necessarily call these bands chart-toppers, either here or there, but they do add up to something resembling a British Invasion.

Food and drinks aren't the only ways to impress your friends at your next holiday party. NPR's Felix Contreras has some suggestions for a new holiday soundtrack. Guest host Jacki Lyden talks to Contreras about how to get your party started and bring it to a smooth, reflective end.

At any given point in 2009, World Cafe host David Dye's Top 10 list would inevitably look different. So consider this a snapshot — and otherwise subject to change at any time. Some picks won't be new to most readers, but others qualify as left-field musical discoveries.

The best new music releases out of Africa in 2009 reveal two strong trends. First, the whole notion of blues and rock intermingling with their ancestral precursors in West Africa continues to yield fruit, and the blends just keep getting better. New uses of technology provide the other big story, as hybrids of tradition and techno turn a new generation of listeners on to Africa.

This year has seen a lot of "quirky" kids' music, wherein the sweet-voiced folkies of the past were replaced by growling rocker moms and clear, intimate harmonies. The quality was high this year, with albums rooted in reggae, electronica, folk and rock aimed at young ears.

On this edition of All Songs Considered, host Bob Boilen talks with Carrie Brownstein, Stephen Thompson and Robin Hilton about the year in music.

In keeping with the musically offbeat direction of his weekly show ("The New Releases") on Minnesota Public Radio, host Michael Barone introduces 10 overlooked but excellent classical albums from 2009.

When classical musicians literally play to their own strengths, magic can happen. Hear today's top classical musicians revisit the music they know and love best in recordings chosen by Boston's WGBH.

When the Saints captured the NFC Championship two weeks ago, music roared from every neighborhood and spontaneous brass-band parades shut down streets: New Orleans rhythms exploded across the city in a way that seemed natural for celebrations of football glory. Now, you can hear 10 songs which typify the music in the New Orleans air right now.

Over the course of his life, Nat King Cole became a jazz innovator and an icon of American popular music. Take Five celebrates Cole's birthday — he was born on March 17, 1919 — with a "five-tool" (that's baseball lingo, we'll explain) approach, highlighting the breadth of his work.