The L.A. studio musicians known collectively as “The Wrecking Crew” played on hundreds of hit recordings in the ‘60s and ‘70s. You may not know their names, but you’ve heard their amazing work on songs by Elvis, Diana Ross, Glen Campbell, Henry Mancini, the Beach Boys, the Mamas and the Papas and so many others. Read more about them here while you’re listening to this week’s playlist!

For you and yours on Mother’s Day, a collection of songs we think are just perfect for the occasion. Enjoy this mix with music by Sade, Casey Musgraves, Diana Ross, The Beatles, Dolly Parton, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys, Alison Kraus, Carole King, Stevie Wonder, Vince Gill, and others who sing with love and appreciation.

We’re ready for springtime! Enjoy this mix of songs about roses, magnolias, tulips and other beautiful blooms. You’ll hear music by Linda Rondstadt, the Statler Brothers, The Foundations, Vampire Weekend, Blondie, Outkast, Jealous of the Birds, Jesca Hoop, The Doors, Patti Smith, and more.

In honor of Earth Day (April 22, 2021) and our precious planet, we present a collection of songs about nature and its beauty. You’ll hear from John Denver, Nina Simone, Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Donovan, PJ Harvey, Marvin Gaye, Talking Heads, George Harrison, Zavier Rudd, and more. As Louis Armstrong sings, what a wonderful world!

We’re more than happy to admit a fondness for the smooth, melodic grooves of the “yacht rock” so popular from about 1975 to the mid-’80s. Chill out with this sunny mix of tunes from Toto, Hall & Oates, Seals & Crofts, Ambrosia, 10cc, Gerry Rafferty, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, the Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, George Benson, and more.

Bring on the moisture and bring on the music. This week we feature songs about rain, with music by Al Green, ELO, Blind Melon, Gene Kelly, Mika, Willie Nelson, Etta James, Led Zeppelin, Juan Luis Guerra, CCR, the Manhattan Transfer, Eddie Rabbitt, B.J. Thompson, and more.

This week we celebrate Easter Weekend with a collection of joyful, gospel-inspired pop. Enjoy music by Al Green, Lucinda Williams, Maren Morris, Mavis Staples, Lyle Lovett, Leon Bridges, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Prince,  U2, and more!

This week’s playlist explores the evolution of the Grammy Awards’ Best New Artist winners. You’ll hear music by top newcomers over the decades, from Bobby Darin (who won the first Best New Artist prize in 1959, at the second annual Grammy Awards) to Billie Eilish, who took the honor in 2020.

A celebration of our favorite music from Mexico, featuring gems by musicians both classic (Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, “King of the Rancheros” Vincente Fernández, Juan Gabriel, Lucha Villa)  and contemporary (Flor de Toloache, Los Lobos).

Experience the best of the funky, soulful sound of 1970s Philadelphia with this mix featuring the O’Jays, the Spinners, the Jones Sisters, Lou Rawls, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the Delfonics, the Stylistics, MFSB, and other greats.

We can’t get enough of the musical magic that came out of L.A.’s Laurel Canyon in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Click now for classics by Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Jim Morrison and the Doors, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, Neil Young, Carly Simon, Love, Frank Zappa, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and more.

There’s not a lyric to be found in this week’s playlist! It’s a fun collection of all-instrumental music hits by artists including Herbie Hancock, Hot Butter, Vangelis, The Ventures, Meco, Rhythm Heritage, Joy, Henry Mancini, and lots more. Rockit!

Spice things up—and get on your feet—with this red-hot playlist! The mix includes music by Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Marc Anthony, Rubén Blades and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, La India, Fania All Stars, Ismael Rivera, Héctor Lavoe, and more.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Enjoy this romantic mix of love songs by musicians we adore, including Al Green, Sade, Michael Franti, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Carrie Rodriguez, The Cure, Jason Isbell, the Beach Boys, Sara Bareilles, Cyndi Lauper, Elvis, and many more.

This week we bring you the best of the music performed at Super Bowl halftime spectacles past. You’ll hear Shakira and JLo and Prince and Tom Petty, but you’ll also hear Martha Reeves, the Blues Brothers, Up with People (!), and other surprises. (Like Carol Channing and the song she performed at Super Bowl IV, back in 1970.)

Let’s go back in time to the sweet days of doo-wop. Listen now for the Ronettes, the Marvelettes, and the Chordettes; the Drifters, the Cadillacs, and the Platters; Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Danny and the Juniors, Little Anthony and the Imperials; the Cleftones, the Harptones . . . and Dion!

In praise of the great popular songs and jazz standards of the 20th century! This classic collection includes music by Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Billie Holiday, Willie Nelson, Diana Krall, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Hoagy Carmichael, Glenn Miller, and other favorites.

Every four years, as we welcome a new president, beloved musicians are invited to the celebrations in Washington. This week’s mix features artists and the songs they performed at inaugurations past, with Beyonce, Harry Belafonte, Pete Seeger, James Taylor, Ella Fitzgerald, and other greats.

This week’s mix explores the lure of the open road, with songs about cars and cruising. You’ll hear from the Beach Boys, War, Smokey Robinson, Johnny Cash, Sheryl Crow, Janis Joplin, Arcade Fire, Roy Orbison, Aretha, the Firebirds, and many more.

We wish you a merry Christmas to go with this nearly 100-song holiday playlist, an eclectic mix that’ll keep you feeling festive ’til Santa arrives and then some. You’ll find contemporary classics and lots of fun surprises! Feliz Navidad.

Baby, it’s cold outside! These songs about wintery weather and the season’s beauty will warm your heart. Featuring music from Jane Taylor, Jack Johnson, Fleet Foxes, Bob Dylan, Cold Speck, Mumford & Sons, Merle Haggard, Ray Charles, Down Like Silver,  Wyvern Lingo, The Doors, and more!

Celebrate the season with this lively playlist featuring contemporary Hanukkah music! You’ll hear from a range of artists, including Maccabeats, Matisyahu, They Might Be Giants, Indigo Girls, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Barenaked Ladies, Haim, Pink Martini, and lots more. Hanukkah sameach!

With deepest gratitude for your year-round support, we present a musical feast for your enjoyment this Thanksgiving. Songs from Bob Dylan, Bing Crosby, Diana Ross, Cab Calloway, Charlie Parker, and many more celebrate the joys of the holidays, home, loved ones, and mashed potatoes.

The voice itself is an amazing instrument! This week’s stay-at-home playlist features a cappella gems from a range of artists, including The Nylons, The Bobs, the King’s Singers, Washington University After Dark, Billy Joel, Ben Folds, Stray Cats, and more!

It’s been a week of counting, that’s for sure. This playlist features songs about numbers, by artists including the Brothers Johnson, John Prine, Tina Turner, Lake Street Drive, Neil Young, the Beatles, and others you’ll enjoy.

This week’s playlist celebrates Halloween with songs about . . . candy! Enjoy the sweet tunes by an eclectic mix of artists that includes Bette Midler, Mika, Robbie Williams, The Strangeloves, Lou Reed, Howlin’ Wolf, and more!

Lean into the falling leaves, golden light, and, yes, approaching snow of October with this lovely music mix. You’ll hear songs by Iron and Wine, Dar Williams, the Wailin’ Jennys, Blanco White, the Decemberists, Vienna Teng, Tracy Chapman, and some very soothing surprises.

Who among us doesn’t feel a little needy at times? This week’s playlist features songs things people need—or think they need, anyway: A man. A dollar. A lover who won’t drive you crazy. You’ll hear from Elton John, Bon Iver, Grace Jones, Prince, The Cars, Leo Sayer, John Mellencamp, and more!

This week we’re all about artists known, for better or for worse, as “one-hit-wonders.” We love you Soft Cell! And Dexys Midnight Runners. And The Five Stairsteps. If you can’t remember the names of these bands, you’re probably not alone. But we bet you know and enjoy most of the songs.

This week we celebrate the power of two with a collection of great duets! Get ready for k.d. lang with Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald with Louis Armstrong, Kiki Dee with Elton John, Tammi Terrell with Marvin Gaye, and lots of other inspired pair-ups.

You know who we’re talking about:. Duke Ellington. Benny Goodman. Ella Fitzgerald. Glenn Miller. There’s some Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Joe Jackson in here, too. Enjoy a playlist of timeless American music from the 30s, 40s, and today.

Songs by five-time-Grammy-winner Keb’ Mo’, the featured artist in our Beat the Blues benefit concert on 9/26/2020, take center stage in this collection, You’ll also find great music by Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Irma, Tracy Chapman, Junior Wells, Ruthie Foster, Eric Bibb, and other roots-revival all-stars. (Visit Lensic.org for tickets and details on our livestream Keb’ Mo’ concert on September 26!)

This week, we salute the music of New Orleans and the strength of the people and culture of the region. Enjoy tunes by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Trombone Shorty, BeauSoleil, Allen Toussaint, Louis Armstrong, the Neville Brothers, Cha Wa, Tuba Skinny, Buckwheat Zydeco, Dr. John, The Meters, and more.

Wipe that bourbon from your eyes and raise a glass to this week’s playlist, featuring songs about drinks and drinking from Muddy Waters, Flaco Jimenez, Jack White, Andra Day, Elton John, Caitlin Rose, Chris Stapleton, Devil Doll, and more. Here’s to all of us.

Etta James. Patti Smith. Bonnie Raitt. Carole King. Birdy. Deborah Coleman. Gloria Gaynor. More! This week’s playlist celebrates some of the most awe-inspiring women’s voices in music.

This week’s collection features songs with a great groove. They’ll get you through the dog days of summer! Featured artists include The Souljazz Orchestra, Nightmares on Wax, St. Germain, Santana & Buika, Donny McCaslin, The O’Jays, and more.

The cinemas may be closed, but these familiar songs bring the silver screen to life. Get ready for tunes from “Moulin Rouge,” “”Singing in the Rain,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Purple Rain,” more than one James Bond film, and more.

It’s all about the bass in this playlist inspired by Rolling Stone’s recently published “50 Greatest Bass Players of All Time” list. These legends and their bands will have you up on your feet! Hear Charles Mingus, Stanley Clarke, Geddy Lee (Rush), Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club), Jack Bruce (Cream), Willie Dixon, Larry Graham (Sly and the Family Stone), and other bass masters.

An overture, of course, is a piece of music played at the beginning of an opera, ballet, play, or even a movie. But a great overture can stand on its own. Just listen to this week’s playlist, and you’ll see exactly what we mean. “Overtures!” includes memorable musical works by Bizet (from Carmen), Mozart (from The Magic Flute), Bernstein (from Candide), and lots more.

Enjoy these songs about our avian friends: bluebirds and blackbirds, mockingbirds, sparrows, and more. Among the artists include on this week’s playlist are Leon Russell, the Beatles, Annie Lennox, Y la Bamba, Etta Jones, Patti Smith, Diana Krall, Patrick Watson, Pokey LaFarge, REM, Bob Marley, Beck, Van Morrison, Dionne Farris, and Wings. (Wings!)

For your summertime listening pleasure, a collection of jazz vocalists: Dinah Washington, Shirley Horne, Frank Sinatra, José James, Dianne Reeves, Diana Krall, and more.

This week’s holiday playlist celebrates Americana, with rootsy music from greats including Rhiannon Giddens, Nicki Bluhm, Max Gomez, Shakey Graves, Johnnyswim, and Brandi Carlile. There’s even a medley, “Fourth of July/He Stopped Loving Her Today,” by Shooter Jennings featuring George Jones.

Horns make everything better. Need proof? Listen to our latest playlist, featuring plenty of brass from Quincy Jones, the Neville Brothers, Rickie Lee Jones, Lettuce, Santa Esmarelda, and Earth, Wind & Fire. And let’s not forget one of our Lensic Presents favorites, Trombone Shorty!

This week’s Father’s Day playlist features artists such as Stevie Wonder, Oscar D’León, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Janis Joplin, Wilco, and more. And what’s a 21st-century Dads playlist without a little Hall & Oates? Listening in a hammock (or while BBQ’ing) is recommended.

Enjoy this collection of unforgettable world music, including songs by Miriam Makeba, Susana Baca, Oliver Mtukudzi, Jain, Mari Boine, and many other global talents. Vive la difference!

Where words fail, music speaks. This week’s mix features songs for times of change, and artists including Sam Cooke, Mavis Staples, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Matisyahu, Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, and more.

Sing along with these showtune favorites and dream! This Broadway playlist includes songs from Rent, Kiss Me Kate, Shenendoah, Catch Me If You Can, The Wiz, Jesus Christ Superstar, Violet,  and other classic shows, old and new.

Fifty (yes, 50!) great tunes, one for every state in our country. This eclectic playlist includes artists from Perry Como and Blossom Dearie to Vampire Weekend, The National, and Bruce Springsteen (who is NOT singing about New Jersey). Hit the road, Jack! And enjoy.

Joel’s picks for the week: contemporary artists who have a distinctively retro sound. The playlist features JD McPherson, Marlon Williams, Kat Edmonson, Blanche, the Civil Wars, and more songs you’ll enjoy while we’re all alone together.

David Byrne sings Whitney Houston? Shawn Colvin sings Talking Heads? Los Tigres del Norte do Johnny Cash? This fun mix of greats covering the music of other greats  also features Willie Nelson, k.d. lang, Amy Winehouse, and José James. Who knew?! (Joel knew.)

Good music adds to whatever you happen to be doing during these stay-at-home days. Here, a collection of “Lensic Presents greatest hits”  to keep the vibe  going while we’re together and alone. Storm Large, Gina Chavez, The Ten Tenors. The Choir of Man, Gregory Porter, Dianne Reeves, and more.