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Since World War II, inequality in the U.S. has gone through two, dramatically different phases.

2024 was a year of breakthroughs, with new stars storming the top of the charts and artists across genres making modern classics. NPR Music's list of best songs of the year has something for everyone.

This week, Shaboozey becomes only the second Black artist ever to top Billboard's pop and country singles charts at the same time. The first, earlier this year, was his collaborator, Beyoncé.

Jesse Brown has a fear of heights, but a need for money. When his job as an electrician required him to climb to the tiptop of the Washington Monument, he had to figure out a plan.

The pop star caught the top spot while her other single, “Espresso,” is still holding strong at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile: yes, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is still No. 1 over on the Billboard 200 albums chart — we’re at week nine and counting.

Unlike most of its neighbors in the top 10, Lenae's slow-burning hit actually sounds like summer, says NPR Music's Stephen Thompson. It's a buoyant R&B throwback with a sugar rush vibe that fits in at pool parties, barbecues and beach hangs.

A lot hangs in the balance on who former President Donald Trump chooses as his running mate: the vice presidential nominee might shape the MAGA movement or could woo voters who lean moderate.

Cheryl W. Thompson is an investigative correspondent for NPR.

The top 10% of earners in the U.S. would see the biggest gains under the GOP tax and spending package, according to congressional forecasters, but those at the bottom of the income ladder would be worse off.

NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour asked listeners to vote on their favorite American Idol contestants of all time.