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      Lawsuit Over Naked Baby on Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ Is Revived

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      The suit about the 1991 album had been dismissed because of the statute of limitations. But an appeals court ruled that it could proceed, noting that the album had been reissued in 2021.A federal appeals court ruled against the grunge rock group Nirvana on Thursday, reviving a lawsuit about the band’s use of a naked baby on the cover of its 1991 album “Nevermind.”A district court judge had dismissed Spencer Elden’s lawsuit that said he was a victim of child sexual abuse imagery, ruling that the complaint had not been filed within the 10-year statute of limitations. But a three-judge panel on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed that decision, finding that “each republication” of an image “may constitute a new personal injury.”The appeals court noted that Mr. Elden’s 2021 complaint says Nirvana has reproduced the album cover within the past 10 years, including the band’s September 2021 rerelease of “Nevermind.”“The question whether the ‘Nevermind’ album cover meets the definition of child pornography is not at issue in this appeal,” the court wrote in a footnote.The case will now return to the district court.A lawyer for Mr. Elden did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bert H. Deixler, a lawyer for Nirvana, said in a statement that the opinion was a “procedural setback.”“We will defend this meritless case with vigor and expect to prevail,” Mr. Deixler said.Mr. Elden was 4 months old when he was photographed in 1991 by a family friend at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena, Calif. His parents were paid $200 for the picture, which was later altered to show the baby chasing a dollar, dangling from a fishhook.In the decades that followed, Mr. Elden seemed to celebrate his appearance on the classic album cover, recreating the moment — though not in the nude — for several of the album’s anniversaries.But in the lawsuit, Mr. Elden said he had suffered “permanent harm” because of his association with the album, including emotional distress and a “lifelong loss of income-earning capacity.”The lawsuit did not detail the losses but said that Nirvana, the producers of the album and others had all profited at Mr. Elden’s expense.Lawyers for Nirvana argued that Mr. Elden had benefited financially from the album cover by re-enacting the photograph for a fee and making public appearances parodying the image. They have also denied that the picture in question was an example of child sexual abuse imagery, noting that the photograph is present in the homes of millions of Americans.Maria Cramer More

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      Mars Williams, 68, Saxophonist Who Straddled New Wave and Jazz, Dies

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      He made his name in the 1980s with the Waitresses and the Psychedelic Furs, but his roots were in the exploratory jazz of Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman.Weakened by surgery to remove a tumor near his pancreas in January, followed by six months of chemotherapy, the high-wattage saxophonist Mars Williams learned this past summer that his treatment options were nearly exhausted.But rather than resting an ailing body, he chose to return to the road. He joined the Psychedelic Furs, a band he had performed and recorded with since the 1980s, as it toured the United States.“Being on a grueling bus tour would be exhausting for anyone,” Dave Rempis, a friend and fellow saxophonist, said in a phone interview. “By the end, he was sitting in a dressing room with blankets and heaters all around him. He could barely move. But he would still go out onstage and play as hard as ever. He just wanted to be back onstage where he felt most alive.”Mr. Williams died at a hospice facility in Chicago on Nov. 20. He was 68. His brother, Paul R. Williams, said the cause was ampullary cancer.Mr. Williams was angling for a career in jazz in 1981 when the Waitresses, an idiosyncratic New York-based new wave band, came calling, dangling a newly minted record deal with Polydor. The band, marked by the deadpan vocal stylings of Patty Donahue, scored with the indelible cult hits “I Know What Boys Like” and “Christmas Wrapping,” as well as the theme song to the celebrated, if short-lived, 1980s high school sitcom “Square Pegs.”With his explosive horn lines and electric stage presence, Mr. Williams captured the spirit of the band — never mind that his grounding in the exploratory jazz of Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman made him an odd fit in the milieu of MTV in its early days, when acts could find overnight fame on the strength of cotton-candy haircuts and passable synthesizer skills.“He was a goofball, like a lot of reed players,” Chris Butler, the Waitresses’ founder and chief songwriter, said in a phone interview. “I think it has something to do with all that back pressure on their brains when they’re blowing into a brass tube, you know. But he had such massive chops. When we played live, he would improvise, solo, fill the arrangements with this magnificent stuff. And it was different every night.”No instrument, it seemed, was off limits to Mr. Williams, including bells, whistles, and pots and pans. “I had a lot of freedom,” he said in a 2019 interview with the jazz journalist Howard Mandel. “I’m up blowing Tibetan monk horn solos over their rhythms. I’m able to do all these different styles within this pop band.”From left, Tracy Wormworth, Patty Donahue, Dan Klayman and Mr. Williams of the Waitresses at the Peppermint Lounge in New York in 1981, the year Mr. Williams joined the band. Michael Macioce/Getty ImagesHe joined the Psychedelic Furs, a British post-punk band, after the Waitresses fragmented in 1983. His new group was then trading its early Velvet Underground-style rawness for a slicker brand of pop following the success of alternative hits like “Love My Way” (1982).Mr. Williams lent his wailing horn lines to the band’s 1984 album, “Mirror Moves,” although he was not featured on the album’s sleeve or in the heavily aired videos for its songs “Heaven” and “The Ghost in You.” He toured and recorded with the Psychedelic Furs until 1989. After a long hiatus, he rejoined them in 2005.Ever the musical explorer, Mr. Williams performed with many rock and pop acts, including the Killers, Billy Idol and Jerry Garcia, and earned acclaim with several Chicago jazz outfits, including his own long-running ensemble, Liquid Soul, which performed at inauguration festivities for President Bill Clinton in 1997 and earned a Grammy Award nomination for its 2000 album, “Here’s the Deal.”“Mars Williams is one of the true saxophone players — someone who takes pleasure in the sheer act of blowing the horn,” the avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer John Zorn wrote in the liner notes to “Eftsoons,” Mr. Williams’s 1981 collaboration with the jazz composer and bandleader Hal Russell, “and there are not many saxophone players I can truthfully say this about.”Marc Charles Williams was born on May 29, 1955, in Elmhurst, Ill., the fifth of six children of Jack Williams, who owned several pharmacies and served as an Illinois state representative, and Hilda (Van Outrive) Williams, who managed the Cook County ethics department. He picked up his nickname from a mispronunciation of his first name by his baby brother, Paul.In addition to his brother, his survivors include his mother and two sisters, Michele Williams-Piotrowski and Suzy Williams. His sister Valerie Williams and his brother Jack died.A classically trained clarinetist as a youth, Mr. Williams switched to saxophone after graduating from Holy Cross High School in River Grove, Ill., in 1973 and briefly studied music theory at DePaul University in Chicago.His musical journey led him to New York City, where he worked as a bike messenger and played gigs with punk bands at the nightclub CBGB while trying to build a career in jazz before taking a detour into pop that would last until his final months.Once his pop career took off, life on the road came with familiar perils, including drug addiction, which he wrestled with for years. He spent his last two decades sober, he said in interviews, while counseling other musicians in their struggles.Mr. Rempis said he last saw Mr. Williams on Oct. 25.“He had gotten back from six weeks on the road with the Psychedelic Furs,” he said, “and ended up in the hospital for a few days. When he got out, he said, ‘You know, I might not be able to do these tours in December in Europe.’ That’s where his head was at: Where am I going now? What’s the next thing?” More

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      10 Festive (and Brand-New) Holiday Songs

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      New tunes from Brandy, Cher and the Philadelphia Eagles may find their place among classics in your holiday playlist.Recent holiday releases include (clockwise from top left) albums from the Philadelphia Eagles, Samara Joy, Cher and Sabrina Carpenter.Dear listeners,Musically speaking, the holidays are a time when we return to perennial favorites — the fact that the current top five artists on the Billboard Hot 100 are Mariah Carey, Brenda Lee, Bobby Helms, Wham! and Burl Ives certainly attests to that.But there’s also something to be said for sprinkling some fresh holiday tunes in with the old to keep your playlist from getting as stale as last year’s Christmas cookie. Where ever will you find new holiday music? Never fear: Today’s Amplifier has you covered.Every song on this playlist came out this holiday season. A few are covers of classics, but they all put a novel twist on their material, whether it’s Cher doing her best Chuck Berry, the Lumineers paying homage to Willie Nelson, or Samara Joy channeling Judy Garland.This mix features quite a few new holiday originals, too: Sabrina Carpenter turns a sweet character from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” into a romantic rival, Brandy wishes Christmas would never end, and Norah Jones and Laufey find the Christmas spirit among the pine trees.You can add these songs to your existing holiday playlist, or — if you’re hosting a gathering and really want to impress your guests with how up to date you are on music — just play this one the whole way through. And if you need even more Amplifier holiday cheer, you can always revisit my playlist of are-they-or-aren’t-they Christmas songs.Lastly, thanks to all who have submitted songs and stories about the older song that defined your year. There’s still time to send me your suggestions; you can do that here. We may use your response in an upcoming edition of The Amplifier.Listen along on Spotify while you read.1. Cher: “Run Rudolph Run”Cher’s first-ever holiday album has a refreshingly no-nonsense title: “Christmas.” ’Nuff said. Though the LP’s single is the glittery, dance-floor-ready original “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” my favorite track is Cher’s rousing rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run,” which allows her to lean into her voice’s rock ’n’ roll attitude. (Listen on YouTube)2. Brandy: “Christmas Everyday”Brandy wants time to freeze on “Christmas Everyday,” a jubilantly upbeat number from her recently released “Christmas With Brandy.” “I don’t know another time when everybody shines so bright,” she sings, pining (ahem) for it to be Christmas every day. (Listen on YouTube)3. Sabrina Carpenter: “Cindy Lou Who”This season, the irreverent pop singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter put out her first holiday-themed release, the six-song EP “Fruitcake.” On this plaintive, breathily sung ballad, Carpenter becomes obsessed with an ex’s new girlfriend, who just may be from Whoville. (Listen on YouTube)4. Norah Jones & Laufey: “Better Than Snow”It’s an intergenerational summit of the jazz-pop girlies as the veteran crooner Norah Jones joins forces with the 24-year-old Icelandic sensation Laufey on this plinking, piano-driven song about celebrating Christmas in decidedly un-Christmas-like weather: “Now as I sweat through my ugly sweater, Christmas with you is better than snow.” (Listen on YouTube)5. Bright Eyes featuring John Prine: “Christmas in Prison”Bright Eyes tackle this bittersweet John Prine tune, with a little help from the late, great man himself. Conor Oberst sings in his warmly cracked voice and an extended sample from “A John Prine Christmas” enlivens the cover with Prine’s wry spirit and inimitable storytelling. (Listen on YouTube)6. The Lumineers: “Pretty Paper (Live at the Hollywood Bowl)”This April, the Lumineers were part of a star-studded group of musicians who performed Willie Nelson songs at the Hollywood Bowl, in honor of the legend’s 90th birthday. It’s finally seasonally appropriate to appreciate their song selection: “Pretty Paper,” Nelson’s enduring Christmas classic. (Listen on YouTube)7. The Philly Specials featuring Howie Roseman: “The Dreidel Song”Don’t think I forgot about Hanukkah, or this very delightful holiday album that members of the Philadelphia Eagles (yes, those Eagles) released this year. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe this is the first time the general manager of a professional sports team has sung lead on an Amplifier selection. (Listen on YouTube)8. Ladytron: “All Over By Xmas”The electro-pop group Ladytron create a dreamy, glacial atmosphere on this new original song about a poorly timed breakup: “Yes, it will be all over by Christmas.” (Listen on YouTube)9. Morgan Reese: “Scrooge Xmas”The young bedroom-pop artist Morgan Reese lets loose an admittedly catchy “bah humbug” on her first holiday release, the sparkly little ditty “Scrooge Xmas.” (Listen on YouTube)10. Samara Joy: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”And finally, the Grammys’ reigning best new artist, the 24-year-old jazz singer Samara Joy, brings her buttery tone and intuitive phrasing to this Christmas classic, proving — as she does throughout her new EP, “A Joyful Holiday” — that she possesses a musical intelligence well beyond her years. (Listen on YouTube)She reminds me of a chess game with someone I admire,LindsayThe Amplifier PlaylistListen on Spotify. We update this playlist with each new newsletter.“10 Festive (and Brand-New) Holiday Songs” track listTrack 1: Cher, “Run Rudolph Run”Track 2: Brandy, “Christmas Everyday”Track 3: Sabrina Carpenter, “Cindy Lou Who”Track 4: Norah Jones & Laufey, “Better Than Snow”Track 5: Bright Eyes featuring John Prine, “Christmas in Prison”Track 6: The Lumineers, “Pretty Paper (Live at the Hollywood Bowl)”Track 7: The Philly Specials featuring Howie Roseman, “The Dreidel Song”Track 8: Ladytron, “All Over By Xmas”Track 9: Morgan Reese, “Scrooge Xmas”Track 10: Samara Joy, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”Bonus TracksSpeaking of the Philly Specials, I cannot recommend highly enough this adorable and hilarious short, created by the Philadelphia animation studio unPOP, which accompanies the N.F.L. team’s album “A Philly Special Christmas Special.” It reminds me of all the stop-motion animation classics of my childhood and features, among other charming cameos, the Kelce Brothers, Jordan Mailata and a visit from St. Nick (Foles). Guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Unless you root for the Dallas Cowboys.Also: I spent much of the weekend immersed in the recently released, almost-six-hour third volume of Joni Mitchell’s Archive series — another experience I’d highly recommend. One of my favorite discoveries was this alternate cut of her 1972 hit “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio,” featuring Neil Young and his backing band the Stray Gators. Talk about Canadian excellence!Sprinkle in new tunes from Brandy, Cher and the Philadelphia Eagles along with Yuletide classics. More

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      Nicki Minaj Has No. 1 Album as Mariah Carey Regains Holiday Crown

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      Minaj’s first studio LP in five years, “Pink Friday 2,” opens at the top of the album chart, while “All I Want for Christmas Is You” takes the No. 1 singles slot back from Brenda Lee.On the music charts this week, Nicki Minaj scores the top album with her first studio LP in five years, and Mariah Carey claims the No. 1 single once again with her inescapable seasonal hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”Minaj has been teasing her latest album, “Pink Friday 2,” for at least four years, and for a while it had seemed questionable that it would ever come; at one point, Minaj even announced (and quickly retracted) her retirement from music. But “Pink Friday 2,” her fifth studio album — titled as a sequel to her 2010 debut — finally came out on Dec. 8, and it opens at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, becoming her third No. 1 album. “Pink Friday 2” had the equivalent of 228,000 sales in the United States, with 170 million streams and 92,000 copies sold as a complete package, including 25,000 on vinyl.Also this week, Taylor Swift’s “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” holds at No. 2 and Drake’s “For All the Dogs” is No. 3, while the 20-year-old Canadian pop singer Tate McRae arrives at No. 4 with “Think Later,” her second studio LP. Michael Bublé’s “Christmas” is in fifth place.Carey, whose 1994 holiday bauble “All I Want for Christmas Is You” took a 25-year path to No. 1 — and has notched a total of 12 weeks at the top over the last four Christmas seasons — retakes the top spot this week, for its 13th cumulative time at No. 1.For the last two weeks, the No. 1 position on the Hot 100 singles chart had belonged to Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which was released in 1958 and got a promotional push this year with a music video and TikTok spots. “Rockin’” drops this week to No. 2. More

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      10 New Christmas Albums for 2023

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      Our critics on 10 new holiday albums from Cher, Robert Glasper, Sabrina Carpenter and more.There is no one correct way to celebrate the holiday season in song. For some, reverence is key. But often the best Yuletide numbers are the ones that fiddle around with tradition, taking the familiar components of joy and generosity and remixing them into something silly, salacious or downright odd.Adam Blackstone, ‘A Legacy Christmas’Adam Blackstone, who has been a bassist and musical director for Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake as well as many television shows, revels in his jazz background on his own Legacy albums. “A Legacy Christmas” merges brassy, swinging big-band arrangements with electronically tweaked R&B, and it’s packed with guests: DJ Jazzy Jeff, Boyz II Men, Andra Day. There are glossy, muscular revamps of songs like “Lil Drummer Boy” (which has BJ the Chicago Kid singing alongside Blackstone’s melodic bass) and “Someday at Christmas” (with Robert Randolph’s slide guitar), as well as Blackstone’s own songs, including the neo-Motown “Christmas Kisses,” which has Blackstone rapping alongside Keke Palmer, who sings like she’s fronting the Jackson 5. JON PARELESBrandy, ‘Christmas With Brandy’Brandy leads with angst on her album “Christmas With Brandy,” which includes six songs she co-wrote including the opener, “Feels Different.” The moody, minor-key track leans into a deep post-breakup loneliness that “hurts the worst around Christmas,” even though “when I’m lovesick, you’re toxic.” But the rest of the album is cheerier and sultrier, like her upbeat, retro-styled “Christmas Everyday” and “Christmas Gift” (a duet with her daughter, Sy’rai) and the slow-motion come-on of “Christmas Party for Two.” The familiar songs play up Brandy’s misty tone and melismatic audacity. Her versions of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Mel Tormé’s “The Christmas Song” and even “Deck the Halls” are gauzy and leisurely. And who but Brandy would, in “Jingle Bells,” make an 11-note flourish out of “way”? PARELESSabrina Carpenter, ‘Fruitcake’The rising pop singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter brings her charmingly conversational and occasionally humorous sensibility to the six-song EP “Fruitcake,” her first holiday-themed release. Though she indulges in a straightforward, breathily sung “White Christmas,” the EP’s highlights are its irreverent originals, like “A Nonsense Christmas” (a holiday remix of Carpenter’s 2022 hit), the sleek, sassy “Is It New Years Yet?” and “Cindy Lou Who,” a piano ballad that playfully imagines the sweetest girl in Whoville as a romantic rival: “The snow’s gonna fall and the tree’s gonna glisten,” Carpenter sings. “And I’m gonna puke at the thought of you kissin’.” LINDSAY ZOLADZCher, ‘Christmas’Cher’s economically titled new album “Christmas” is an eclectic mix of holiday standards (a rollicking “Run Rudolph Run,” an especially lustful “Santa Baby”) and upbeat, electro-pop originals tailor-made for the woman who sang “Believe” (the strobe-lit “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” the fist-pumping “Angels in the Snow”). The guest list is star-studded and wide-ranging: Stevie Wonder, Michael Bublé and Darlene Love all drop by to duet with Cher on their own holiday classics, while Cyndi Lauper provides an assist on “Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart,” a country-tinged Christmas tune first recorded by LeAnn Rimes. But the album’s most memorably bonkers moment is surely “Drop Top Sleigh Ride,” a campy party anthem featuring a pun-stuffed rap verse from Tyga. The holidays just aren’t the holidays until you’ve heard Cher sing, “Turn it up, it’s a vibe, it’s Christmas.” ZOLADZRobert Glasper, ‘In December’The keyboardist Robert Glasper is an expert in both abstruse jazz harmonies and sleek hip-hop grooves; he’s also a well-connected collaborator. He brings all those skills to Christmas songs on “In December,” a musicianly rumination on the season; it’s only available on Apple Music. Old carols get elaborate new chromatic convolutions and alternate melodies, while in their new songs, Glasper and his singers consider holiday tensions. In “Make It Home,” PJ Morton and Sevyn Streeter portray a couple wondering if they can possibly reconcile for Christmas; “December,” written by Glasper and Andra Day, cycles through a year of seasonal anxieties and longings. And in “Memories With Mama,” Tarriona Ball, who leads Tank and the Bangas, confides in deep-toned spoken words about how Christmas has changed since her childhood — she’s nostalgic, but realistic. PARELESClockwise from top left: Holiday albums from Gregory Porter, Adam Blackstone, Jon Pardi and Wheatus. Samara Joy, ‘A Joyful Holiday’The resonant, low-end power of Samara Joy’s voice really emerges on her version of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me.” A Motown-era number sung sweetly by the Supremes and Stevie Wonder, it’s comforting molasses in Joy’s hands; at one point, she lingers over “twinkle,” toggling back and forth — eee-yuh-eee-yuh-eee-yuh — a caress and a promise. That’s the highlight of “A Joyful Holiday,” the first seasonal release from this sometimes startling jazz vocalist, who won best new artist at this year’s Grammys. See also her take on “Warm in December,” once sung by Julie London, which she renders as the most refined, stately and wise of come-ons. JON CARAMANICAJon Pardi, ‘Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi’For the past decade Jon Pardi has been, quite successfully, a country singer mindful of how the country singers before him conducted themselves. He’s a lightly unruly traditionalist, with an ear that favors Texas and Bakersfield and the, um, funkier sides of honky-tonk Nashville. So naturally, his first holiday album is a collection of frisky covers and originals that add just the faintest tweak to the canon. His take on Buck Owens’s “Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy” is cheeky and loose, and “I’ve Been Bad, Santa” — sung a couple of years ago by the Australian pop star Peach PRC — is a flirtatious duet with Pillbox Patti. “Reindeer” is a slow-walk heartbreaker about getting left behind by someone you love during the jolly season: “Might be a white Christmas, but all this snow just feels like rain, dear.” And on the lighthearted “Beer for Santa,” he swaps out the milk and cookies under the tree for something harder, then avers, “I might stay up and have one with him, too.” CARAMANICAThe Philly Specials, ‘A Philly Special Christmas Special’Last year, three offensive linemen who play for the Philadelphia Eagles — Jason Kelce, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson — stunned the football world by putting out a surprisingly competent Christmas EP as the Philly Specials. This season, they’re upping the ante with a full album, featuring cameos from Philadelphia musical luminaries like Patti LaBelle, Amos Lee and Waxahatchee. Mailata — a 6-foot-8 left tackle who last year appeared as “Thingamabob” on “The Masked Singer” — is the star of the show, holding his own with LaBelle on a duet of “This Christmas” and nailing that high note at the end of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” but Johnson also impresses with his resonant country croon on a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper.” As for Kelce? Well, as Philly fans already know, he’s got a lot of heart. And, for a spirited reworking of the Pogues’ most famous song, here retitled “Fairytale of Philadelphia,” he recruits perhaps the most high-profile guest of them all, his brother Travis, who sings approximately as well as his girlfriend can play professional football. ZOLADZGregory Porter, ‘Christmas Wish’The jazz singer Gregory Porter brings his kindly baritone and a social conscience to his Christmas album. He reaches back to vintage Motown for the antiwar, pro-equality “Someday at Christmas,” and three songs of his own recognize troubles he wants to rise above for the season. In “Everything’s Not Lost,” he wills himself toward year-end optimism despite “all this misery” and “children in fear.” And with the surging gospel of “Christmas Wish,” he recalls the lessons in generosity his mother taught. Most of the backing uses genteel string arrangements, but in “Christmas Waltz,” with a jazz trio, he reminds listeners how he can swing. PARELESWheatus, ‘Just a Dirtbag Christmas’Skip the clever and fun and totally worthy originals on this EP: You’re here for “Christmas Dirtbag,” the Yuletide updating of “Teenage Dirtbag,” the 2000 debut single from the Long Island punk-pop band Wheatus. The original is somehow both a zeitgeist-definer and a curio. This updating morphs the main character into someone passed over by Santa, perhaps a fate more cruel than being ignored by the girl who mesmerizes him in the original. But here, in a holiday spirit, there’s a twist — it turns out Santa’s a dirtbag, too, and he’s bearing gifts after all: “I’ve got two tickets to AC/DC, baby/After-show party at CBGB.” CARAMANICA More

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      10 Songs that Explain My Year

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      A playlist of songs from artists including Liz Phair, Drake and John Cale that explain our critic’s year.An interview with John Cale was a pinch-me assignment for our critic, one which also informed her reading list.Chantal Anderson for The New York TimesDear listeners,In my very first installment of this newsletter, I introduced myself and my musical tastes by sharing 10 (or actually 11) songs that explain me. As we wrap up 2023, I thought it would be fun to revisit that format and compile a playlist of songs that explain my year.Some of these represent older songs, musicians or even artists in other disciplines I first connected with in 2023. Others coincide with some personal milestones in my year: weddings, concerts, vacations, assignments and that time when I got stuck in Toronto for three days in July. The only rule was that I could not include anything released this year — you’ve probably read your share of year-end lists at this point, and anyway, I’ve already made an exhaustive playlist of the year’s best songs. (Seriously. It’s over 8 hours long.)But, on a more personal level, not all of the music that will remind us of this year came out in 2023. Maybe the song that will always trigger the most potent memories of this year was an old one you fell back in love with, a new-to-you discovery or a tune forever linked with an important event.I’d love to hear about your year in music, too. Here is a submission form where you can tell me about an older song that explains your 2023. We may use your response in an upcoming edition of The Amplifier.In the meantime, consider today’s playlist — which features songs by Tia Blake, Jacques Dutronc, the Beatles and more — my own 2023 musical travelogue.Listen along on Spotify as you read.1. John Cale: “Graham Greene”I kicked off my year with a total pinch-me assignment: Traveling to Los Angeles to interview John Cale. That’s only part of the reason this track makes the playlist, though. While I was out there, admittedly under the influence of this song, I realized I’d never read any of Graham Greene’s novels. I stocked up on some used copies of his classics at the Last Bookstore and was almost done with “The End of the Affair” by the time I landed back in New York. Greene’s emotionally immersive novels have been a welcome distraction all year; I currently have about 50 pages left in “The Heart of the Matter” but I keep putting off reading them, because I don’t want the book to end. (Listen on YouTube)2. Jeanette: “¿Porqué Te Vas?”I watch a lot of old movies, and when I discover a director, writer or actor I particularly like, I tend to want to binge their entire filmography. I streamed a bunch of movies by the Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura last year when the Criterion Channel featured an extensive series on him, and when he died this February at age 91, I resumed my binge in memoriam. This also meant revisiting my favorite Saura film, the 1976 drama “Cría Cuervos,” which just may be the best and most visceral movie I’ve ever seen about what it feels like to be a child. This haunting Spanish pop song by the English-born singer Jeanette echoes throughout the film, and I became particularly obsessed with it after my most recent “Cría Cuervos” rewatch. (Listen on YouTube)3. Tia Blake: “Wish I Was a Single Girl Again”I have my dear friend Jenn to thank for introducing me this year to the music of Tia Blake when we were browsing together in a record store, and she spotted a copy of the Georgia-born singer’s 1972 album, “Folksongs & Ballads.” I sought the record out at Jenn’s recommendation and was completely enchanted by Blake’s plaintive voice and the purity of her tone. (Listen on YouTube)4. Liz Phair: “Big Tall Man”Yes, he’s winning! Spinning! This one is in honor of my favorite basketball player and personal role model in good-natured trolling, Joel Embiid, who finally won the N.B.A.’s Most Valuable Player Award this year. I cried alarmingly hard when his little son Arthur trotted out as he accepted the award. Now all he needs to quiet the haters is a championship for the Philadelphia 76ers! (Listen on YouTube)5. The Beatles: “Here, There and Everywhere”With all due respect to the many (many) mixes I compiled for The Amplifier this year, the most important playlist I made in 2023 was the one my sister Chelsea and her now-husband Andrew asked me to make for their wedding party. I was beyond honored, and if I do say so myself, my most ingenious move was including my own parents’ wedding song, “Here, There and Everywhere.” That’s what you get when you call upon a professional playlister. (Listen on YouTube)6. Taylor Swift: “My Tears Ricochet”Ah, 2023: The Year of the Eras Tour. I went in May with my friend Lauren; not to brag, but we have been besties for even longer than Taylor and Abigail have. This is one of those songs I reached for this year when I was really going through it, emotionally speaking, and I needed a little therapeutic wallowing. When she played it live, I hollered along until I was hoarse. (Listen on YouTube)7. Drake: “Know Yourself”In July, I went to Toronto on assignment, pulled an all-nighter to file a story, and then arrived at the airport only to be told that all the flights from Toronto to New York had been canceled … for the next three days. If you flew anywhere at all this summer, you might also recognize this experience as being “very 2023.” So for about 72 strange, liminal hours, I found myself, quite literally, runnin’ through the Six with my woes. This became my personal theme song: I am now convinced it is about walking the length of Spadina Avenue while on hold with an airline. (Listen on YouTube)8. Jacques Dutronc: “Et Moi, et Moi, et Moi”The first rule of travel, at least for Amplifier readers: Always listen to the local radio stations. While on vacation in Belgium this fall, my boyfriend and I found a Brussels station that we played constantly in our hotel. It featured a mix of standard American “classic rock” and whatever the French-speaking version of that format is. Among our discoveries were Laurent Voulzy’s bonkers, bilingual “Rockollection” and this bouncy, absolutely infectious 1966 bop by the French singer Jacques Dutronc. Now every time I want to remember how much fun we had in Belgium, I listen to this song. (Listen on YouTube)9. Elvis Costello & The Attractions: “Every Day I Write the Book”Call the title of this song an … aspirational mantra for my year. I’m currently working on the manuscript of my first book, and man, is it difficult to carve out the time to write a book while working full-time. Or doing, like, anything else in your life. Hats off to any and all who have pulled it off — I look forward to being among your ranks soon. But this was a phrase I sometimes hummed to myself on the many days when I wasn’t able to sit down and work on the book in a more traditional sense. I know every day I’m subconsciously working on it, too: Mulling over research, collecting unexpected bits of inspiration, making connections that will someday emerge on the page. Oh yeah, and I caught one of Elvis Costello’s shows when he played a residency at the Gramercy Theater this February, too. That was awesome. (Listen on YouTube)10. The Marvelettes: “Please Mr. Postman”Deliver the (news)letter, the sooner the better! Hey, you know what else happened in 2023? I started writing The Amplifier. Thanks to each one of you for reading, listening and helping to create such a vibrant community of music lovers. Here’s to 2024. (Listen on YouTube)I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace,LindsayThe Amplifier PlaylistListen on Spotify. We update this playlist with each new newsletter.“10 Songs that Explain My Year” track listTrack 1: John Cale, “Graham Greene”Track 2: Jeanette, “¿Porqué Te Vas?”Track 3: Tia Blake, “Wish I Was a Single Girl Again”Track 4: Liz Phair, “Big Tall Man”Track 5: The Beatles, “Here, There and Everywhere”Track 6: Taylor Swift, “My Tears Ricochet”Track 7: Drake, “Know Yourself”Track 8: Jacques Dutronc, “Et Moi, et Moi, et Moi”Track 9: Elvis Costello & The Attractions, “Every Day I Write the Book”Track 10: The Marvelettes, “Please Mr. Postman”Bonus TracksBack for a moment to music released in 2023: Jon Pareles and I joined Jon Caramanica to get philosophical (and a little silly) about our songs of the year lists. It was the most fun I’ve had on Popcast in a long time. Listen to our conversation here. More

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      in Music

      Chatting About the Best Songs of 2023

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      Subscribe to Popcast!Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicThe New York Times’s pop music critics have some overlap in their taste, but in their annual songs-of-the-year roundup, the differences truly reveal themselves. There are songs from across genres, of course. And naturally, across generations. But sometimes, a song isn’t a “song,” per se — it can come from a movie, or a TikTok, or a commercial, or anywhere else music is deployed. Everyone’s personal soundtrack is unique.That means tracks with pop sheen from Olivia Rodrigo and Central Cee, heartache from PinkPantheress and YoungBoy Never Broke Again, wind-instrument wildness from André 3000, and songs from “The Idol” and “Barbie.” Also featured: Noname, Yo La Tengo, Byron Messia, Kylie Minogue, Lankum and dozens more.On this week’s Popcast, a conversation about the most impressive songs of the year, the difference between a musical event and a song, and whether a best-songs list that excludes music from a critic’s best albums can be considered valid.Guests:Jon Pareles, The New York Times’s chief pop music criticLindsay Zoladz, a pop music critic for The New York Times who writes The Amplifier newsletterConnect With Popcast. Become a part of the Popcast community: Join the show’s Facebook group and Discord channel. We want to hear from you! Tune in, and tell us what you think at popcast@nytimes.com. Follow our host, Jon Caramanica, on Twitter: @joncaramanica. More

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      Readers on the Best Movies, TV, Music and Theater of 2023

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      When our critics shared their top film, TV, pop music and theater picks, readers suggested “Billions,” “The Holdovers,” “Sabbath’s Theater” and others.Every year, our critics review numerous movies, television shows, musicals, plays, operas, dance performances, music and more. And come December, they whittle down their favorites to a list of 10.But what are best-of lists if not an invitation to critique?Here’s a look at readers’ comments across several popular categories.Television | Movies | Theater | Pop MusicCharlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) in Season 2 of “Heartstopper.”NetflixBest TVIn a year when the television industry was turned upside down by strikes, and when corporate fantasies of unlimited growth seemed to find some kind of ceiling, there was still almost too much good stuff to keep up with. Luckily, we have three critics who do that for a living — and luckier still, they offered three different prisms through which to view the year in TV, at home and abroad.Of course, there is no world in which “Succession” and “Reservation Dogs” weren’t each going to appear twice, and our readers seemed OK with that. As for other reader favorites like “Only Murders in the Building” and “The Gilded Age,” maybe next year. (Sorry, “Billions,” your time is up.)Here’s a look at what some of our readers said.Michel Forest of Montreal, Quebec:No love for “Billions”? Come on! Sure, it was cartoonish at times, but it was such a fun show to watch, with great acting and some of the best dialogue on TV. Anyway, I’ll watch anything with Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis, they are such great actors!Jodi Schorb of Gainesville, Fla.:I thought Season Two of “Heartstopper” was honest and adorable. One can only take so many murder-mysteries and moody thrillers. It’s hard to make an earnest comedy, let alone one that treats gay, transgender, straight and (a surprise) asexual protagonists with such tenderness. If we are going to add one rom-com on the list, “Heartstopper” deserves some love.Richard Laible of Winnetka, Ill.:Great list EXCEPT you left off the best show of the year, “Lessons in Chemistry”! You should really send out an edited list … and maybe an apology (j/k).Barry Keoghan stars in “Saltburn.”Amazon StudiosBest Movies“Barbenheimer” signaled a great year for movies, and our critics recognized the “Oppenheimer” half of the phenomenon, along with “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros,” “Past Lives” and others. Readers, on the other hand, questioned the merits of “Asteroid City” and “Oppenheimer,” and named “The Holdovers,” “Anatomy of a Fall” and “Barbie” as favorites.Peter Malbin of New York City:I just saw “Saltburn,” and it was outstanding. Well-acted and original film set in Oxford and an English manor house. The story is entertaining and sexy. Barry Keoghan is brilliant! He was also in “Banshees of Inisherin.” “Saltburn” should be at the top of the lists!Beth Samuelson of Oakland, Calif.:Where is “Maestro” on these lists? A terrific film that should not be missed. And the reviews have been excellent!Charise M. Hoge of Bethesda, Md.:The exclusion of “Barbie” from this list is like putting her back in the box … that powerful (yes, powerful) film deserves recognition.Jill Krupnik of Brooklyn, N.Y.:I am a little surprised that my personal favorite — the wondrous “The Boy and the Heron” — didn’t make even an honorable mention, but here we are.Perhaps Brian Seifert of Cincinnati summed it up best:Critics see a lot of junk, so they like the intense, quality-issue movies that come along. Average people deal with a lot of junk, so they like lighter entertainment to escape and relax. The two groups have never been farther apart.From left, Grey Henson and Ashley D. Kelley in the musical “Shucked.”Sara Krulwich/The New York TimesBest Theater“Purlie Victorious,” “A Doll’s House” and “Just for Us” were among Jesse Green’s picks for the year’s best theater. Many of the plays and musicals that resonated in 2023 deftly married elements of drama and comedy. Our readers pointed out some of the shows that — despite being fan favorites or being beautifully performed — didn’t make our list.Eric Bogosian, the New York actor and playwright, praised “Sabbath’s Theater,” as did several other commenters. “What are you afraid of? Great performances by three of our greatest actors and actresses? Please …,” he wrote.Marcia W. Orange of Fort Lee, N.J.:“Shucked” deserved more love and attention. It was the most original and laugh-out-loud-funny show I have seen in years … even better than “Book of Mormon.” What a pity more people haven’t seen it.Joseph LaFalce of South Orange, N.J.:How can any roundup of the best of 2023 not include the phenomenal “Parade,” including the unique staging and heartbreaking performances by Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond?Raissa Lim of New York City:RIP to the magnificent “Here Lies Love” by David Byrne. It was the best Broadway show I saw this year, and the best theater experience of my life. Never again will Broadway see that same confluence of superb talents come together to create an extraordinary and indescribable experience. It was a brand-new kind of art form, not the standard narrative theater audiences have come to expect, so perhaps the wrong standards were sometimes applied when assessing it. Its minor narrative weaknesses were more than offset by other elements such as video artistry, lighting, set design, music, choreography — making for an overall spectacular whole. I’m sorry for those obstinate souls who didn’t see it for their own obscure reasons. They missed a once-in-a-lifetime experience (that does NOT glorify the Marcoses but instead pays tribute to a true hero). Indeed, perhaps bovine audiences get what they deserve when flying cars and dancing lions beat out truly groundbreaking artistic excellence at the box office.Caroline Polachek at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July.Valentin Flauraud/Keystone, via Associated PressBest Pop MusicOne of the albums that had the biggest impact in 2023 actually came out at the tail end of 2022: SZA’s “SOS.” Between their albums and song lists, our three pop music critics agreed “SOS” was one of the year’s best, along with LPs from Olivia Rodrigo and 100 gecs. Beyond that, their tastes widely diverged from one another — and, it turns out, from our readers’. (Michael Hasse, a reader in Paris, created this helpful Spotify playlist with albums recommended in the comments.)Roddy P Glass of London:I will add my vote to “Now and Then,” though secretly, in the quiet of my heart, I know it comes nowhere near the standard the Beatles have always given us: perfection.”Penny Beach of Boise, Idaho:Where is Noah Kahan? Definitely should be on this list.Charles Grissom of Raleigh, N.C.:I know these lists are about pop music, and that is driven by 20-somethings. But Jimmy Buffett’s posthumous 2023 album “Equal Strain on All Parts” is wonderful music and storytelling, and the song “Portugal or PEI” is an absolute gem.Patrick Tierney of Louisville, Ky.:I love these lists but [Lindsay] Zoladz’s in particular. Rodrigo, Polachek, and Debby Friday all made my top 10 and show how much the present and future of pop/rock/dance music is led by creative young women. I’d add to the group three very different artists — yeule, Die Spitz, Avalon Emerson — that made this a great year for new music.Scott McGlasson of Minneapolis, Minn.:None of my faves of the year were even mentioned: Tim Hecker, the Necks, the National, Blonde Redhead, PJ Harvey. I know, I’m old and not a music critic…John Franz of East Bangor, Pa.:I was shocked to see some songs and performers I’ve actually heard of. Peter Gabriel’s album is brilliant. Not sure if the new Stones album is their best work. I found Dolly’s album hilarious; she’s a gem who I never listened to much before this new album. That’s about it. Seems to me that any song from the Tedeschi Trucks album should be on the list. Kenny Wayne Shepherd. And how about Jason Isbell’s great new album.Dan Cain of Washington, D.C.:I vote for Yo La Tengo’s “This Stupid World.” Best album in a while from one of the founding bands of indie rock. Just listen to the first 30 seconds of the opening track, ideally at a very loud volume. It’s great.Paul Kevin Smith of Austin, Texas:I don’t know why she doesn’t get more attention, but Jessie Ware’s “Begin Again” was a perfect pop/disco song released this year.And we’ll leave the last words to John Weston of Chicago:So many comments here seem to rest on the idea that musical progress ended when John Bonham died, Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed, the Beatles broke up, the Big Bopper died, or Chuck Berry or Bessie Smith (let’s be honest, none of y’all would have cared when she died … like most of the world at the time), when “The Rite of Spring” was first performed, when Beethoven finished his Ninth Symphony or with Liszt’s use of the tritone in “Dante Sonata” (how dare he!).To all of those such commenters and thinkers, I shall quote the one and only Bob Dylan (referenced by many on this thread):Mothers and fathers throughout the land/Don’t criticize what you can’t understand/Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command/Your old road is rapidly aging/Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend a hand/For the times they are a changin’. More