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Best Songs Of The Year (So Far) Puzzler

"Vengo" by Ana Tijoux is one of NPR Music's favorite songs of the year (so far).
Courtesy of the artist
"Vengo" by Ana Tijoux is one of NPR Music's favorite songs of the year (so far).

The year is half over and that means NPR Music and our public radio partners have been obsessing over our favorite songs of the year so far. The full list of 50 songs makes a potent stew ranging from power pop and brash hip-hop to electro-fueled dance music and intimate portraits from jazz vocalists, classical guitarists and folk troubadours.

To test your level of geekitude, or if you're simply game to discover a recent crop of excellent songs, try this puzzler crafted from our list of 50 favorites. Score high and breathe the air of self-confidence. Score low and feel the cold sweat of embarrassment on your brow. In any case, prepare for more than a few terrific discoveries.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tom Huizenga is a producer for NPR Music. He contributes a wide range of stories about classical music to NPR's news programs and is the classical music reviewer for All Things Considered. He appears regularly on NPR Music podcasts and founded NPR's classical music blog Deceptive Cadence in 2010.