Our No. 1 songs: 2006

Summary

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All Songs Considered – “Our No. 1 songs: 2006”

Host: Robin Hilton
Co-Host: Stephen Thompson
Date: August 25, 2025

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Episode Overview

This celebratory episode marks the 25th anniversary of NPR's All Songs Considered and revisits the show’s personal top picks for the year 2006. Rather than conventional chart-toppers, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson highlight the songs that left a lasting impact on All Songs Considered and defined what the show has been about—discovering meaningful, resonant music. Through nostalgia, stories behind iconic performances, and influential records, the hosts reflect on 2006’s creative landscape and its connection to the show’s evolving spirit.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Beginnings of Tiny Desk and Laura Gibson [01:16 – 04:19]

• Tiny Desk’s Origins: The hosts discuss the seminal influence of Laura Gibson, whose performance became the very first Tiny Desk concert in 2008, yet featured a song from her 2006 album.

  • “No one was really thinking at first with Laura Gibson, it was, let’s just bring Laura Gibson. It wasn’t like, let’s start this series and we’ll call it Tiny Desk. No one was thinking that yet. We were just sort of having fun… What if she had said no?” — Robin Hilton [03:17]
  • Stephen reflects, “If she had said no, we probably never would have done it.” [03:43]

• Song Highlight: “Hands in Pockets” by Laura Gibson

  • Stephen chose this as his musical representation for how serendipity and personal connections made Tiny Desk what it is.
  • “This is the first song ever played at the Tiny Desk…And I fell in love with this record when it came out. Honestly, every song, I could have dropped the needle almost anywhere.” — Stephen Thompson [02:19]

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2. Robin’s 2006 Pick: “Dr. Blind” by Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton [04:56 – 07:28]

• Personal Impact: Robin selects “Dr. Blind” by Emily Haines as his standout song for 2006, celebrating its haunting, exhausted beauty.

  • “Emily Haynes and the Soft Skeleton…She continues to be a force. I love solo Emily Haines, maybe even more than Metric, because she’s just able to tap into this exhaustion in her voice that doesn’t always come through in Metric stuff. This record is so good.” — Stephen Thompson [06:24]

• Why the Song Matters: Both hosts point out Haines’ ability to convey vulnerability and depth outside her band Metric, recommending the album Knives Don’t Have Your Back for deeper exploration.

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3. “Falling Slowly” and the Story Behind Its Success [09:53 – 12:56]

• Glenn Hansard & Markéta Irglová: Stephen highlights “Falling Slowly,” first released in 2006 and later renowned for its Oscar-winning turn in the film Once.

  • “The song didn’t become enormously popular and successful until 2007. But it came out in an earlier form in 2006 and just absolutely knocked me over.” — Stephen Thompson [09:53]
  • They recount the unusual path to Oscar eligibility and the emotional significance of this song both for themselves and its creators.

• Memorable Oscar Moment:

  • “He put the statue in the air like a raised fist and said, ‘Make art.’ …One of the few years where a truly, truly great song wins an Oscar for Best Original Song.” — Robin Hilton [11:49]
  • Stephen admits, “When that song won the Oscar in 2008, I jumped around like the Packers just won the Super Bowl.” [12:08]
  • They recall Markéta Irglová's own speech after being brought back on stage, a rare and inspiring Oscar memory.

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4. Rapid-Fire Remembrances: Other Standout 2006 Releases [12:56 – 16:00]

• The episode turns to quick acknowledgments of other major releases and favorites from 2006 that shaped the year and the show’s taste:
  • The Decemberists – “The Crane Wife” [13:02]
    • “Oh, this is the year of the Crane Wife.” — Stephen Thompson [13:01]
  • Amy Winehouse – “Rehab” [13:54]
    • “We got Amy Winehouse. Oh, my gosh, we’re gonna rehab. That track came out that year.” — Robin Hilton [13:54]
  • Grizzly Bear – “Veckatimest” (mispronounced but fondly remembered)
  • The Raconteurs – “Steady as She Goes” [16:00 – 17:17]
    • Noted as an emblematic rock collaboration between Brendan Benson and Jack White following the White Stripes breakup.
    • “But when he paired up with Jack White from the White Stripes for this project…it was incredible. The Raconteurs, ‘Steady as She Goes’ from ‘Broken Boy Soldiers’.” — Robin Hilton [16:38]
    • “Phenomenal song.” — Stephen Thompson [16:51]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tiny Desk’s Accidental Origins:

  • “That ended up being sort of a proof of concept that we weren’t even anticipating. But when it went so well, then we were like, well, let’s keep doing it.” — Robin Hilton [03:45]

• On Artistic Authenticity:

  • “She’s just able to, like, tap into this exhaustion in her voice that doesn’t always come through in Metric stuff.” — Stephen Thompson [06:24]

• On the Power of Recognition:

  • “There is such a great feeling to have a song that you love more than anything be celebrated in that way. And then for him to crush the moment.” — Stephen Thompson [12:26]

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Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Highlight | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:30 | Introduction and brief history of the podcast | | 01:16 | Stephen picks Laura Gibson and reflects on the first Tiny Desk | | 04:56 | Robin selects Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton’s “Dr. Blind” | | 09:53 | Stephen shares the story of “Falling Slowly” and its emotional legacy | | 13:02 | The Decemberists – “The Crane Wife” | | 13:54 | Amy Winehouse – “Rehab” | | 16:00 | The Raconteurs – “Steady as She Goes” wraps up the musical reminiscences |

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Episode Conclusion

The conversation pulses with deep admiration for the creative spirit of 2006 and is peppered with anecdotes about music discovery, the humble origins of Tiny Desk, and the joy of seeing beloved songs celebrated on the biggest stages. For longtime listeners and newcomers alike, this episode is a celebration of music’s power to shape memories and communities—All Songs Considered style.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Stephen Thompson]

I remember when I remember I remember.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

When I lost my mind. All right.

[Robin Hilton]

It's All Songs Considered. I'm Robin Hilton. Stephen Thompson, as always here. Stephen, welcome.

[Stephen Thompson]

Hello, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

So if you're new to the show, it's NPR's long running Music Discovery podcast. We're actually celebrating our 25th anniversary. We started as a podcast in 2005, but we were an online only streaming music program starting in January of 2000. We're talking about our number one songs from each of the past years. And you know, as a reminder, these are not the number one songs from the Billboard charts or the most ubiquitous or even the most defining songs of each year. These are the songs that helped define all songs considered, specifically the show and the songs that sort of take us back and that meant a lot to us. On this episode. We're talking about the year 2006. Steven, where do you want to start?

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, one of the things that we've talked about in these segments is sometimes we'll talk about, you know, quote unquote, a song that started it all. You know, we kicked off the 2000 segment. You played the first piece of music that was ever played on All Songs Considered. I'm gonna play a different song that started a wonderful tradition.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Up with the sunrise, you'll be staring out through the window.

[Robin Hilton]

So it's Laura Gibson. I'm blanking on the song name, but she did it when she did the first ever Tiny Desk.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Shadow cast on the covers your bed Give me another waking moment Shine against the solemn grave Tell me seasons almost stolen. I can wait.

[Stephen Thompson]

This is the first song ever played at the Tiny desk. Yeah, in 2008. But the song is from a Laura Gibson record from 2006 called if youf Come to Greet Me. And I fell in love with this record when it came out. And really every song on this record, I could have dropped the needle almost anywhere. But Hands in Pockets was kind of the in a way, it's like the single and it's how she led her.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Tiny Desk concert out along the solemn gray. Tell me the seasons are most over I can wa.

[Robin Hilton]

And how incredible that she even agreed to come and play the Tiny Desk. We've been thinking a lot about the history of the Tiny Desk lately. And one of the things that I keep thinking about is the fact that there were so many things that had to sort of fall in place. No one was really thinking at first with Laura Gibson, it was, let's just bring Laura Gibson. It wasn't like, let's start this series and we'll call it Tiny Desk. No one was thinking that yet. We were just sort of having fun. And what if she had said no?

[Stephen Thompson]

If she had said no, we probably never would have done it.

[Robin Hilton]

That would have been the end of it, because it ended up being sort of a proof of concept that we weren't even anticipating. But when it went so well, then we were like, well, let's keep doing it. So we brought Big Chestnut in, and then.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, yeah, you brought the. I asked the first person to the tiny desk. You asked the second person to the tiny desk when you brought Vic Chestnut.

[Robin Hilton]

I remember Bob and I were sitting there and he said, if this was a series, what would we call it? Because I knew he'd been in a band called Tiny Desk Unit. And I said, well, what if we called it Tiny Desk Concerts?

[Stephen Thompson]

We had no idea.

[Robin Hilton]

No idea. We were just total. We were just having fun. And then this thing happened.

[Stephen Thompson]

But I will say, even from Laura Gibson, I definitely had the sense, like, oh, this is beautiful.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. Well, back in 2016, we did a version of the show where we talked about 16 number one songs from our first 16 years. The song we picked for 2006 for that show was Fidelity by Regina Spector, which is incredible. I have no problem picking that as a number one song from that year, but this is the one I'm gonna go with. And I think there's a pretty good chance that you're gonna know what it is, but I'm not sure how many other people will.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, I know what this is.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

The lack of light Hollow sea poison beaches lim toothless dentist coughs that kill My baby's got the lonesome lows don't quite go away overnight doctor Blind, just prescribe the blue ones.

[Stephen Thompson]

Emily Haynes from Metric. The song is. Oh, is this Dr. Blind?

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Yeah, Dr. Blind, just prescribe. Describe the red one.

[Robin Hilton]

Dr. Blind by Emily Haynes from her album Knives don't have your back.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, my God.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Emily Haynes and the soft Skeleton.

[Stephen Thompson]

She's. And Metric's still putting out records. She continues to be a force. I love solo Emily Haynes, maybe even more than Metric, because she's just able to, like, tap into this exhaustion in her voice that doesn't always come through in Metric stuff. This record is so good.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

My baby's got lonesome lows don't quite go away overnight. Dr. Blind just prescribed describe the blue ones if the dizzying highs don't subside overnight.

[Robin Hilton]

So again, that's Emily Haynes and the soft skeleton. The song Dr. Blind from the album Knives don't have your back. Whole record worth revisiting. Let's just take a quick break here, and when we come back, we'll talk about some of the other songs that.

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[Robin Hilton]

Take us back to 2006. We're talking about our number one songs from 2006 as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of all Songs Considered and look back at some of the music that's mattered most to us in the show over the years. Stephen, what else do you want to play?

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, well, I'm gonna this is gonna sound like a cheat because the song didn't become enormously popular and successful until 2007. But it came out in an earlier form in 2006 and just absolutely knocked me over.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, yeah. Falling SL.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

I don't know you But I want you all the more for.

[Robin Hilton]

That.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Words fall through me and always fool me.

[Robin Hilton]

So Marquet Araglova and Glenn Hanser. So I didn't realize that this came out before the film Once and everything came out.

[Stephen Thompson]

So Once unfolded over the course of several years making that film. It was a very low budget movie, and Glenn Hansard and Marketa Erglova had been working on songs for it in the years leading up to it. Glenn Hansard in particular started kind of performing this song in concerts and actually put it on a record that the two of them did together the year before. Once came out and it's billed to Glenn Hansard and Marketa Erglova. And when Once was submitted for Oscar consideration, they had to prove to the. To the Academy, we really wrote this song for this movie, even though we put it on this album we put out last year. This should be eligible for the Best Original Song Oscar. Covering the calendar year 2000 and 22,007. This song finally won an Oscar in 2008.

[Robin Hilton]

Right? Yeah. Do you remember what he said when.

[Stephen Thompson]

He won Make Art?

[Robin Hilton]

Make art. Why, I remember that so vividly. I knew you would too. He put the statue in the air like a raised fist and said, make Art. And I thought, one of the few years where a truly, truly great song wins an Oscar for Best Original Song.

[Stephen Thompson]

So many bad songs have won Best Original Song.

[Robin Hilton]

Not that year.

[Stephen Thompson]

You should have seen me. I had felt this deep emotional connection to Glen Hansard's music, to that song, to the frames. And when that song won the Oscar in 2008, I jumped around like the packers just won the Super Bowl.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

No feeling like it. It is such a great feeling to have a song that you love more than anything be celebrated in that way. And then for him to crush the moment. And if you remember, he gives this great speech. She's about to start speaking. They get played off and they bring her back. Well, Marketa Eriglova didn't get to talk, so we're gonna let her finish her speech. And then off the cuff, she gives another amazing speech. Really? Maybe my favorite Oscars memory.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, we're gonna say this probably every time we do one of these segments, that there are so many things that we could pick. The Decembrists.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, this is the year of the.

[Robin Hilton]

Crane wife the Crane wife came out.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

And under the bows unbough all clothed in A snowy shroud she had no heart so hardened all under the bows and bow.

[Robin Hilton]

We got Amy Winehouse. Oh, my gosh, we're gonna rehab. That. That track came out that year.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

They tried to make me go to rehab. I said, no, no, no yes, I've been black but when I come back, you no, no, no, I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine Just try to make me go to rehab I won't go, go, go.

[Robin Hilton]

Grizzly bears. I think it's Becca Timus. I listened to it so much, and I don't know that I ever really knew how to say it. Becca Timus, that came out that same year. But here's one that I know we both love, and I thought for sure you were gonna pick it. And this can be the last one that we play for 2006. Oh, come on, Stephen. You love this ban.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, oh. Is this the Raconteurs?

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Yeah. Oh.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Brendan Benson.

[Stephen Thompson]

Brendan Benson. By the way, we didn't play any Brendan Benson songs from the years that his. Some of his great music came out.

[Robin Hilton]

But when he paired up with Jack White from the White Stripes for this project, and it was one of the first things that Jack White did after the White Stripes broke up. Oh, God, this was incredible. This was the Rockin tour. Steady as she Goes from Broken Boy Soldiers.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

Phenomenal song.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

But no matter what you do, you'll always feel as though mixed and found some daddy as she goes. All right.

[Robin Hilton]

So much more we could play, but we'll go out on this one. Thanks, Stephen.

[Stephen Thompson]

Thank you, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

And for NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's all songs considered.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Then you'll get along Then you'll get along Steady as you go oh daddy as you go. Well, here we go again. You found yourself a friend that knows you well.

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