Our no. 1 songs: 2018

Summary

All Songs Considered (NPR)

Episode: Our No. 1 Songs: 2018

Date: November 17, 2025
Hosts: Robin Hilton, Stephen Thompson

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson celebrate NPR Music’s 25th anniversary by looking back at their top songs from 2018. Using the show’s signature blend of music discovery, friendly competition, and thoughtful commentary, they discuss their favorite tracks, reflect on the cultural impact of these songs, and explore what made 2018 a uniquely resonant year in music. The episode is packed with snippets of the year’s most significant tracks and rich analysis touching on themes of innovation, social commentary, and genre experimentation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. “Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monáe

[01:04–02:41]

• Stephen chooses “Make Me Feel” as his 2018 pick, immediately recognized by Robin as “a great pick.”
• Janelle Monáe’s Artistic Evolution: They highlight how her 2018 album was a “great leveling up and this great mission statement for Janelle Monae as this remarkably inventive, versatile…polymath actor, singer, shape shifting musical superstar.” (Stephen, 02:01)
• Prince’s Influence: The duo reflects on the “huge reservoir of love for Prince” (Stephen, 02:17) that still lingered after his death in 2016, noting the song’s “perfect timing.”

2. “This Is America” by Childish Gambino (Donald Glover)

[03:00–06:44]

• Robin’s pick is the seismic “This Is America,” a song Stephen admits he also considered.
• Cultural Impact: Robin reflects on his initial underestimation of Glover as “just a comedian to me and a very sharp, sharp wit, very funny, smart guy. And then this comes out and you realize, oh, these waters go very, very deep.” (Robin, 04:57)
• Addressing Urgent Issues: Both hosts acknowledge how the song “really spoke to a lot of people and spoke to the moment in ways…people are looking for music that is speaking to this moment in maybe the same way.” (Stephen, 05:20)
• Memorable Reaction: Robin recounts watching viral reaction videos: “people are going, like, yeah, yeah. What? Oh, my God, yeah.” (Robin, 06:17)

3. “Quiet” by MILCK

[08:42–10:05]

• Robin spotlights MILCK’s “Quiet,” noting its viral flash mob performance during the 2017 Women’s March, though the recording was released in 2018.
• Theme of Empowerment: Robin calls it “a song that just really resonated back then and I think still does.” (Robin, 10:04)

4. Kacey Musgraves’ “Golden Hour”

[10:18–11:53]

• Stephen highlights Musgraves’ 2018 Grammy-winning album Golden Hour as “the culmination of her rise.”
• Blurring Genre Lines: Stephen notes, “calling that a country album is a stretch. You know, it is a psychedelic folk record in a lot of ways, but kind of a perfect record that really summed up a lot of what she’d been trying to do.” (Stephen, 11:38)

5. Foxwarren’s “Everything Apart”

[11:53–14:03]

• Robin selects Foxwarren’s debut, led by Andy Shauf, especially the track “Everything Apart.”
• Musical Complexity: Robin loves “all these little sonic flourishes and cool sounds to get lost in…this song in particular, I think, it’s got a pretty wild beat…like two different things happening at the same time.” (Robin, 13:02)
• Comeback Note: He enthusiastically notes Foxwarren’s return after seven years.
• Rapid-fire Mentions: Robin and Stephen quickly list other notables: Tierra Whack (“Pet Sematary”), Meg Myers (“Tear Me to Pieces”), Robyn (“Missing U”).

6. Lucy Dacus’ “Night Shift”

[14:03–15:13]

• Stephen calls out “Night Shift,” with Robin (and both hosts) agreeing it’s a fitting close.
• Emotional Resonance: The hosts let the track play out, signifying the emotional punch and lasting impact of Dacus’ songwriting.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Janelle Monáe’s Prince Vibe:
  “Tap[ped] into a little bit of the huge reservoir of love for Prince that everyone was still feeling in the aftermath of his death.”
  —Stephen Thompson, [02:17]

• On Donald Glover’s Depth:
  “Then this comes out and you realize, oh, these waters go very, very deep.”
  —Robin Hilton, [04:57]

• On “This Is America”:
  “It is impossible for us to really have an adequate conversation about this one song in just a couple of minute exchange…a staggering, important work of art on so many different levels.”
  —Robin Hilton, [03:46]

• On MILCK’s “Quiet”:
  “A song that just really resonated back then and I think still does.”
  —Robin Hilton, [10:04]

• On Kacey Musgraves:
  “Calling that a country album is a stretch. You know, it is a psychedelic folk record in a lot of ways, but kind of a perfect record that really summed up a lot of what she’d been trying to do.”
  —Stephen Thompson, [11:38]

• On 2018’s Richness:
  “Not a bad year for music. No. We could just keep going here, but this is a good one to end on from Lucy Dacus.”
  —Robin Hilton, [15:00]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:15: Episode introduction
• 01:04–02:41: Janelle Monáe’s “Make Me Feel” discussion
• 03:00–06:44: Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” discussion
• 08:42–10:05: MILCK’s “Quiet” and its resonance
• 10:18–11:53: Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour
• 11:53–14:03: Foxwarren and 2018 honorable mentions
• 14:03–15:13: Lucy Dacus’ “Night Shift” as a closer

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Additional Notes

• The hosts’ dynamic is playful and nostalgic, maintaining NPR’s signature warmth and musical curiosity.
• Their selections reflect songs not just with musical merit but deep cultural relevance and emotional impact.
• The episode leans into the challenges of summing up an entire year in a handful of songs, reinforcing how prolific and genre-blending 2018 was.

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Conclusion

“All Songs Considered: Our No. 1 Songs: 2018” is a rich, heartfelt walk through a transformative year in music, deftly balancing in-depth analysis with the emotional pull of songs that defined the American cultural moment. Robin and Stephen highlight not only the hits but also the stories, surprises, and societal shifts that made 2018 unforgettable for music lovers.

Transcript

[Announcer]

This message comes from Jackson. Seek clarity in retirement [e-mail] Jackson is short for Jackson Financial, Inc. Jackson National Life Insurance Company, Lansing, Michigan and Jackson National Life Insurance Company of New York, Purchase, New York.

[Robin Hilton]

It's all songs considered. I'm Robin Hilton and all year long we've been celebrating our 25th anniversary by looking back at our number one songs from across the years. We're doing a different year each week. Stephen Thompson here. Hey, Stephen.

[Stephen Thompson]

Hello, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

So we are up to 2018 and we've been playing a little bit of Name that Tune. We each play a song for each other and we see if the other person can remember it. I think you mentioned at some point along the way here, hopefully it will be recent enough that it won't be that hard for us to guess what it is. We are up to 2018 and I'm, I think I might know what you're going to play, but why don't you go ahead and tee it up and hit it and I'll see if I've got it right.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, man, there's a lot to choose from this year. I'm going to go with this one.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

All right. It's Prince.

[Stephen Thompson]

You're right.

[Robin Hilton]

Janelle Monae.

[Stephen Thompson]

Correct.

[Robin Hilton]

But I can't get the song.

[Stephen Thompson]

You'll definitely get it. You'll get it before the chorus.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

Try for you yeah baby, don't make me spell it out for you. You keep on asking me the same questions why? And second guessing all my int.

[Stephen Thompson]

Know.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

By the way I use my compression did you get the answers to my confessions?

[Robin Hilton]

Make me feel.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

That'S just the way you.

[Robin Hilton]

What a great pick.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, my gosh. This record, and remember this album came out, you know, in the first half of 2018. Prince died in 2016. And I think it was able to tap into not only this great leveling up and this great mission statement for Janelle Monae as this remarkably inventive, versatile, kind of polymath actor, singer, shape shifting musical superstar. But it also tapped into a little bit of the huge reservoir of love for Prince that everyone was still feeling in the aftermath of his death.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, there hadn't even been like, what, like a year and a half.

[Stephen Thompson]

Year and a half. And so I think in many ways this was like the perfect album at the perfect time.

[Robin Hilton]

I thought you might go with the one that I'm gonna end up playing now since you didn't do it and.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, I think I know where you might go with this.

[Robin Hilton]

Okay, let's see.

[Stephen Thompson]

Childish Gambino. This is America, the other song I was considering for this moment.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

We.

[Robin Hilton]

This is America don't got you slipping, though don't catch you slipping look what I'm whipping up this is America don't catch you slipping now don't got you slipping now look what I'm whipping on this is America don't got you slipping off look how I'm living off Police be tripping off yeah this is America Guns in my area I got the strap hey. We've been talking along the way, as we've been going through each year, about how impossible it is for us to be remotely comprehensive. No, about all the great stuff that's coming out and all the important stuff. I would say that it is impossible for us to really have an adequate conversation about this one song in just a couple of minute exchange, you know, about it, because it, to me, is just a staggering, important work of art on so many different levels. But I remember when this came out, you know, Donald Glover, who's Childish Gambino. I had just spent however many years watching him.

[Stephen Thompson]

I'm on Community on the TV show Community Atlanta. Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

And just hilarious, right? He's so funny. A lot of the rap and stuff that he had done was always full of all these jokes. It was like. I never really took him very seriously as a musician or an artist in that way. He was just a comedian to me and a very sharp, sharp wit, very funny, smart guy. And then this comes out and you realize, oh, these waters go very, very deep.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

And it's.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's another song, kind of like the Janelle Monae, where the timing of it. Yeah, that came out in 2018, you know, amid very turbulent times in America. And that song, I think, really spoke to a lot of people and spoke to the moment in ways that I think. I think a lot of people right now are looking for music that is speaking to this moment in maybe the same way. And it's hard to find, at least in what passes for the monoculture.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. And. Well, in the vision that he had in the song, there are so many different things that he sort of takes on in this one song, from, you know, poverty to violence to guns and everything. All those really big, massive topics that he takes on and just the clarity of vision that he has through this whole thing. And I think it's safe to say that everyone was really surprised by this. And I have seen online videos of people watching the video for this and reacting like people are going, like, yeah, yeah. What? Oh, my God, yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

Reaction videos. Oh, boy.

[Robin Hilton]

All right. We'll take a quick break here and then talk about some of the other stuff that takes us back to 2018.

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[Stephen Thompson]

Good design is never just about aesthetics. It's about intention, safety and impact.

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[Robin Hilton]

So Stephen, when we were talking about the Childish Gambino song, you talked about how, you know, that really spoke to the Times when it came out. 2018 was also the year that Milk, the singer Milk, released the song Quiet.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

But no one knows me no one ever will if I don't taste something if I just lie still Would I be that monster Scare them all.

[Stephen Thompson]

If.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

I let them hear what I have to say I can't keep quiet oh I can't keep quiet oh I can't.

[Robin Hilton]

Keep quiet so if you remember, this was a song, it had this really big viral moment in 2017, a year earlier when Milk and a whole bunch of other people sang it. Sort of a flash mob singing the song on the national mall here in D.C. during the Women's March.

[Stephen Thompson]

But that came out in 2018.

[Robin Hilton]

But she ended up releasing it in 2018. It was on the album this Is not the End from Milk. And, yeah, a song that just really resonated back then and I think still does. But what else were you thinking for 2018?

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, it's also. We haven't mentioned. I mean, we've mentioned her in previous years, but Casey Musgraves put out Golden Hour in 2018, ended up winning album of the Year at the Grammys. Was kind of the culmination of her rise, you know, just kind of putting out this brilliant, incisive country music that really reached well beyond country.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

I used to get sad and lonely when the sun went down. But it's different now. Cause I love the light that I found in you. Baby, don't you know that you. You're my golden hour. The color of my sky. You set my world on fire. I know, I know everything's going to be all right. You make the world look beautiful.

[Stephen Thompson]

Like calling that a country album is a stretch. You know, it is a psychedelic folk record in a lot of ways, but kind of a perfect record that really summed up a lot of what she'd been trying to do.

[Robin Hilton]

Another one of my personal favorites from 2018 was the debut album from Foxhorn. It was a self titled album. It had that song Everything apart.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

Everything would be exactly according to plan. If I could find someone who can. If I could find someone who can. Everything would be exactly according to plan. If I could find someone who can. If I could find someone who can keep it.

[Robin Hilton]

All.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

With Falling P.

[Announcer]

This.

[Robin Hilton]

Is a band fronted by Andy Schouf. Oh, sure. Just all these little sonic flourishes and cool sounds to get lost in the song and across the album. This song in particular, I think it's got a pretty wild beat. I think it might be 3, 4 set against 4, 4. It's like two different things happening at the same time. Yeah, I love this one so much. And you know, as the years passed, it was starting to look like we weren't going to get any more music from Fox Warren, that this was just sort of a one off thing. But then this year they came back with their second album. It's just called Two. Seven Years after the first one was very excited for it. A whole bunch of other stuff I could mention from 2018. Tierra Wack's pet sematary, Meg Myers had that song Tear Me to Pieces. I really loved Right Robin Robyn had the song Missing youg from her first new album in eight years. At that point, it had been eight years since her previous album and she just announced her first new song in seven years just this past week. We could just keep going, but what else?

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh my God. Lucy Dacus, night Shift oh gosh.

[Robin Hilton]

That was. Oh yeah. That was 2018. Sure was. Oh yeah.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

You've got a nine to five. So I'll take the night shift.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

And.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

I'll never see you again if I can help it. In five years. I hope the songs feel like covers dedicated to new lovers you got a mind to. So I'll take the night shift.

[Robin Hilton]

Not a bad year for music. No. We could just keep going here, but this is a good one to end on from Lucy Dacus. But until next time, Stephen, when we talk about 2019, thanks as always.

[Stephen Thompson]

Thank you, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

And for NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's All Songs Considered.

[Guest Singer/Performer]

Songs feel like covers dedicated to new love.

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