A drop is the moment in a dance track when tension is released and the beat kicks in. NPR Music's Sami Yenigun presents the five best dance floor moments of 2010.

There isn't a more knowledgeable source for contemporary folk music on the web than Folk Alley. Host Elena See clues us in to the best music she heard all year.

This year marked the 200th anniversaries of the births of two piano giants: Frederic Chopin and Robert Schumann. The dates sparked numerous recordings of their music. WGUC's Robin Gehl picks the top releases.

Jazz24 music director Nick Francis selects his favorite reissues of the year, featuring Miles Davis, Tito Puente, Stan Getz and Kenny Barron and more.

The founder of the Los Angeles record label Stones Throw has been picking through crates of old records his entire life, so he knows a good reissue when he hears one. Here are the five best he encountered in 2010.

Minnesota Public Radio's The Current broadcasts a weekly show that charts the hottest songs on its airwaves, with the best ones entering the station's Hall of Fame. Host Mark Wheat highlights five 2010 songs that have already been enshrined.

It's been a banner year for musical side projects. Technology has made recording and distributing albums easier than ever, and several big names took advantage in 2010. WFUV's Rita Houston picks her favorites.

The emergence of more indie classical labels and self-produced, high-quality CDs is a reminder that American music is doing just fine. Hear a list of the year's best new classical recordings.

The West's discussion of African music often revolves around the continent's well-known living legends, like Toumani Diabate and King Sunny Ade. Here, KEXP's Jon Kertzer highlights some young and emerging artists who made names for themselves this year.

Los Angeles spawned a ton of remarkable music in 2010, and no one knows L.A. better than NPR station KCRW. Music director and Morning Becomes Eclectic host Jason Bentley selects his cream of the SoCal crop.