The Death Cab for Cutie frontman recently released his first solo album, which he says spans eight years, three relationships and two hometowns' worth of songwriting.

The singer helped upend the sound of R&B in the 1990s, when she was just a teenager. She also made a powerful and inspiring friend in Whitney Houston.

The famous Beatle was known for writing notes that often contained funny drawings and self portraits. Now, Hunter Davies has gathered those letters into a collection that tells the story of Lennon's life, from a note written to his aunt at 10, to one written minutes before his murder.

An NPR listener spent a chunk of his childhood making the journey from "Back in the U.S.S.R." to "Good Night," playing his father's copy of The Beatlesover and over. The album was destroyed, but the son's love for music and for his father remain to this day.