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Armatrading's career spans nearly 35 years, but she's rarely stayed in the same genre for long. The singer has released 18 albums spanning folk, pop, rock, jazz and beyond, often within a single disc. Her new Into the Blues finds her delving into the blues.

In the 1950s Dickie Goodman took bits of pop songs, cut them up like a collage with voices telling wacky stories of flying saucers and gave birth to a new form of novelty records. Goodman continued making these records until the late 1980s and they became small time capsules of culture. Jon Goodman has an appreciation of the "King of Novelty." (6:15) Jon Goodman's book is called The King of Novelty. Jon Goodman's CD of novelty tunes is called 25 All-time Novelty Hits and includes some of Dickie Goodman's work. See http://www.varesesarabande.com.

The Corcoran Gallery in Washington DC is currently running the first major retrospective of Rivers' work. It's on display through August 19, 2002 and covers five decades of output. He's been called the father of Pop Art, and is considered one of the most important artists in the figurative tradition. Rivers was part of a loosely knit association of poets and painters who were young, poor and ambitious in New York in the 1950's. Rivers also was a jazz saxophonist, he appeared on camera and stage, did heavy drugs, and had an unashamed interest in sexuality that went from unconventional entanglements with both sexes to conventional participation in marriage and family life. This interview first aired June 12, 2001.

Neko Case grew up in Tacoma, Wash., attended art school in Vancouver and performs and records with the Canadian pop-rock band The New Pornographers. As a solo artist, her music has often tended to be more influenced by country and folk music. Her new CD, Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, is her fourth studio album. Our music critic says it contains some of her most complex and beautiful music to date.

Jane and Michael Stern travel America's byways and backroads in search of the perfect meal. But they don't look in places with linen napkins and long wine lists. They prefer Mom-and-Pop joints, diners and roadside barbecue stands.

Michael Jackson has been declared innocent of child molestation by a California jury, ending a dramatic case that has drawn massive media coverage and interest from the pop singer's fans.

In terms of pop hits, the shadow of 2013 fell over most of 2014. But for NPR Music's Stephen Thompson, there were plenty of winners this year as well.

This week on Alt.Latino: a survey of the soft and airy, from Cuban remixes to fluffy Mexican pop.

Despite pop and hip-hop dominating the charts, R&B is kept alive by artists like Jasmine Sullivan, Summer Walker, and Brent Faiyaz.

The last show of the pop icon's "Celebration" retrospective tour brought over a million and a half fans to Rio de Janeiro's famed Copacabana Beach on Saturday night.