Every season of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts!

Laura Gibson works through a handful of tenderhearted songs: two of them unreleased and two of them from her full-length debut, If You Come to Greet Me.

Laura Gibson

When Athens, Ga., songwriter Vic Chesnutt was on tour in support of his album, “North Star Deserter,” he stopped by NPR to perform live at All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen's desk. Chesnutt played five songs, including two entirely new ones.

Vic Chesnutt

The music of Sam Phillips unfolds like perfect, miniature pop dramas. Of all her incarnations as a performer — first as a Christian singer, then as a pop singer — the current Sam Phillips is one of the most alluring. Phillips performs four songs from “Don't Do Anything.”

Sam Phillips

Sera Cahoone got her start playing drums for a few widely adored bands in the Pacific Northwest, most notably Band of Horses and the spell-checker-defying Carissa's Wierd. But her self-titled, self-released 2006 album marked her as a fully formed talent — a warm and inviting singer whose songs convey world-weariness and homespun grace.

Sera Cahoone

Thao Nguyen makes captivating music. Her songs are raw and infectious, her voice has a distinctive swagger, and she's a remarkably nimble guitarist.

Thao Nguyen

Kurt Wagner writes and sings beautiful songs with Lambchop, a hefty Nashville ensemble with a calm, restrained sound. When Kurt Wagner came by the office to play a Tiny Desk Concert, he came alone, with just an acoustic guitar, a stack of lyrics and his humble, good-natured sense of humor.

Lambchop's Kurt Wagner

Dr. Dog isn't an obvious choice for one of NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts. For one thing, it's a pretty big group, at least for the small space behind Bob Boilen's desk. The band's music can be pretty chaotic — loud and rumbling, with multiple instruments fighting to be heard. And singer Toby Leaman likes to belt out his vocals in a window-rattling, raspy growl.

Dr. Dog

Jim White is a storyteller first and a musician second. It's a kind of storytelling rooted in his own unusual history: He grew up in Florida in a deeply Pentecostal community and fell in love with the white gospel music he heard. But from there, White took a surprising path to becoming a full-time musician. He was a professional surfer, a boxer, a fashion model in Milan and a cab driver in New York City. White's travels recently took him to Washington, D.C., where he stopped by the offices of NPR Music for this live performance.

Jim White

A glorious four-song set that's at once pristine and ramshackle — equal parts clarity and clatter — not to mention one of our best Tiny Desk Concerts yet.

Shearwater

He should be a name everyone knows by now. Instead, troubadour David Dondero returned to NPR having slept the night before in his car. Dondero travels from club to club, singing his well-crafted songs — songs that have his signature lyrics at their core. His lyrics can make you smile with their wit and hurt with their bite, all at the same time.

David Dondero

David Eugene Edwards performs his fiery Americana and covers a rare Bob Dylan song.

Woven Hand

Hear the singer give an intimate acoustic performance at the desk of NPR Music's Bob Boilen.

Super XX Man

Hear the legendary singer perform at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen.

Tom Jones

See the band perform live at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen.

Horse Feathers

Ferree has enough charisma to draw you into his odd world. Watch him perform in the NPR offices.

Benjy Ferree

Singer Tony Dekker performs three songs at the desk of All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen.

Great Lake Swimmers

The classical guitarist plays with a clear, lyrical technique in music from the baroque and beyond.

Jason Vieaux

Hear the harmony-drenched roots-rock band perform a kinetic, frenetic set in the NPR Music offices.

The Avett Brothers

Hear the singer-songwriter's tender, winsome music, performed live in the NPR Music offices.

Maria Taylor

After a few restarts, the singer played a bare, stark, memorable solo set in the NPR Music offices.

Julie Doiron

Watch the artist formerly known as Smog play a three-song set that's almost eerily transfixing.

Bill Callahan

Or, the day a trumpet, trombone, French horn and tuba played us a soulful Rufus Wainwright cover.

Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy

In this video shot at the NPR Music offices, Siskind showcases a voice that's both honeyed and raw.

Sarah Siskind

Hear Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, stars of the movie Once, playing six new songs and an encore.

The Swell Season

Dark Meat has as many as 20 members. We fit as many as we could behind Bob Boilen's desk.

Dark Meat

The young Swedish folksinger is passionate, gruff, a great guitar picker and a damn good poet.

The Tallest Man On Earth

Reduced to a duo for this charming session in the NPR Music offices, Telekinesis is all heart.

Telekinesis

The Grammy-nominated R&B artist performed three acoustic interpretations of his soul-inspired tunes.

Raphael Saadiq

Vanderslice shares acoustic versions of songs from his most recent album, Romanian Names.

John Vanderslice

The duo's new album pays tribute to the pair's heroes, such as Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana.

Rodrigo y Gabriela

See and hear the legendary bluegrass and old-time gospel singer give an a cappella performance.

Ralph Stanley

At 10 members, this is the biggest band ever to play a Tiny Desk Concert in the NPR Music offices.

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros

The Norwegian-born singer-songwriter performs three liltingly sweet songs in the NPR Music offices.

Sondre Lerche

The rapper's set exuded shimmery grace while incorporating the sounds of soul, pop and reggae.

K'naan

Bowerbirds' handcrafted songs creak and swell like wooden floorboards in an old house.

Bowerbirds

Avi sings three hushed lullabies, including her signature cover of Morrissey's "First of the Gang."

Zee Avi

The fearless party-rocker stands in NPR Music's offices and performs four songs alone at the piano.

Andrew W.K.

Lightning Dust specializes in quiet moments, whether in a shared glance or a finely knit harmony.

Lightning Dust

The charming London indie-folk band performs a holiday-themed set in the NPR Music offices.

Fanfarlo

Members of the adventurous ensemble play music by Ravel and an original piece, Egyptian-style.

Australian Chamber Orchestra

In a solo show at NPR Music, John Darnielle's twitchy energy serves his fearless songwriting well.

The Mountain Goats

In a performance at NPR, the talented singer's voice is powerful without unnecessary melodrama.

Adam Arcuragi

The band's sullen, spacious music was a perfect fit for the intimacy of the NPR Music offices.

The Low Anthem

The string quartet showcases a small sample of its visceral fire at the offices of NPR Music.

Brooklyn Rider

A longtime session guitarist, Rawlings takes the lead, playing his own music at NPR Music's offices.

Dave Rawlings Machine With Gillian Welch

The harpist crafts a transporting mix of tradition and improvisation in this desk-side performance.

Edmar Castaneda

With roots in Greece, Turkey, Armenia and France, Abaji has a passion for music from many countries.

Abaji

The singer-songwriter performs music from Mo' Beauty, accompanied only by two guitars.

Alec Ounsworth

The singer treated the NPR Music offices to three songs that invited us into her warm musical world.

Laura Veirs

The Cuban singer performs two boleros, which transport the listener to another time and place.

Omara Portuondo

The Brooklyn-based trio strips down its wall of noise for an intimate performance at NPR Music.

The Antlers

The talented Baltimore duo didn't have to travel far to liven up a day at the NPR Music offices.

Wye Oak

Jakob Dylan, Neko Case and Kelly Hogan perform a mesmerizing set at the Tiny Desk.

Jakob Dylan

The violinist plays traditional African melodies, re-imagined through her own jazz sensibilities.

Regina Carter

The classical guitarist showcases his warm, lyrical tone in three staples of the repertoire.

David Russell

The unusual jazz guitarist and his drummer perform at the NPR offices, literally with bells on.

Lionel Loueke

Fredrik's lush harmonies are stripped to guitar, snare drum and maraca in this intimate performance.

Fredrik

Moby gives a live performance of his Project Song creation, "Gone to Sleep," at NPR's offices.

Moby And Kelli Scarr

The singer performs three harmony-drenched reggae songs with Dean Fraser and a guitarist.

Tarrus Riley

Hear instantly recognizable hits such as "1901" and "Lisztomania," stripped down and reassembled.

Phoenix

The veteran soul singer blew into the NPR Music office and conquered it before she'd sung a note.

Bettye LaVette

Seven authors (Roy Blount Jr., Scott Turow and others) perform with a big-time ringer.

Roger McGuinn With Amy Tan, Dave Barry And More: Authors At The Tiny Desk

Hear the acclaimed musician play Bach on his amazingly resonant cello, built in 1693.

Zuill Bailey

Laura Burhenn's new band performs a soulful Tiny Desk Concert at the NPR Music offices.

The Mynabirds

The venerable, multimillion-selling pop parodist plays three acoustic originals in the NPR offices.

'Weird Al' Yankovic

The frenetic gypsy punk band performs the most rollicking and insane Tiny Desk Concert of all time.

Gogol Bordello

The whip-smart sometimes bawdy U.K. band performs a clamorous ruckus in this Tiny Desk Concert.

Los Campesinos!

The reggae icon performs classics from the film The Harder They Come in this acoustic performance.

Jimmy Cliff

Villagers' Conor O'Brien performs a beautiful and memorable solo set in the NPR Music offices.

Villagers

The three demonstrate the way musical mastery can become an exercise in wordless communication.

Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Zakir Hussain

Hear the band play inspired soul from its latest album, Feed My Soul, at the NPR Music offices.

The Holmes Brothers

The soul icon performs songs from her latest album, You Are Not Alone, at the NPR Music offices.

Mavis Staples

The singer came to NPR Music with just her guitar to play four beautiful tunes from Obadiah.

Frazey Ford

The Minneapolis duo performs songs from its stormy debut album, Inter-Be.

Peter Wolf Crier

The New Zealand band plays four songs from its album Chant Darling at the NPR Music offices.

Lawrence Arabia

The gospel singer sounds like somebody you know — somebody you know with stage presence for days.

Brian Courtney Wilson

With these intimate songs, the French-born Chilean rapper proves that hip-hop has no boundaries.

Ana Tijoux

The ever-adaptable guitarist creates challenging and expressive music in the NPR Music offices.

The Nels Cline Singers

The singer and his band feed off the audience's live energy in a concert at the NPR Music offices.

Seu Jorge

The young cellist plays Bach with elegance and a new piece by Golijov with Technicolor brilliance.

Alisa Weilerstein

Barzelay, maybe the most underrated songwriter in the business, performs at the NPR Music offices.

Eef Barzelay Of Clem Snide

The band showcases its cinematic blend of storytelling and strings at the NPR Music offices.

Lost In The Trees

The legendary group performs its pop hits in a rare acoustic set at the NPR Music offices.

Tom Tom Club

Watch Jana Hunter bring her delicate, haunting voice and hypnotic sound to the Tiny Desk.

Lower Dens

It doesn't take more than four minutes to fall in love with this utterly charming seven-piece band.

Hey Marseilles

The 12-person ensemble performs from the NPR Music offices.

Stile Antico

At 61, Lowe is part crooner, part country and a little crotchety, but with a  heart of pure pop.

Nick Lowe

In honor of the Day of the Dead, Santacruz performs at the NPR offices in traditional mariachi garb.

Rana Santacruz

In an intimate four-song set, Daniel Lanois and Trixie Whitley sound warm, vulnerable and ferocious.

Black Dub

This set from the NPR Music office has something new, something old and something to dance to.

Los Lobos

In this lovely Tiny Desk performance, Van Etten plays beguiling songs from her latest album, Epic.

Sharon Van Etten

Watch Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl perform songs from Acoustic Sessions in the NPR offices.

The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger

Watch the Icelandic singer perform a lovely, folk-flavored set from the NPR Music offices.

Olof Arnalds

Watch Mali's queen of desert rock unveil her stunning vocal chops at the NPR Music offices.

Khaira Arby

Watch the inventive and unpredictable duo play a joyfully pummeling set from the NPR Music offices.

Buke And Gass

Watch the harpist give a powerful and intimate performance at the NPR Music offices.

Yolanda Kondonassis

Watch the 10-member band squeeze behind the Tiny Desk for an elegant, stripped-down performance.

The Red River

What better way to celebrate our 100th Tiny Desk Concert than by discovering an artist worth loving?

The Heligoats

Though heavy on puns, the extraordinary jazz drummer's merry band isn't light on musicianship.

Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O

The Brazilian singer floats and sprinkles notes onto just the right places at the NPR Music offices.

The Best Seasons of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts

The Best Seasons of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts

Season 9

Season 17

Season 10

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8

Season 11

Season 12

Season 13

Season 14

Season 15

Season 16

Season 18