Three straight hours of music released in 2025—the best of the best. Lots of my picks and lots of yours! Thanks to everyone that left a message on the In The Groove hotline with your picks; they were absolutely lovely and mixed right in with the show!

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for December 11, 2025

• “Save Me” – Emma-Jean Thackray

• “Si Chomphu” – Salin

• “SNC” – DARKSIDE

• “YUKON” – Justin Bieber

• “Found A Light (Beale Street)” – BADBADNOTGOOD & V.C.R

• “S.O.T.H.” – Sault

• “Be A Witness” – Lady Wray

• “Sad Makeup” – Yukimi

• “What It Gave Me” – Jordan Rakei & Jalen Ngonda

• “Constellation” – The Circling Sun

• “Puaj” – Salin

• “Alone (Four Tet Remix)” – The Cure

• “Angles Mortz” – Nightbus

• “Listen2me” – Foxwarren

• “The World’s Biggest Paving Slab (Daniel Avery Remix)” – English Teacher

• “Hit My Head All Day” – Dry Cleaning

• “Belong To You” – Cut Copy & Kate Bollinger

• “I’m Not Ready For The Change” – Nation of Language

• “Mercury” – Automatic

• “You got time and I got money” – Smerz

• “Lo Life” – Antibalas

• “Treat Yourself” – Franc Moody

• “Nobody New” – The Marias

• “Garden” – Maria Somerville

• “To Be A Rose” – Jenny Hval

• “Power of the Moon” – Ezra Furman

• “Sugar in the Tank” – Julien Baker & TORRES

• “Elderberry Wine” – Wednesday

• “..THUS IS WHY ( I DON’T SPRING 4 LOVE )” – SAYA GRAY

• “It’s A Mirror” – Perfume Genius

• “Elegantly Wasted (feat. Leon Bridges)” – Hermanos Gutiérrez

• “Waves” – ISTA

• “Lecker Song” – Yin Yin

• “Stone Shadow” – Glyders

• “Take My Hand” – El Michels Affair & Rahsaan Roland Kirk 

Friday, Dec. 12, 2025

We played three more hours of your top songs and mine on Friday to officially kick off the “Best Of” week of listening. 

Follow along with what our hosts are highlighting as the defining tunes of this year and listen to all of our picks in one place on the Best Of 2025: The WDET Playlist page. 

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for December 12, 2025

• “GOOD LUCK” – KAYTRANADA

• “Another Baby!” – Dijon

• “Rush” – Gerald Clayton

• “Red Moon” – Tom Misch

• “Survivor” – Chronixx

• “Carry Me Away” – El Michels Affair & Norah Jones

• “Heaven” – Yeek

• “SPIDERS” – Lola Young

• “SOS” – Jadu Heart

• “Believer” – Annahstasia

• “Left For Tomorrow” – Perfume Genius

• “Better” – SPRINTS

• “Man Made Of Meat” – Viagra Boys

• “High Vibrations” – Theo Croker, Malaya & D’LEAU

• “Sad Piano House” – Daphni

• “Babystar” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill

• “Eye To Eye (Live From The Royal Albert Hall)” – Jordan Rakei

• “The Seize” – Jordan Rakei

• “N8 Medley (Live at Audio Gold)” – Lawne

• “Nubian Lady” – Don Was

• “Dumb Feeling” – Mei Semones

• “Animaru” – Mei Semones

• “Need To Run” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill

• “Invocation (feat. Onipa, Jupiter & Okwess, Otim Alpha, Damon Albarn & Joan as Police Woman)” – Africa Express

• “MISK” – Roundabout

• “DON’T LISTEN” – corto.alto

• “Coltrane (Crooked Man Remix)” – Cymande

• “Ibiza” – Butcher Brown

• “Road To Nowhere” – Roge

• “Boste” – Oreglo

• “Uno Punto Uno” – Women In Jazz & Rosa Brunello

• “SPOTTIEOTTIEDOPALISCIOUS” – Kassa Overall

• “2close2farr” – Momoko Gill

• “All That We Were” – Georgie Sweet

 

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

New music discovery from corto.alto, Olive Jones, Celeste, Moses Sumney, Clairo and more.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for November 18, 2025

• “Towers” – Hundred Waters
• “It Always Was” – Joshua Idehen
• “The Divine Chord (feat. MGMT & Johnny Marr)” – The Avalanches
• “So Easy” – Röyksopp
• “Juna” – Clairo
• “Time” – Ni Maxine
• “APRIL (feat. anaiis)” – corto.alto
• “End Of Time” – Olive Jones
• “This Is Who I Am” – Celeste
• “O Mistress Mine” – Michael Thurber, Moses Sumney & Twelfth Night Cast
• “Squares” – Beta Band
• “What’s Done In the Dark (Will One Day Come to Light)” – Jackie Wilson
• “No One’s Gonna Love You” – Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators
• “Côte D’ivoire” – Yoni Mayraz
• “Herbs & Wine (feat. Ivar)” – Kraak & Smaak
• “You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Momma Said)” – Kendrick Lamar
• “Backline” – Butcher Brown
• “Are You Even Real” – Teddy Swims & GIVĒON
• “The Line” – D’Angelo
• “Song for My Father” – Tenderlonious
• “Monotropa” – MRKT
• “Amants Ennemis” – Domenique Dumont
• “Big People Music (feat. Theo Croker)” – Reuben James
• “Dumpalltheguns (Jitwam Remix)” – Adi Oasis
• “Ethiopean Sunshower” – Brian Jackson, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
• “SPIDERS” – Lola Young
• “Drains” – mary in the junkyard
• “Better” – SPRINTS
• “The World’s Biggest Paving Slab (Daniel Avery Remix)” – English Teacher & Daniel Avery
• “Heaven Scent (feat. Chloe Sevigny)” – Soulwax
• “Gemini” – Angélica Garcia
• “I Don’t See It That Way” – Spoek Mathambo
• “Too Poor” – Σtella
• “I’m Not Ready For The Chance” – Nation of Language
• “Just Like Honey” – The Jesus and Mary Chain
• “Golden Gate (On And On)” – Madison Cunningham
• “Cruel” – St. Vincent
• “Nightclubbing” – Iggy Pop

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

Highlighting shows that are coming to town this week including Beta Band and David Byrne, plus new music from Automatic and SPRINTS.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for October 20, 2025

• “The World’s Biggest Paving Slab” – English Teacher
• “Oh Baby Doll” – La Femme
• “Smash It Up” – The (International) Noise Conspiracy
• “No One’s Gonna Love You” – Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators
• “Ain’t No Love In the Heart of the City” – Bobby “Blue” Bland
• “Al Sharp” – Beta Band
• “Words” – Big Thief
• “Strange Overtones” – David Byrne & Brian Eno
• “Black Box” – Automatic
• “The Rip” – Portishead
• “Queen” – Perfume Genius
• “Seasons (Waiting On You)” – Future Islands
• “Build A Bridge” – Deeper
• “Like Eating Glass” – Bloc Party
• “Coffee” – Yuna
• “Thin Lines” – Kidnap
• “Tonight (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello)” – Miguel Migs
• “Happening in the Streets (Domo Domo Rework)” – Domo Domo
• “Deep Dive” – Penza Penza
• “100% Samba” – Roge
• “Autumn in New York” – Makaya McCraven
• “Tell Me A Tale” – Michael Kiwanuka
• “Burnin’ And Lootin” – The Wailers
• “Straight To Hell” – The Clash
• “Try A Little Tenderness” – Otis Redding
• “Love And Hate In A Different Time” – Gabriels
• “The House of the Rising Sun” – Nina Simone
• “100 Yard Dash (Nicky D Remix)” – Derobert & The Half-truths
• “1969” – The Stooges
• “Here’s The Thing” – Fontaines D.C.
• “Better” – SPRINTS
• “SPIDERS” – Lola Young
• “SAME KIND OF LONELY” – Benjamin Booker

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

 

A ton of music from Lady Wray, El Michels Affair & Norah Jones, Yeek, Lola Young and Tame Impala, plus throwbacks from Aretha Franklin, Digable Planets and OutKast.

And, for good measure, a preview of this year’s Dally In The Alley and the local music you’ll hear there. The lineup for this year’s event includes dream beach, Bevlove, Delano Smith, Johnstonsons, Oliver Dollar, ADMN, Apropos and more.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for September 5, 2025

• “Hard Times” – Lady Wray
• “Carry Me Away” – El Michels Affair & Norah Jones
• “Heaven” – Yeek
• “SPIDERS” – Lola Young
• “Valerie (Live, BBC Radio 1 In Lounge, London/2007)” – Amy Winehouse
• “Messy” – Lola Young
• “Dog It” – Digable Planets
• “West Savannah” – OutKast
• “Nobody Knows We Are Fun” – CHAI
• “GOOD LUCK” – KAYTRANADA
• “Never Catch Me (feat. Kendrick Lamar)” – Flying Lotus
• “Are You Tired? (Keep on Singing)” – DARKSIDE
• “Midnight Train To Memphis” – The SteelDrivers
• “Before You feat. APROPOS (Extended)” – Oliver Dollar
• “What Cha’ Gonna Do (feat. Apropos & Boog Brown)” – Oliver Dollar
• “I Cry” – Johnstonsons
• “Remember Me” – Bevlove
• “Nebula (Original Mix)” – Delano Smith
• “Before You Gotta Go” – Courtney Barnett
• “Trick To Happy” – Bahamas
• “Road To Nowhere” – Rogê
• “So Far to Go (feat. Common & D’Angelo)” – J Dilla
• “Skindo Le-Le (S.U.M.O. Rebounce)” – A Bossa Elétrica
• “Yeah Yeah” – Bubaza
• “Waves” – Ista
• “Loser” – Tame Impala
• “Better” – Sprints
• “Midnight” – Jessie Ware
• “Pullin’” – Aretha Franklin

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.