This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music lots of great new Detroit tunes from Dames Brown, Nick Piunti, The Legal Maters…

Also new music now from some great 80s legends still delivering excellent music!

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

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for February 21, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “No More Lies” – Thundercat & Tame Impala
• “Twisted On A Train” – King Tuff
• “Bein’ Alive” – Melissa Etheridge
• “Indigo Park” – Bruce Hornsby
• “Cry” – Thornetta Davis & Big Chief
  
• “American Obituary” – U2
• “Desire” – U2
• “Stay In Your Lane” – Courtney Barnett
• “The Look Of Love” – Isaac Hayes
• “Hair Down” – Samm Henshaw
• “Tragic Tragedy” – Nick Piunti
  
• “Cowboy Dreams” – Boy Golden w/Cat Clyde
  
• “Ramona” – Beck
  

• “Take Me As I Am” – Dames Brown
• “Belle Isle Drive” – Will Sessions w/Amp Fiddler & Dames Brown
• “In The Middle Of It” – Hiss Golden Messenger
• “Stray Dogs” – Hrishikesh Hirway ft. Iron & Wine
• “Baby’s Behind The Wheel” – Frank Allison & The Odd Sox
• “Song of The Future” – U2
• “Marching On” – The Legal Matters
• “Stay High” – Brittany Howard
• “Another Life” – Alabama Shakes
• “Here” – Mumford & Sons ft. Chris Stapleton
• “Letterman” – Michigander
• “Say It Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud” – James Brown
• “I’m Black And I’m Proud – Say It Loud” – James Brown, Carl Cox remix
  

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music it’s our annual show filled with songs of heartbreak, betrayal, busted romance and all the things that are essential to the human experience. And the ANTI-Valentines show is even better when it’s on Valentines Day!

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

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for February 14, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “Happy Valentine’s Day” – Outkast
• “Parallel Bars” – Robbie Fulks & Kelly Willis
• “No Reply” – The Beatles
• “She Used To Be Mine” – Sara Bareilles & Rufus Wainwright
• “World’s Worst Girlfriend” – Shura
  
• “So Far Down” – Sloan
• “I Snub You” – Iggy Pop
• “It Should Have Been Me” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
• “It Should Have Been Me” – Ray Charles
• “No Not Again” – The Tubes
• “Sky Blue And Black” – Jackson Browne
  
• “Phones And Radios” – Priscilla Block
  
• “IDGAF” – Dua Lipa
  
• “No No I’m Losing You” – Aretha Franklin
  

• “When Rita Leaves” – Delbert McClinton
• “Diamonds And Divorce Decrees” – Sunny Sweeny
• “I Ain’t Got The Fever No More” – Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
• “Love To Hate You” – Erasure
• “Why You Got Me Crazy (Walk Away)” – Dames Brown
• “If You Could Read My Mind” – Gordon Lightfoot
• “Somebody That I Used To Know” – Elliott Smith
• “Black Cow” – Steely Dan
• “Old Me, New Wig” – Molly Tuttle
• “Praying For Your Downfall” – Jensen McRae
• “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” – JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound
• “Moving On” – Leonard Cohen
• “I Wanna Be Around” – Aretha Franklin

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music a fond remembrance of Ismael Ahmed’s wonderful gift to Detroit, The Concert Of Colors.

Also, some classic February releases from decades past, new music from Thundercat ft. Lil’ Yachty, a cool cover from Beck, Detroit Cobras, Aretha, Dames Brown and so much more!

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

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for February 7, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “What’s Going On” – Los Lobos (Concert Of Colors)
• “Glad” – Amp Fiddler & Urban Art Orchestra (Concert Of Colors)
• “What It Gave Me” – Jordan Rakei & Jalen Ngonda
• “Purple Raindrops” – Jalen Ngonda
• “Operation Heartbreak” –Aretha Franklin
  
• “Love Hangover” – Diana Ross (Feb. 1976)
• “Let’s Go Get Stoned” – Ray Charles (Feb. 1966)
• “If You Leave” – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (Feb. 1986)
• “Last Donut Of The Night” – J Dilla (Feb. 2006)
• “I Did This To Myself” – Thundercat ft. Lil’ Yachty
• “Cha Cha Twist” – Detroit Cobras
• “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime” – Beck
  
• “Rock & Roll Woman” – Buffalo Springfield
  
• “Love The One You’re With” – Isley Brothers
  

• “Africa” – Femi Kuti (Concert Of Colors)
• “It Don’t Come Easy” – Bettye LaVette (Concert Of Colors)
• “Victim Of Luck” – Metric
• “Why You Got Me Crazy” – Dames Brown + Amp Fiddler
• “When I Think Of You” – Janet Jackson (Feb. 1986)
• “Killing Me Softly” – Fugees (Feb. 1996)
• “High Note” – Mavis Staples (Feb. 2016)
• “Looking Up” – Elton John (Feb. 2016)
• “Streets Of Minneapolis” – Bruce Springsteen
• “Get Free” – Seratones
• “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” – Mayer Hawthorne
• “Hear It Through The Grapevine” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
  

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music a couple cuts from a fascinating new album from Kronos Quartet and Mahalia Jackson, featuring her amazing singing and in conversation with Studs Terkel in 1963.

Also, new Detroit tunes from Dames Brown, The Legal Matters, another Nick Piunti preview, the duo Rosetta Pebble and more!

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

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for January 31, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “Against The Dying Of The Light” – Jose Gonzalez
• “(It Takes All Kinds) To Make A World” – Gail Ann Dorsey
• “The Stars Are Out Tonight” – David Bowie
• “Opening Night” – Arctic Monkeys
• “Hold On” – Mahalia Jackson & The Kronos Quartet
  
• “What Would You Do” – Dames Brown
• “Rendevouz” – Will Sessions + Dames Brown, Amp Fiddler
  
• “I Got You” – Tedeschi Trucks Band
  
• “I Wish You Love” – Frank Sinatra
• “Stay Away” – Charles Bradley
• “Can’t Hold Us” – Sampa The Great
  
• “Handshake Deal” – Nick Piunti
  
• “Get On The Right Thing” – Wings
  

• “Music Always” – AV & The Inner City
• “Perfect Day” – Al Green w/Raye
• “2Sided” – Arlo Parks
• “Sweet Love” – Stephen Sanchez
• “The Message” – The Legal Matters
• “Chicago” – Mavis Staples
  
• “In The Saddle” – Whitney
• “Practice” – Jamila Woods w/Saba
• “Your Old Stand By” – Mary Wells
• “Disco Life” – Say She She
• “Bend In The River” – Rosetta Pebble
• “Hair Down” – Samm Henshaw
• “Shapes & Sizes” – Joan Armatrading & The Kronos Quartet
• “This World Will Make You Think” – Mahalia Jackson & The Kronos Quartet

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org