In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, I’m thrilled to share my personal Song of the Summer!

Plus, some cool folks are celebrating milestone birthdays in July, turning 30, 40, 50, 80 and Ringo Starr who just turned 85!

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 July 12, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “Summer Breeze” – The Mighty Rootsmen
  
• “The Look Of Love” – Isaac Hayes
  
• “Capable Of Anything” – Ben Folds & The National Symphony Orchestra
• “No More” – Tanika Charles
• “Sunburn” – JR JR
• “Archbishop Harold Holmes” – Jack White (turning 50)
• ” ” – The Japanese House (Amber Bain turning 30)
  
• “This Year” – Emily King (turning 40)
• “Going Solo” – Ray Davies (solo debut released 40 years ago this week)
• “Living On A Thin Line” – The Kinks
  
• “Better Broken” – Sarah McLachlan
• “My Love” – Hannah Jadagu
• “Don’t Pass Me By” – The Beatles (Ringo’s first original song)
• “Breathless” – Ringo Starr with Billy Strings (Ringo turning 85)

• “Big Money” – Jon Batiste (my Song Of The Summer)
  
• “Be Your Lady” – Galactica & Irma Thomas
• “Can’t Get Enough (Detroit Funk Mix)” – Nick Behnan
• “That Lady” – The Isley Brothers
• “Down To The River” – The War & Treaty
  
• “Time Spent In Los Angeles'” – Dawes (Taylor Goldsmith turning 40)
• “One Way Or Another” – Blondie (Debby Harry turning 80)
• “All I Really Want To Do” – Valerie June
• “You Gotta Serve Somebody” – Mavis Staples (at The Aretha next week)
• “Wreck” – Neko Case
• “Be Cool (demo)” – Joni Mitchell
• “Tea Leaf Prophecy” – Herbie Hancock w/Joni Mitchell

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 summer has been hot — perfect for enjoying a cool beverage and an even cooler playlist. To mark the halfway point of 2025, we asked our award-winning DJs to share their top five tracks of the year so far so we could create the ultimate summer soundtrack.

Below is a well-balanced mix of genres, energies and artists.

Listen to the full playlist:

Ann Delisi, Ann Delisi’s Essential Music

• “Everything’s Beautiful” — Hiatus Kaiyote
• “I Don’t” — Madison McFerrin
• “Flower Moon (feat. Aaron Frazer)” — Durand Jones & The Indications
• “Lotta Love” — Lamont Landers
• “Stealing A Kiss” — The War And Treaty

Chris Campbell, The Progressive Underground

• “20/20” — Ideeyah, Meftah
• “Your first time” — Erogenous
• “Lovers’ Holiday” — Durand Jones & The Indications
• “Sweet Danger” — Obongjayar
• “LIFE IS A RHYTHM (feat. Cazeaux O.S.L.O)” — Alexander Flood

Jeff Milo, MI Local

• “Jessie” — Danny VanZandt
• “Fearless and the Pure” — Elisabeth Pixley-Fink
• “UR WORLD” — LOCAL ORGANIC
• “Power” — Neu Blume
• “The Bloodletting” — PHABIES

Jon Moshier, Modern Music

• “Alcohol” — TVOD
• “Emilina” — Bloodshot Bill
• “She’s Too Cool for You” — Audio Book Club
• “Evil People” — MIEN
• “Transmuted Matter” — Stereolab

Liz Warner, Alternate Take

• “Ibiza” — Butcher Brown
• “The Missing Piece” — Max Cooper
• “Babystar” — Herbert & Momoko
• “BROKEN” — Ela Minus
• “Gadabout Season” — Brandee Younger

Mike Latulippe, The Detroit Move

Note: Due to the retrospective nature of this show, these five songs were released before 2025.

• “Possum Belly Overalls (feat. Noble ‘Thin Man’ Watts and His Rhythm Sparks)” — June Bateman
• “I Don’t Like You That Much” — Royal Jokers
• “Dance What You Wanna” — George E. Lee
• “Way Out” — Keetie & The Kats
• “I Can’t Do The Ska” — The Zodiacs

Rob Reinhart, Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music

• “I’ll Be OK” — Michigander
• “Walk This Road (feat. Mavis Staples)” — The Doobie Brothers
• “Love Is On Fire” — The War And Treaty
• “Lady Liberty” — Galactic & Irma Thomas
• “After I’m Dead” — Ryan Allen And His Extra Arms

Ryan Patrick Hooper, In The Groove

• “R B J” — LL Burns
• “Dumb Feeling” — Mei Semones
• “Elderberry Wine” — Wednesday
• “Melodie Is A Wound” — Stereolab
• “You got time and I got money” — Smerz

More best-of playlists

In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, lots of new music from Detroiters Carmel Liburdi, Kate Hinote Trio and Jack Spivey,

Plus, recognizing a couple artists who recently passed, some protest songs for Fourth of July weekend 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 July 5, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “Sleeves Up” – Crys Matthews
  
• “We March” – Prince
  
• “If Not For Love” – Durand Jones & The Indications
• “If She Could See Me Now” – Lorde
• “Cemetery Road” – Kate Hinote Trio
• “Theme From Mannix” – Lalo Shiffrin (died June 26)
• “Ready For Love” – Mott The Hoople (Mick Ralphs, died June 23)
  
• “Who’s Zoomin’ Who” – Aretha Franklin (released 40 years ago this month)
• “Back In Time” – Huey Lewis & The News (released 40 years ago this week)
• “The Field” – Blood Orange
  
• “Devil I Know” – Kylee Phillips

• “Americans” – Janelle Monae
  
• “America” – Tracy Chapman
• “69” – Carmel Liburdi
• “Amber (11 AM)” – Cautious Clay
• “Forget My Name – Jack Spivey (ft. Sami Ray)
  
• “Cruisin'” – D’Angelo (released 30 years ago this month)
• “Chicago” – Sufjan Stevens (released 20 years ago this month)
• “From” – Bon Iver
• “Who’ll Stand With Us?” – Dropkick Murphys
• “When Will We Be Paid” – The Staple Singers
  
• “Bye Bye 25” – Kim Gordon
• “It Keeps The Lights On” – The Accidentals
• “I Need You” – Jon Batiste

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.

In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, it’s the annual Canada Day Show, ahead of the July 1 holiday.

“Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies. Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder.”

– Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy

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 June 28, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “The Canadian Dream” – Sam Roberts Band
  
• “Baseball” – Sara Dufour
  
• “Red Future” – Snotty Nose Rez Kids
• “The Cobbler” – Matt Andersen
• “Consistency” – Tanika Charles
• “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” – The Guess Who
• “Dopamine” – Jon Vinyl
• “Canadian” – Billy Raffoul
  
• “Mhepo” – Munya Mataruse
• “Total Cinema” – Ken Yates
• “Girls Like You” – Sofia Camara
  
• “Yellow” – Tegan & Sara
• “Human Nature” – Sloan
• “Rolodex” – Logan Richard
  

• “Better Broken” – Sarah McLachlan
  
• “Home” – Aysanabee
• “Listen2Me” – foxwarren
• “Poets” – Tragically Hip
• “Eleanor Rigby” – Oscar Peterson
  
• “Life Is A Highway” – Tom Cochrane
  
• “Walking In Sunshine” – Brandon Isaac
  
• “Nothing Is Perfect” – Metric
  
• “My People” – AHI
  
• “The Night Loves Us” – Alan Doyle
• Qujannamiik” – The Jerry Cans
• “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” – Celine Dion
• “Acadian Driftwood” – The Band

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.

In this week’s episode ofRob Reinhart’s Essential Music, upcoming shows and new music from David Byrne, Chris Thile and Jason Isbell… a new tune from Detroit’s own JR JR, a Detroit Cobras classic, acoustic Prince and 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 June 21, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “Do Your Thing” – Isaac Hayes
  
• “Everybody Laughs” – David Byrne
  
• “Hemingway” – girl in red
• “What Was That” – Lorde
• “Cry On” – The Detroit Cobras
• “People” – Galactic & Irma Thomas
• “Miss You” – Jose James
  
• “Day One” – Bon Iver
  
• “The Kind That Lasts” – The Doobie Brothers
• “Stevie & Sly” – Young Gun Silver Fox
• “Free” – Prince
  
• “Murder By Numbers” – Christian McBride w/Sting, Andy Summers
  

• “Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground” – Chris Thile (Acoustic Cafe performance)
  
• “Spit On A Stranger” – Nickel Creek
• “Robin’s Egg” – Iron & Wine + I’m With Her
• “Shake Shake” – Jon Muq
• “Half As High” – The Devil Makes Three (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Yesterday’s Another Day” – Mobley
  
• “Rock The Bells” – LL Cool J
  
• “Songbird” – Waylon Jennings
  
• “Don’t Stop” – The Mighty Rootsmen
  
• “Kid Fears” – Jason Isbell w/Brandi Carlile and Julien Baker
• “One Fine Morning” – Lighthouse (next week, The Canada Day Show!)
  

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.